CARY, N.C. – Pontus Nyholm won individual honors in record-breaking fashion and Campbell finished fifth in the team standings Saturday in the third Stitch Intercollegiate at MacGregor Downs Country Club.
 
Nyholm broke the school record for lowest score to par (-17) over 54 holes following Saturday's career-low, 10-under-par 62 in the final round.  He finished three shots clear of NC State's Christian Salzer to claim his third win of the spring season and a sponsor's exemption in the Korn Ferry Tour's Rex Hospital Open June 3-6 at TPC Wakefield in Raleigh.
 
No. 9 NC State (268-280-265—813) won team honors at 51-under par 813, 12 shots better than 26th-ranked Notre Dame (275-276-274—825). ETSU (826) was third, followed by Virginia Tech (830), Campbell (839) and No. 40 Duke (841) in the 12-school field.
 
Campbell junior Edwin Blomander fired his lowest round since joining the program as a transfer last fall with a 6-under 66 that included seven birdies. He finished T17 at 5-under 211 (71-74-66).  Henrik Lilja tied for 41st (70-76-70—216) at even par, while Josh Hetherington (73-74-75—222) and Romain Lanteri (80-71-71—222) tied for 55th.
 
Nyholm's bogey-free, final round included eight birdies and an eagle on the 357-yard par-four 15th hole when he chipped in from 40 meters.  His 62 fell just one stroke shy of the school and course record 61 that Ray Kraivixien fired on his way to the individual title of the inaugural Stitch Intercollegiate in 2018.
 
With Covid-19 precautions in place, teams were grouped in five somes for the Stitch event.  After finishing the second round early Saturday morning, four Camels shot under par in the final 18 holes.
 
"Any time you have a 62, it's a good day," said Nyholm, who has shot in the 60s in each of his last eight rounds. "Doing it in front of all the guys and the coaches makes it extra special.  My plan is to come back the States next fall for Korn Ferry Q-School, so to get a taste this summer of what the Korn Ferry tour is like is amazing."
 
Nyholm's 199 total was just two shots more than the school 54 hole record (197, 16-under par) that Jesper Svensson fired in 2018 on the par-71 Kilmarlic Golf Club to win the OBX Intercollegiate.  Svensson also was 16-under when he won the 2018 Golfweek Program Challenge at True Blue.
 
Campbell's team score (269) Saturday tied for the second-lowest 18 hole total and matched the school record for lowest to par (-19) round (269 at the 2018 Golfweek Program Challenge).
 
"Pontus made about a 25-foot putt on the first hole, birdied the second and third hole, and as the day went on you could tell it was something special," said Campbell head coach John Crooks.  "He was playing well and Edwin was right beside him.  They were 9-under at the turn between them.  It's always fun to see your athletes get into the zone. It's fleeting and doesn't last forever, but you know it was when you see it.  That's where Pontus and Edwin were today."
 
CU's 25-under par 839 tied for the 9th-lowest 54-hole total in program history.
 
Nyholm led the field in par-4 scoring (-12), was even on the par-4 holes and 5-under on the par fives.  He made 19 birdies, second-most in the 68-golfer field.  Blomander finished with 35 pars, while Lilja had 37. Lanteri played the final 36 holes 2-under.
 
Including titles this year at the Southern Invitational and Golfweek Spring Invitational, Nyholm now has four collegiate victories.  The senior from Gavle, Sweden has finished among the top 15 individuals in each of his six outings this spring, including a runner-up showing at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate.
 
Blomander turned in his second-straight top-20 individual finish.
 
Including a fourth-place showing in the 2018 event, Campbell has finished in the top five in each of the three Stitch Intercollegiate tournaments at MacGregor Downs.  The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Campbell returns to action Apr. 18-21 when it defends its Big South Conference championship at the Patriot Golf Club in Ninety Six, S.C.
 
Stitch Intercollegiate
Cary, N.C. / MacGregor Downs CC
Apr. 9-10, 2021 / Par 72, 6973 Yards

Final Team Results: 1. NC State 268-280-265—813, 2. Notre Dame 275-276-274—825, 3. ETSU 278-278-270—826, 4. Virginia Tech 275-277-278—830, 5. Campbell 282-288-269—839, 6. Duke 283-282-276—841, 7. College of Charleston 287-278-280—845, 8. Coastal Carolina 286-292-273—851, 9. Davidson 291-288-274—853, 10. Denver 289-288-281—858, 11. Elon 291-294-289—874, 12. East Carolina 289-298-288—875.
 
Final Individual Leaders: 1. Pontus Nyholm (Campbell) 68-69-62—199, 2. Christian Salzer (NC State) 65-72-65—202, T3. Ian Siebers (Duke) 71-66-66—203, T3. Maximilian Steinlecher (NC State) 70-66-67—203, T5. Easton Paxton (NC State) 66-70-68—204, T5. Benjamin Shipp (NC State) 67-72-65—204.
 
Other Campbell Individuals: T17. Edwin Blomander 71-74-66—211, T41. Henrik Lilja 70-76-70—216, T55. Josh Hetherington 73-74-75—222, T55. Romain Lanteri 80-71-71—222.
 
The Course / MacGregor Downs CC (Par 72, 6973 Yards)
The 18-hole private golf course at MacGregor Downs Country Club is annually rated as one of the best courses in the Southeastern United States because of its impeccable playing conditions.  The golf course was designed by Willard Byrd, one of America's leading golf course architects. In the early 1970s, MacGregor Downs played host to the Liggett & Myers PGA Tour Match Play Championships and currently hosts the Children's Flight of Hope Charity Tournament each year. Some of the greatest names in golf have walked its fairways, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Lee Trevino. 


About Stitch Golf
Stitch® Golf is excited to be the title sponsor of the event. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Apex, N.C., Stitch® products have evolved from the original leather headcover to now offering a variety of products such as lightweight golf bags, the unique ultimate garment bag (UGB™) and most recently a line of luxury travel bags. Stitch® aims to produce the best quality, the greatest fit and the most functional products to supply customers with the finest in the industry. Priding itself in the details, Stitch® products are designed with high quality, exclusive materials including durable waterproof fabrics, fashionable color schemes and personalization designs completed in house.