Teams and individuals were going really low as the NCAA regionals played out all around the country this week, but maybe the most impressive winner was Florida, which captured the title in the Columbus Regional with an even-par 852 total at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.
Huh? Even-par? That’s all you got for me?
Really, yes. The 7,422-yard, par-71 Alister MacKenzie design – yes, that Alister MacKenzie of Augusta National and Royal Melbourne fame – has historically proven to be the perfect preparation for whatever a team faces next. Same thing happens when the Big 12 holds its championship at Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kan.
Players are forced to think their way around the golf course. Birdies are hard-earned. Pars turn into gold.
Look, Florida, the runnerup in the tough Southeastern Conference, came into the Columbus Regional at No. 2 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd rankings, and was the top seed.
But look out for the Gators when the NCAA Championship commences May 29 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
Florida, behind individual champion Luke Poulter, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 17 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, closed with a 7-over 291 to finish with an even-par 852 total.
The Gators had opened with a 7-under 277, the only team round under par for the week, and matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 284. The victory sends the five-time national champions to the NCAA Championship for the sixth straight spring.
Poulter, yeah, he lives in Orlando, but he is the son of U.S. Ryder Cup nemesis Ian, so he’s a Brit, closed with a 1-over 72 to take the individual crown with an even-par 213 total as all five Gators finished among the top 11 in the individual standings.
Poulter had matched par with a 71 before adding a 1-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round. Steady, just like the Scarlet Course requires.
The true testament to Florida’s performance was the way the rest of the field was strung out behind it.
Stanford, out of the Atlantic Coast Conference these days, earned runnerup honors, but the Cardinal were 24 shots behind Florida with a 24-over 876 total.
Stanford, No. 14 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, could do no better than an 11-over 295 in the final round. The Cardinal had opened with a 6-over 290 before adding a 291 in Tuesday’s second round.
Upstart Memphis, out of the American Athletic Conference, made sure a double-digit seed would show up at La Costa as the Tigers, No. 61 in the Scoreboard rankings and the 10 seed, finished in third place, a shot behind Stanford with a 25-over 877 total.
Memphis was Florida’s closest pursuer through two rounds as the Tigers added a solid 4-over 288 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening-round 289 before closing with a 300. Still, they easily earned their first trip to the NCAA Championship in 14 years.
Memphis got an outstanding individual performance from Christian Morneau, a sophomore from Canada who found himself in a tie for second place with a couple of Gators at 1-over 214, a shot behind Poulter.
Morneau had grabbed the individual lead when he added a 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to his even-par 71 start before closing with a 3-over 74.
Arizona State, battle-tested at the Big 12 Championship at the aforementioned Prairie Dunes, finished five shots behind Memphis in fourth place with a 30-over 882 total.
The Sun Devils, No. 11 in the WAGR and seeded second, struggled a little in the final round with a 15-over 299. Arizona State had a solid 5-over 289 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 294.
Another ACC entry and Florida’s in-state rival, Florida State, earned the final berth available to La Costa as the Seminoles finished in fifth place, a shot behind Arizona State with a 31-over 883 total.
Florida State, No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, closed with a fairly clutch 10-over 294 to punch its ticket to nationals for a sixth straight spring. The Seminoles had opened with a solid 6-over 290 before slipping a little with a 14-over 298 in Tuesday’s second round.
Thunderstorms delayed the start of play for Wednesday’s final round and forced officials to go to a shotgun start, but none of it seemed to bother Florida.
Parker Sands, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., and Matthew Kress, a senior from Saratoga, Calif. and No. 44 in the WAGR, shared runnerup honors with Memphis’ Morneau, each landing on 1-over.
Sands had opened with what turned out to be the best individual round of the week, a sparkling 5-under 66. He backed off after that with a 5-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72.
Jack Turner, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 25 in the WAGR, finished alone in 10th place with a 5-over 218 total after closing with a 5-over 76. Turner was at even-par entering the final round after adding a 2-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to his solid opening round of 2-under 69.
Rounding out the Florida lineup was Zack Swanwick, a sophomore from New Zealand and No. 50 in the WAGR, as he finished in the group tied for 11th place with a 6-over 219 total. Swanwick had been in contention for individual honors when he added a 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73, but he struggled a little in the final round with a 6-over 77.
Was keeping an eye on South Florida’s Hugo Trommetter, a junior from Morocco for whom I looped at Stonewall’s Old Course before his college career started.
Trommetter had opened with a solid 1-over 72, but struggled to an 81 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 2-over 73 to finish among the group tied for 41st place with a 226 total.
The Bulls, an AAC rival of Memphis, finished in a tie for 10th place with a 43-over 897 total.
USF’s Wilhelm Ryding, a junior from Sweden, just missed grabbing the lone individual berth to nationals for a player from a non-advancing team as he finished alone in sixth place with a 3-over 216 total.
In the Athens Regional, in the middle of SEC country, three of the conference’s entries advanced to the NCAA Championship, led by Vanderbilt, which surged in front in Tuesday’s second round and held on to claim a two-shot victory over a stubborn Louisville, out of the ACC, at the University of Georgia Golf Course.
The Commodores, No. 13 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third in Athens, had opened with a 7-under 277 over the 7,243-yard, par-71 UGA layout, then went off with a 15-under 269 in Tuesday’s second round that gave them a three-shot heading into the final round.
Vanderbilt closed with a 6-under 278 to finish with a 28-under 824 total.
The Commodores were led by a fabulous freshman as Will Hartman of Marvin, N.C. got a share of the individual crown with Louisiana’s Malan Potgieter, a senior from South Africa and No. 96 in the WAGR who was competing as an individual, each ending up with 14-under 199 total.
Hartman, who had opened with a 4-under 67, fueled Vanderbilt’s second-round surge with a spectacular 8-under 63 in Tuesday’s second round that gave him a one-shot edge over Potgieter going into the final round.
Hartman closed with a 2-under 69 to claim his first collegiate victory and become the third straight Vanderbilt player to capture an individual title at an NCAA regional.
Louisville, No. 36 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, never really went away. The Cardinals added a solid 9-under 275 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening-round 274 before closing with a 7-under 277 to finish two shots behind Vanderbilt in second place with a 26-under 826 total.
Louisville was led by Cooper Claycomb, a junior from Orlando, Fla. who finished alone in third place, two shots behind the co-medalists with a 12-under 201 total. Claycomb recorded a sparkling 5-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 68 and closed with a third round in the 60s, a 4-under 67.
The No. 1 team in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Athens, SEC power Auburn, finished four shots behind Louisville in third place with a 22-under 830 total.
The Plains Tigers were steady, closing with an 8-under 276 after tallying back-to-back 7-under 277s in the first two rounds. I don’t think anybody is sleeping on the 2024 national champions who reached the semifinals a year ago at La Costa.
Gritty Brigham Young, out of the Big 12 these days, finished two shots behind Auburn in fourth place with a 20-under 832 total.
The Cougars, No. 24 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth in Athens, closed with a 9-under 275 to assure themselves a trip to nationals for the 34th time in program history. BYU had added a 5-under 279 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 278.
It’s a fitting farewell for BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank, who is stepping down after 31 years at the helm.
Host Georgia used its home-course advantage to give the SEC a third national qualifier out of the Athens Regional as the Bulldogs closed with a second straight 7-under 277 to finish a shot behind BYU in fifth place with a 19-under 833 total.
Georgia had opened with a 5-under 279.
It will be one last trip to nationals for Georgia under head coach Chris Haack, who has been at the helm in Athens for 24 years.
Backing up Hartman for Vanderbilt was another freshman, Jon Ed Steed from Enterprise, Ala. as he finished alone in seventh place with a 9-under 204 total. After carding back-to-back 4-under 67s in the first two rounds, Steen closed with a 1-under 70.
Wells Williams, Vanderbilt’s senior leader from West Point, Miss. and No. 24 in the WAGR, backed up the freshmen as he finished among the group tied for 14th place with a 5-under 208.
Williams had added a solid 3-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 70 before closing with a bookend 1-under 70.
Williams was a member of some supremely talented Vanderbilt teams, but it was an ultimately frustrating era for the Commodores. His voice matters.
Ryan Downes, a junior from Longmeadow, Mass. and No. 83 in the WAGR, finished among a trio tied for 39th place with an even-par 213 total, contributing a 2-under 69 to Vanderbilt’s solid final-round showing.
Downes had matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 2-over 73.
Rounding out the Vanderbilt lineup was Chase Nevins, a senior from Great Falls, Va. who finished alone in 72nd place with a 226 total after closing with a 2-over 73. Nevins had added a 3-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 79.
Really nice showing by Louisiana’s Potgieter as he was right there with Hartman every step of the way in the battle for the individual title.
Potgieter only trailed Hartman by a shot going into the final round after Potgieter added a 6-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 66. A final round of 3-under 68 enabled him to catch Hartman for a share of the individual title in Athens and earn him a chance to compete as an individual in the NCAA Championship, the first Ragin’ Cajun to qualify for nationals in 30 years.
In the Bryan Regional, a threatening weather forecast prompted officials to order a double round Tuesday and the Texas teams didn’t seem to mind a bit.
When the dust settled, SEC powers Texas and Texas A&M finished 1-2, respectively, with the birdies and, I’m sure, some eagles, flying at the Traditions Club, Texas A&M’s home course.
The Longhorns, No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in the Bryan Regional, took control of the team chase with a sizzling 23-under 265 over the 7,227-yard, par-72 Traditions Club layout in the morning of Tuesday’s double round. Texas had opened with a 7-under 281.
Texas then closed with a 15-under 273 to finish a whopping 45-under with its 819 total. The win extended the Longhorns’ streak of NCAA Championship appearances to 19 straight, the longest in the country. It was the 11th regional team crown for Texas.
The Longhorns were led by Luke Potter, a senior from Encinitas, Calif. and No. 31 in the WAGR who captured the individual crown with a 17-under 199 total.
Potter had opened with a 5-under 67, but then contributed a spectacular 8-under 64 to the Longhorns’ surge in the morning of Tuesday’s double round before closing with a 68.
Texas A&M, No. 27 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth on its home course, wasn’t bad either. The Aggies, who had opened with a 12-under 276, posted a solid 15-under 273 in the morning of Tuesday’s double round and only trailed their ancient rivals by three shots going into the final round.
Texas A&M closed with a 13-under 275 that left it with a 40-under 824 total, probably good enough to win most of the tournaments contested the Traditions Club, as it advanced to the NCAA Championship for a fifth straight spring.
The Aggies were led by Wheaton Ennis, a sophomore from Eagle, Idaho and No. 80 in the WAGR, as he finished a shot behind Potter in second place with a really strong 16-under 200 total.
Often overlooked Southern Conference champion Chattanooga, No. 67 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 11th, was really solid in Tuesday’s double round and surged to a third-place finish with a 23-under 841 total.
The Moccasins had opened with a 2-under 286, but got it going in the morning of Tuesday’s double round with a 12-under 276 before closing with a 9-under 279 that earned them the fourth trip to nationals in the program’s history.
ACC power North Carolina, No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed, finished four shots behind Chattanooga in fourth place, assuring the Tar Heels a trip to Carlsbad with a 19-under 845 total.
North Carolina had gotten off to a solid start with a 10-under 278 and put it in cruise control from there, opening Tuesday’s double round with a 4-under 284 before closing with a 6-under 282.
Tennessee, No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, joined its SEC counterparts Texas and Texas A&M by punching its ticket to the NCAA Championship as the Volunteers finished in fifth place with an 18-under 846 total, a shot behind North Carolina.
Tennessee finished strong, a 10-under 278 in the final round sending it packing for Carlsbad. The Volunteers had opened with a 6-under 282 before adding a 2-under 286 in the morning of Tuesday’s double round.
Tennessee was led by Josh Hill, a senior from the United Arab Emirates who finished two shots behind Texas A&M’s Ennis in third place in the individual standings with a 14-under 202 total.
After opening with a 4-under 68, Hill got it going in the morning of Tuesday’s double round with a sparkling 6-under 66 before closing with another 68.
Backing up Potter for Texas were its pair of senior stalwarts, Christiaan Maas, a South African and No. 4 in the WAGR, and Tommy Morrison of Dallas, Texas and No. 20 in the WAGR.
They have been a consistent force for a very good era of Texas golf and they were again at the Traditions Club, each landing in the trio tied for fifth place at 10-under 206.
Maas recorded a pair of 4-under 68s in Tuesday’s double round after opening with 2-under 70. Morrison ripped off back-to-back 5-under 67s in Tuesday’s double round after matching par in the opening round with a 72.
Daniel Bennett, a sophomore from South Africa and No. 16 in the WAGR, finished among the trio tied for 11th place with a 7-under 209. After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Bennett heated up in the morning of Tuesday’s double round with a 6-under 66 before closing with a 1-under 71.
Rounding out the Texas lineup was Matt Comegys, a graduate student from Van Alstyne, Texas and No. 84 in the WAGR who finished in a tie for 14th place with a 6-under 210 total. Comegys matched par in the opening round, then registered a solid 4-under 68 in the morning of Tuesday’s double round before closing with a 2-under 70.
In the Winston-Salem Regional, West Coast Conference invader Pepperdine finished strong at Bermuda Run Country Club to catch two-time reigning ACC champion Virginia as the two teams shared the team crown, each landing on 36-under 816.
Virginia, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Winston-Salem, took a six-shot lead into the final round after adding a 14-under 270 over the 7,013-yard, par-71 Bermuda Run layout in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 271.
The Cavaliers closed with a 9-under 275 to earn their share of the team title and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Championship.
That little run coincides with the arrival in Charlottesville of Ben James, a senior from Milford, Conn. and No. 3 in the WAGR.
There would be no denying James the regional title as he blitzed the Bermuda Run layout with a sizzling 8-under 63 in Tuesday’s second round, having opened with a 66, and then closed with a 6-under 65 for an otherworldly 16-under 194 total.
That number, 194, was a record for any NCAA regional individual winner ever. It gave James bookend individual regional titles for his brilliant career at Virginia as he was the individual champion in the Las Vegas Regional in 2023.
It has been a remarkable run for James at Virginia and it is nowhere near over. I suspect James has his sights set on the national title that eluded the Cavaliers when they lost to Oklahoma State in the Final Match a year ago at La Costa.
Pepperdine, which claimed its second straight WCC crown this spring, was No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third in Winston-Salem.
The Waves closed with a 15-under 269 to catch Virginia for a share of the team crown at 36-under. It was the first regional title for the Waves, although they have been a player on the national level for a while now, including a memorable run to a national title in 2021.
Pepperdine had added a 10-under 274 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 273 to stay within range of Virginia.
The Waves were led by Mahanth Chirravura, a senior from Chandler, Ariz. and No. 13 in the WAGR, as he finished alone in fourth place with a 13-under 200 total. Chirravura checked in with a second straight 5-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 68.
SEC champion Mississippi, No. 10 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second in Winston-Salem, finished five shots behind Pepperdine in third place with a solid 31-under 821 total.
Ole Miss got off to a great start, adding a 15-under 269 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 6-under 278 to join Pepperdine in a tie for second place, six shots behind Virginia heading into the final round.
The Rebels closed with a 10-under 274 to earn the eighth trip to nationals in program history.
Ole Miss was led by Cameron Tankersley, a senior from Dickson, Tenn. and No. 36 in the WAGR, as he was the unlucky runnerup to James, finishing with a sparkling 16-under 197 that left him three shots behind James.
Tankersley finished strong, posting back-to-back 6-under 65s in the final two rounds. He had opened with a 4-under 67.
Like Pepperdine, Big Ten representative Southern California, No. 28 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, came all the way across the country for the right to go back home to SoCal for the NCAA Championship as the Trojans finished four shots behind Ole Miss in fourth place with a 27-under 825 total.
Southern Cal actually posted the best round of the day Wednesday, closing with a 16-under 268 to earn its first trip to nationals since 2019, which is kind of hard to believe. The Trojans had added a 5-under 279 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening-round 278.
Mississippi State, the SEC and rabid in-state rival of Mississippi’s, joined the Rebels in the field for the NCAA Championship as the Bulldogs, No. 39 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, closed with an 8-under 276 to finish a shot behind Southern Cal in fifth place with 26-under 826 total.
Mississippi State was solid all week, adding a 12-under 272 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 278. The Bulldogs earned their fifth trip to the NCAA Championship in program history.
The Bulldogs were led by Grant Endicott, a senior from San Antonio, Texas and No. 45 in the WAGR, as he finished in third place in the individual standings, a shot behind Ole Miss’ Tankersley with a 14-under 199 total.
Endicott had surged into contention in the individual chase when he signed for a 7-under 64 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 69. He closed with a 5-under 66 to secure the highest finish ever by a Mississippi State player in an NCAA regional.
Backing up James for Virginia was Paul Chang, a graduate student from China and No. 18 in the WAGR, as he finished among a trio tied for fifth place with a 9-under 204 total. Chang was the picture of consistency for the Cavaliers, rattling off three straight 3-under 68s.
Bryan Lee, a senior from Fairfax, Va. and No. 48 in the WAGR, finished in the group tied for 14th place with a 6-under 207 total as he added a 4-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68 before closing with a 1-over 72.
The rest of the Fairfax connection rounded out the Virginia lineup as Bryan Lee’s younger brother Michael, a freshman, finished in the group tied for 33rd place at even-par 213, and Josh Duangmanee, a junior and No. 46 in the WAGR, ended up among a trio of players tied for 47th place with a 3-over 216 total.
Michael Lee posted back-to-back 1-over 72s in the final two rounds after opening with a 2-under 69. Duangmanee struggled a little in Tuesday’s second round with a 5-over 76, but sandwiched that with a pair of 1-under 70s in the first and final rounds.
Backing up Chirravuri for Pepperdine was Willy Walsh, a junior from San Mateo, Calif. who finished in a tie for 10th place with a 7-under 206 total after contributing a 4-under 67 to the Waves’ final-round surge. Walsh had added a 1-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68.
Brady Siravo, a senior from Sacramento, Calif. and No. 60 in the WAGR, finished in a tie for 18th place with a 5-under 208 total as he, too, contributed a 4-under 67 to the fast finish by the Waves. Siravo had added a 3-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 73.
Byungho Lee, a sophomore from South Korea, also closed with a sparkling 4-under 67 to join the group tied for 20th place with a 4-under 209 total for the Waves. Lee had matched par with back-to-back 71s in the first two rounds.
Rounding out the Pepperdine lineup was Carson Kim, a sophomore from Yorba Linda, Calif. who finished in a tie for 31st place with a 1-under 212 total. Kim had opened with a 4-under 67 and added a 1-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 4-over 75 that the Waves were able to toss.
Missed Navy senior Jack Tarzy, who regularly appeared on Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour leaderboards as a junior player in South Jersey, in my roundup of the opening round of the regionals.
Tarzy, a scholastic standout at The Hun School of Princeton, capped a really satisfying senior season as he finished in the group tied for 52nd place with a 5-over 218 total at Bermuda Run. Tarzy bounced back from an opening-round 79 with a solid 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 70.
Tarzy had four individual wins during the wraparound 2025-2026 season and captained the Middies to the Patriot League Championship. Navy finished last of 14 teams in Winston-Salem with a 24-over 876 total.
In the Marana Regional, host Arizona surged past reigning national champion and Big 12 rival Oklahoma State in Tuesday’s second round and claimed the team title at the Gallery Golf Club by going a whopping 49-under with an 815 total.
The Wildcats, No. 18 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third on their home course, moved in front on the strength of a sizzling 24-under 264 in Tuesday’s second round over the 7,317-yard, par-72 Gallery layout after they had opened with an 11-under 277.
It gave Arizona a 10-shot lead over Big 12 champion Oklahoma State and the Wildcats closed it out with a 14-under 274 to finish 14 shots clear of the Cowboys.
Arizona was led by Filip Jakubcik, a senior from the Czech Republic and No. 6 in the WAGR, and Zach Pollo, a senior from Rocklin, Calif. and No. 62 in the WAGR, as they were two of the four players who shared medalist honors at 15-under 201.
Jakubcik was solid throughout, ripping off three straight 5-under 67s. Pollo contributed a sizzling 9-under 63 to Arizona’s second-round surge after he had matched par in the opening round with a 72. Pollo closed with a 6-under 66 to get his share of the regional’s individual crown.
Oklahoma State, No. 5 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in the Marana Regional, will head to La Costa to begin defense of the title it won a year ago off a solid runnerup finish with a 35-under 829 total.
The Cowboys added a 14-under 274 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 11-under 277, but couldn’t keep up with a red-hot Arizona. Oklahoma State closed with a 10-under 278.
By the way, the top two finishers were coming off a Big 12 Championship played at Prairie Dunes. Just sayin’.
Oklahoma State was led by Eric Lee, a junior from Fullerton, Calif. who delivered the clinching point in the Cowboys’ victory over Virginia in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match a year ago, as Lee grabbed a share of medalist honors, joining the foursome at 15-under.
Lee matched Pollo’s 63 in Tuesday’s second round with a sizzling 9-under round of his own after he had opened with a 3-under 69. Lee closed with another 69 to get it to 15-under.
LSU, out of the powerful SEC, finished five shots behind Oklahoma State in third place with a 30-under 834 total. The Bayou Tigers, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second in Marana, posted a second straight 9-under 279 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 12-under 276.
Duke, an ACC blue blood, and Arkansas State, the Sun Belt Conference champion and decidedly not a blue blood of any kind, nabbed the final two berths to the NCAA Championship out of the Marana Regional as they finished in a tie for fourth place, each landing on 24-under 840.
The Blue Devils, No. 29 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, closed with a solid 10-under 278 to earn their first trip to the NCAA Championship since 2023, but the 22nd time they’ve reached nationals in program history.
Duke had added a 2-under 286 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening-round 282.
The Red Wolves, No. 44 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded eighth, made their move in Tuesday’s second round with a sparkling 14-under 274 after having opened with a 7-under 281.
Arkansas State finished up with a 3-under 285 to earn the first trip to nationals in program history.
It was a frustrating sixth-place finish for the SEC’s Alabama as the Crimson Tide finished a shot behind Duke and Arkansas State with a 23-under 841 total.
Alabama will be represented at La Costa in the individual competition by William Jennings, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C. and No. 38 in the WAGR, as he rounded out the foursome that shared medalist honors at Gallery at 15-under.
Jennings had added a 7-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 67 to take a share of the individual lead with Oklahoma State’s Lee into the final round. Jennings closed with a 3-under 69 to earn the lone individual berth to nationals available to a player from a non-advancing team.
Backing up Jakubcik and Pollo for Arizona was Taishi Moto, a sophomore from Japan and No. 68 in the WAGR, as he finished in a tie for 11th place with a 10-under 206 total. Moto added a 5-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 69 before closing with a 2-under 70.
Tianyi Xiong, a junior from China, finished among the trio tied for 22nd place with a 4-under 212 total. Xiong also contributed a 5-under 67 to Arizona’s second-round surge Tuesday after he had opened with a 2-over 74. Xiong finished up with a 1-under 71.
Rounding out the Arizona lineup was William Wistrand, a freshman from Sweden who finished in a tie for 29th place with a 2-under 214 total as he added a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 69 before closing with a 2-over 74.
I’m sure nobody was more frustrated in the Alabama camp than sophomore Nick Gross, Pennsylvania’s Class AAA scholastic champion as a sophomore at Downingtown West in 2021 who saw his second straight season with the Crimson Tide end short of the ultimate goal, a trip to the NCAA Championship.
Gross’ opening round of 5-over 77 matched a relatively slow start for Alabama, No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, as it opened with a 2-under 286.
Gross found his groove after that, adding a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69 that left him among the group tied for 38th place with a 1-over 217 total.
The Tide rallied, too, with Jennings obviously doing his bit, with a 10-under 278 in Tuesday’s second round and a final round of 11-under 277, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Hopefully, I’ll get to see Gross, and a lot of the other guys in this post, this summer when the U.S. Amateur tees off at the iconic East Course at Merion Golf Club in the Ardmore section of Haverford Township and Philadelphia Country Club in the Gladwyne section of Lower Merion Township.
There was one more Pennsylvania guy in the field in the Marana Regional and West Virginia sophomore Nick Turowski, who lost in a playoff for the title in the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Penn Trafford in 2023, delivered a strong showing for the Mountaineers, another Big 12 entry.
Turowski closed with a 5-under 67 to finish in the group tied for 18th place with a 6-under 210 total. Turowski had added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 2-under 70.
West Virginia, an eight seed, finished in eighth place with a 5-under 859 total.
In the Corvallis Regional, it was a strong performance from another SEC team as Oklahoma, No. 17 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, rolled to a 20-shot victory over Big Ten champion UCLA at Trysting Tree Golf Club.
But the really big story out of Corvallis was the individual victory recorded by Liberty sophomore Michael Lugiano, who finished in a tie for second place in the Pennsylvania Class AA Championship as a senior at Lake Lehman in 2023.
Lugiano can play, he was the runnerup in last summer’s Pennsylvania Amateur Championship on his home course at Huntsville Golf Club. But this was another level as Lugiano closed with a 4-under 67 over the 7,384-yard, par-71 Trysting Tree layout for a 12-under 201 total that beat the Oklahoma pair of Jase Summy, a senior from Keller, Texas and No. 5 in the WAGR, and Clark Van Gaalen, a senior from Turlock, Calif. and No. 57 in the WAGR, by three shots.
Lugiano had added a 6-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68 to get into contention for the individual crown.
And Lugiano nearly carried the Conference USA champion Flames all the way to Carlsbad in the team competition.
Lugiano’s 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole enabled Liberty to finish in a tie for fifth place with San Diego, a WCC representative, and the final berth to nationals out of the Corvallis Regional went to a playoff after each ended up with a 9-under 843 total.
The Toreros, No. 42 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, prevailed on the second hole of the playoff to punch their ticket to La Costa, their second straight trip to the NCAA Championship.
San Diego had added a 4-over 288 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 4-under 280 before surging into its share of fifth place with a 9-under 275 in Wednesday’s final round.
Liberty, No. 86 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 11th, had added a 4-under 280 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 2-under 282 before closing with a 3-under 281 to earn its way into the playoff.
Lugiano, though, will still represent Liberty, Lake Lehman and northeast Pennsylvania in the individual competition at La Costa.
It was reminiscent of Penn State junior Cole Miller’s individual victory in the Washington Regional at the Aldarra Golf Club in 2017, although in that case, the product of Northwestern Lehigh did lead the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Championship at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
It was a dominant showing for Oklahoma as the Sooners took control of the team chase with a sizzling 19-under 265 in Tuesday’s second round after they had opened with a 9-under 275.
Oklahoma closed with a 6-under 278 for a 34-under 818 total.
Summy had opened with a 1-under 70 and the ripped off back-to-back 4-under 67s to get a share of second place with his 9-under 204 total. Van Gaalen added a 5-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68 before closing with a 70 to join his teammate Summy in a tie for second place at 9-under, three shots behind Lugiano.
UCLA, No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, added an 8-under 276 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 1-under 283 before closing with a solid 5-under 279 that earned the Bruins runnerup honors with a 14-under 834 total, 20 shots behind Oklahoma.
UCLA earned its second straight trip to the NCAA Championship at La Costa.
Another SEC power, Arkansas, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Corvallis, was another three shots behind UCLA in third place in the team standings with an 11-under 841 total.
The Razorbacks got off to a solid start with a 9-under 275 and leveled off after that, adding a 1-over 285 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 281. Arkansas will be making its 27th appearance in the NCAA Championship.
The Big Ten’s Purdue struggled a little in the final round with a 10-over 294, but the Boilermakers, No. 43 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded eighth, earned their straight trip to La Costa by finishing in fourth place, a shot behind Arkansas with a 10-under 842 total.
Purdue started strong as the Boilers added an 8-under 278 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 12-under 272.
Backing up Summy and Van Gaalen for Oklahoma was Ryder Cowan, a junior home boy from Edmond, Okla. and No. 36 in the WAGR who finished alone in fourth place with an 8-under 205 total.
Cowan had the individual lead by a shot over his teammate Van Gaalen and Lugiano going into the final round after he added a 5-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 67. Cowan closed with a 1-over 72.
P.J. Maybank III, a junior from Cheboygan, Mich., finished in a tie for 24th place at 1-under 212 for Oklahoma as he contributed a sparkling 5-under 66 to the Sooners’ second-round surge in Tuesday’s second round after having opened with a 70. Maybank closed with a 5-over 76.
Rounding out the Oklahoma lineup was Matthew Troutman, a senior from Louisville, Ky. who finished among the group tied for 61st place with a 7-over 220 total. Troutman struggled to an 80 in Tuesday’s second round after matching par with a 71 in the opening round, but finished strong with a 2-under 69 in the final round.
It was the final college showing for a couple of Philly area standouts, including Liberty senior Josh Ryan, the winner of three straight Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Boys’ Championship crowns from 2020 to 2022 from Norristown.
Ryan finished in a tie for 49th place with a 3-over 216 total as he added a solid 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before closing with a 74.
Joining Oklahoma’s Maybank in the tie for 24th place at 1-under was Notre Dame senior Calen Sanderson, winner of Pennsylvania’s Class AAA scholastic crown as a junior at Holy Ghost Prep in the pandemic year of 2020.
Sanderson capped a solid senior season for the Fightin’ Irish by adding a solid 3-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 74 before closing with a 70.
Also in the Notre Dame lineup was junior Rocco Salvitti, who capped an outstanding scholastic career at Pittsburgh Central Catholic with a runnerup finish in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in 2022.
Salvitti, who outdueled Lugiano on Lugiano’s home course at Huntsville to capture the Pennsylvania Amateur crown last summer, finished among the group tied for 61st place at Corvallis with a 7-over 220 total as he recorded a 2-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round after matching par in the opening round with a 71 before closing with a 76.
It was a bit of a disappointing week in Corvallis for the ACC’s Notre Dame as the Fightin’ Irish, No. 31 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, finished in ninth place with a 1-under 851 total.
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