GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson’s Jacob Bridgeman has been named the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golf Player of the Year and headlines a talented 15-person all-conference team. North Carolina’s David Ford is the ACC Freshman of the Year and UNC’s Andrew DiBitetto is the ACC Coach of the Year.
The All-ACC Team, Player, and Freshman of the Year are decided by a combination of the Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin rankings in conjunction with a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. Coach of the Year was selected by a vote of the coaches.
A senior from Inman, South Carolina, Bridgeman was the individual medalist at the ACC Men's Golf Championship in Panama City Beach, Florida, winning the title on the second playoff hole over North Carolina’s Peter Fountain. He fired rounds of 69, 66 and 68 during the three-day stroke play competition to finish 13-under-par and become the seventh player from Clemson to win the individual competition. Ranked second in the PGA Tour’s University rankings, Bridgeman has five consecutive top-four finishes, the longest streak of its kind by a Clemson golfer in 20 years. He is second in Clemson history in career stroke average at 70.73 and has the most career rounds in the 60s with 49. Bridgeman has two individual tournament victories this year and his five career wins are tied for the most in Clemson history.
Ford had a standout rookie season for the Tar Heels, ranking seventh in the ACC with a 70.6 stroke average. He tied for seventh at the ACC Championship at 8-under par and had five top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments this year. A native of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, Ford had a career-best second-place finish at the Williams Cup at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina.
In his fifth season as head coach of the Tar Heels and 11th with the Carolina men’s golf program, DiBitetto has guided UNC to No. 5 in the latest Golfstat rankings and a No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA regional. Carolina has three wins on the season and was the top finisher in the ACC Championship stroke play competition. Under his leadership, the Tar Heels are one of six teams in the country to finish in the top 20 in the last three NCAA Championships.
North Carolina and Georgia Tech each placed three players on the All-ACC team, followed by Notre Dame and Wake Forest with two.
ACC Player of the Year: Jacob Bridgeman, Clemson
ACC Freshman of the Year: David Ford, North Carolina
ACC Coach of the Year: Andrew DiBitetto, North Carolina
2022 All-ACC Men’s Golf Team
Jacob Bridgeman, Clemson
Ian Siebers, Duke
Frederik Kjettrup, Florida State
Bartley Forrester, Georgia Tech
Connor Howe, Georgia Tech
Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech
Jiri Zuska, Louisville
David Ford, North Carolina
Ryan Gerard, North Carolina
Austin Greaser, North Carolina
Maximilian Steinlechner, NC State
Davis Chatfield, Notre Dame
Palmer Jackson, Notre Dame
Michael Brennan, Wake Forest
Alex Fitzpatrick, Wake Forest