The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship field will be finalized by Wednesday night.
And if the first NCAA regional in the books, in Amherst, Virginia, is any indication, there will be some surprises.
LSU, the nation’s sixth-ranked team and the top seed at Poplar Grove Golf Club, finished ninth to become the sixth No. 1 seed to fail to make it out of regionals. The Tigers are also the first program to do so twice, also being eliminated at regionals in 2018.
The top five teams from each regional advance to next week’s 30-team NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California. Also, the top individual not on an advancing team moves on.
As the regionals finish, we’ll recap everything you need to know from each of the six sites, from who’s advancing to who’s not to the best stories:
Amherst Regional
Poplar Grove GC, Amherst, Virginia, Par 70
Advancing teams: 1. Oklahoma (-10), 2. Vanderbilt (-6), 3. Tennessee (-5), 4. Wake Forest (-1), 5. Pepperdine (+9)
Eliminated: 6. Arizona (+10), 7. Arkansas (+12), 8. Stanford (+13), 9. LSU (+14), 10. Kent State (+17), 11. Florida Gulf Coast (+21), 12. Princeton (+28), 13. Howard (+64)
Individual champion: Jackson Van Paris, Vanderbilt (-8)
Advancing individual: T-2. Sakke Siltala, Texas State (-5)
The story: All indication was that this was going to be a wild regional, and it did not disappoint. Soggy conditions ensured a Sunday start and that each round bled into multiple days, and on Wednesday morning, with just a handful of final-round holes in the books, 10 of the 13 teams had realistic shots at advancing.
The top three finishers left little doubt, as eventually did Wake Forest, which raced into a comfortable position after a 13-under back nine, the Demon Deacons’ first nine, and ended up easily erasing a nine-shot deficit by shooting 15 under and throwing out a 68. It’s the fifth time in six years that Wake Forest has qualified for nationals.
That left a melee for the fifth spot.
Florida Gulf Coast, fifth after two rounds, ejected early and would plummet to 11th. Arizona and Arkansas each closed in 6 over to get into the clubhouse at 10 over and 12, respectively. The Wildcats, who had struggled since Tiger Christensen turned pro midseason, had to count a 77, though Zach Pollo and Johnny Walker combined for seven birdies on the final six holes. Stanford was never a great factor while top-seeded LSU looked capable of a 10-shot comeback but couldn’t quite score the birdies necessary. The Tigers finishes ninth, five shots back, marking the sixth time that a No. 1 seed has failed to get through regionals. LSU also becomes the first program to do so twice, also falling victim in 2018, and this is the first time that a top seed has failed in back-to-back years, following Arizona State’s early postseason exit last spring.
The lucky team moving on? That would be fourth-seeded Pepperdine, which snapped a streak of four straight NCAA appearances last year after finishing the regular season under .500 and losing in the final of the West Coast Conference Championship. Waves head coach Michael Beard was so bummed following that loss that he immediately went recruiting. He didn’t land a recruit for this season on that trip, but, as he says, “I at least needed to get out there and feel like we were getting better and moving the program forward.”
The Waves returned their entire roster from last season while adding freshmen Luke Bailey, a La Costa member, and Byungho Lee. Yet, only Brady Siravo had any previous NCAA postseason experience. Beard started to see signs that his rebuild was over at the Waves’ home event to kick off the spring and again at Southern Highlands, where they placed fifth in a stacked field. But the real turning point came at Pasatiempo last month when Pepperdine held the 36-hole lead before falling to third at the Western Intercollegiate.
“Yeah, we didn’t win, but I feel like they felt that it was different that final day, being there and just experiencing all that stuff,” Beard said. “I’ve always said you’ve got to get in there and fail first before you can go in and expect success.”
Seven shots back through 36 holes in Amherst, the youthful and inexperienced Waves came out Wednesday morning and promptly combined for three bogeys on the par-4 sixth hole. But they hung in there nicely and with six holes to play made their move. Pepperdine’s counters played Nos. 13-18 in bogey-free 6 under. Kris Kuvaas drained a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 17, Siravo delivered another birdie from 20 feet at No. 18 and junior Mahanth Chirravuri, who began his college career at USC, sank the advancing birdie put, from 10 feet, at the last.
“It just feels like we’re putting layers and layers of more belief on there,” Beard said. “I gotta think next week, even though it’s a new thing for them, that they feel like their games can travel anywhere, that they don’t have to do anything different than who they are.”
Chip shots: Oklahoma has now qualified for 14 straight NCAA Championships after its third NCAA regional title in the past four seasons and fifth overall under head coach Ryan Hybl. … After going without three-time first-team All-American Gordon Sargent on the travel squad, Vanderbilt got under-par rounds from four of its five players, including two from freshman Ryan Downes, who tied for sixth. Van Paris is Vandy’s second straight NCAA medalist, following William Moll. “So proud of these dudes,” head coach Scott Limbaugh texted shortly after the round. … Tennessee has qualified for back-to-back NCAA Championships for the first time since the Vols got to three straight, in 2009-11. … Siltala was 6 under over his final 36 holes and denied LSU an individual advancer; Tigers freshman Arni Sveinsson’s season ends with a T-4.
Urbana Regional
Atkins GC, Urbana, Illinois, Par 71
Advancing teams: 1. Oklahoma State (-15), 2. Illinois (-15), 3. UNLV (-6), 4. Troy (-2), 5. Texas Tech (-1)
Eliminated: 6. North Carolina (+7), 7. Houston (+10), 8. Marquette (+11), 9. Long Beach State (+14), 10. Illinois State (+15), 11. Pacific (+20), 12. Wright State (+24), 13. North Carolina State (+37)
Individual champion: Hunter Thomson, Michigan (-10)
Advancing individual: Thomson
The story: When Clay Bounds took over the Troy men’s golf program two summers ago, his first order of business was keeping the Trojans’ roster intact, especially then-juniors Brantley Scott and Jake Springer.
“It would’ve been very easy for them to transfer,” Bounds said. “My job was to come in and get those guys on my side, and I’m so thankful that they bought in, believed in where I thought this program could go.”
And that was to Troy’s first NCAA Championship, which the Trojans accomplished Wednesday with a clutch finish at the NCAA Urbana Regional.
Since the start of this season, Bounds has instilled in his players, “This is our year.” Even with Scott missing the entire fall with a right shoulder injury, the Trojans immediately built confidence by winning Louisiana Tech’s tournament. Springer won individually later in the semester, since adding a second win this spring. Scott returned in January and won in his second start, igniting a run that is now six straight top-10s, including this week’s T-8, a shot behind Springer.
Clinging to fifth place through 36 holes, the ninth-seeded Trojans figured they’d get a challenge from at least one team back in the pack. That squad ended up being second-seeded North Carolina, which at one point passed Troy as it collected birdies on the easier back nine. Troy, meanwhile, started on No. 10, meaning it’d finish on the easier side, so Bounds didn’t fret when the Tar Heels pushed three shots ahead. While North Carolina played its final three holes in 6 over, Troy pushed down on the gas pedal, going 5 under with a Springer eagle on the par-5 sixth and adding two more birdies to play its last four holes in a bogey-free 7 under.
“Unbelievable finish by this team,” said Bounds, who then surprised his team with Cubs tickets for Wednesday night’s game at Wrigley Field. He confidently bought the seats on Tuesday night.
“We believed we could get this far,” Bounds said, “and we’re going to keep going.”
Chip shots: Make it 76 and 30 NCAA Championship appearances now for Oklahoma State and Illinois, respectively. It’s also Oklahoma State’s first region title since it shared with Georgia Tech in 2022. The Illini have now won two straight regionals. … Led by runner-up Caden Fioroni, UNLV advanced through regionals for the first time since 2019. … Senior Calum Scott, without a top-10 finish all season, led Texas Tech with a T-5 showing as the Red Raiders advance to nationals for a fifth straight time. … A year after four No. 2 seeds failed to qualify for nationals, second-seeded North Carolina missed to snap its streak of seven straight NCAA Championship appearances. It’s the first time under head coach Andrew DiBitetto that the Tar Heels won’t be playing nationals. Senior David Ford, a five-time winner this season and the favorite for the Haskins Award, tied for 11th and won’t be advancing individually. If he goes on to win the Haskins, he would be just the second recipient ever to do so without qualifying for the NCAA Championship; Oregon’s Norman Xiong was the first to do so, in 2018, and the Haskins has been awarded every year since 1971.
Auburn Regional
Auburn University Club, Auburn, Alabama, Par 72
Advancing teams: 1. Auburn (-32), 2. Texas A&M (-5), 3. UCLA (+6), 4. Purdue (+9), 5. Georgia Tech (+10)
Eliminated: 6. SMU (+15), 7. College of Charleston (+20), 8. New Mexico State (+23), 9. Oregon (+26), 10. TCU (+30), 11. Little Rock (+33), 12. Loyola Maryland (+37), 13. USC Upstate (+60)
Individual champion: Jackson Koivun, Auburn (-12)
Advancing individual: T-2. Claes Borregaard, Kennesaw State (-8)
The story: Auburn’s 27-shot victory at home was the second largest victory margin in NCAA regional history behind only Washington’s 29-shot romp at the 2010 West Regional, where the Huskies were also the hosts.
Tigers assistant Chris Williams was around for both. He was the national freshman of the year on that Washington team, which also featured world No. 1 Nick Taylor and Richard T. Lee, who edged Williams for the individual title that week. And he sees many similarities between the two dominating performances, 15 years apart.
“We had a really, really deep team back then,” Williams recalled, “and obviously we’re hosting on our home course, which is a big advantage, the weather is not that great, and playing in those elements proved to be to our benefit.”
The most glaring difference? Washington was led by one superstar in Taylor, though one could certainly consider the modest Williams one by that point as well.
This Auburn team, however, arguably has four superstars – Josiah Gilbert, Carson Bacha, Brendan Valdes and Jackson Koivun, now Auburn’s second NCAA regional medalist, joining 1990 NCAA East Regional winner Jimmy Green, who currently is the general manager at Auburn University Club. Koivun’s four-shot victory on Wednesday pushed his career wins total to five. Two of those titles are SEC Championships, and Koivun, last year’s winner of the Hogan, Haskins and Nicklaus awards as a freshman, has finished outside the top 10 just four times in 25 career college starts.
Koivun is also a huge reason why the Tigers, the reigning NCAA team champions, haven’t gotten complacent, winning five of eight events this spring after a winless, albeit still strong, fall.
“He is the most competitive person I’ve ever been around, including all the PGA Tour players who I know and have played with,” Williams said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice round putting to a plastic disc, or if it’s a fishing contest, he’s just competitive in everything that he does, and it pushes everyone. That’s the mentality that we’ve tried to create, putting them in situations that force them to be competitive and want to win the day.”
Williams was quick to note that Koivun, even in victory, did not have the lowest round on the team in any of the three rounds this week. So, perhaps some extra motivation heading into Auburn’s NCAA title defense.
Chip shots: Outside the top five for much of the first round, Texas A&M was 5 under over the final 36 holes, 14 shots better than any other team not named Auburn. The Aggies now head to the NCAA Championship for the sixth time in seven seasons. … UCLA, the recent Big Ten champ, ended its nationals drought, which had lasted since 2018. … Seventh-seeded Purdue climbed two spots on the final day to qualify for its second straight NCAA Championship, though first under first-year head coach Andrew Sapp, who last led a team to nationals in 2017 when he did so with North Carolina. … Georgia Tech hung on to advance through regionals for a sixth straight season. … SMU, the fourth seed, missed for the third time in four years. … New Mexico State, the No. 11 seed, was third entering Wednesday before shooting 23 over and finishing eighth, 13 shots behind Georgia Tech.
Tallahassee Regional
Seminole Legacy GC, Tallahassee, Florida, Par 72
Advancing teams: 1. Florida State (-29), 2. Ole Miss (-20), 3. New Mexico (-14), 4. Georgia (-7), 5. Augusta (-3)
Eliminated: 6. USC (+2), 7. San Diego State (+3), 7. Louisville (+3), 9. Notre Dame (+7), 10. Northwestern (+10), 11. Michigan State (+13), 11. Furman (+13), 13. Davidson (+53), 14. Florida A&M (+61)
Individual champion: Luke Clanton, Florida State (-15)
Advancing individual: 4. Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame (-9)
The story: Augusta doesn’t always qualify for the NCAA Championship, but when it does, it has developed a habit of doing something special. Take the Jaguars’ last three trips to nationals. They won back-to-back NCAA team titles, in 2010 and 2011, before Broce Everett captured the NCAA individual crown in a playoff in 2018.
This Augusta squad got through regionals for the first time since 2018 – and just like seven years ago, the Jaguars did so as the No. 12 seed (San Diego, in 2009, is the only other such seed to advance the NCAA Championship in the six-regional era).
“I’m sure a lot of people didn’t expect us to get it done,” said Jaguars head coach Steven Paine.
He’s probably right. Augusta finished 10th or worse eight times this season, not winning until the Southland Conference Championship, which it successfully captured for the third straight season, all under the third-year Paine. The Jaguars, well under .500, only got into regionals because of that automatic bid. But Paine and his team took pride in the schedule they played, a difficult slate that included the Williams Cup, Valspar Intercollegiate and Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.
“You obviously want to play in the best tournaments possible, and we most certainly play a Power-4 schedule, but it can kind of beat up on you a little bit,” Paine said. “This field almost felt easier than some of the tournaments we’ve played.”
Paine loved his team’s regional draw, a long layout that is forgiving off the tee, perfect for his powerful-but-sometimes-wild group of guys. If the Jaguars could just get a fourth score, they’d have a shot. Juniors Stefan Jacobs and Bo Blanchard, a Mississippi State transfer, were their usual selves, each posting top-10s; Blanchard has actually known Paine since he was a kid, as Paine spent holidays with Blanchard’s family while attending D-II Columbus State in Georgia, and the two later overlapped for a semester in Starkville. As for that worst counting score, the Jaguars registered a 75 each day. They’ll enter nationals as the underdog, though that’s exactly what this program prefers.
“All week we were playing with house money and just sending it, and that’s the mindset that we need to have again,” Paine said. “We’ve played against the likes of these teams and players all year long, so I don’t think there will be much of a wow factor. We just need to keep our foot on the gas.”
Chip shots: Clanton’s individual win marks his fourth of the season and eighth of his career, tying him with John Pak and Nolan Henke for the program record. Florida State is now a perfect 2 for 2 in winning NCAA regionals at a redesigned Seminole Legacy and heads to a fifth straight NCAA Championship. … Ole Miss kept its postseason bad luck at bay this week, easily advancing to its first nationals since 2022 and just its third in over a decade under head coach Chris Malloy. … New Mexico closed in 12 under, the second-best round of the day behind Ole Miss, to make it through a third straight NCAA regional. … Buck Brumlow’s runner-up showing marked his 10th top-10 finish of the season. He leads Georgia to its fifth NCAA Championship in six years after missing last season. … USC has still not qualified for the NCAA Championship since 2019. It’s had three different head coaches since then. … Louisville, trying to make nationals for the first time since 2021, went out in 9 under before drop five shots on its final nine. … San Diego State has now been sent at least two time zones east for seven straight NCAA regionals and failed to advance just once. … Notre Dame qualified for its first NCAA Championship since 1966 last year, but the Fighting Irish dropped from second after 18 holes to ninth, 10 shots out of qualifying.
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