The best college golf week of the spring thus far has come and gone.
Most of the top men’s and women’s teams were in action from across the country, and there were multiple tournaments with loaded fields from Hawaii to Florida and everywhere in between.
Teams continue to jockey for position to get into NCAA Regional play, with some men’s teams having work to do to even make the postseason because of the .500 rule. Meanwhile, plenty of individuals are making strong cases as to why they should win the Haskins or Annika Awards.
All in all, it was a stellar week.
MORE: College golf practice facilities
Here’s what you need to know from the past week of college golf.
Florida's Maisie Filler, LSU win Moon Golf Invitational
Maisie Filler is having a spectacular senior season.
She won the Moon Golf Invitational on Tuesday at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida, shooting 9 under over 54 holes to win by three over LSU’s Ingrid Lindblad, the top-ranked female amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and Lindblad’s teammate Aine Donegan. The win is Filler’s third of the season, with the others coming at The Ally and the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational.
She also finished second at the Glass City Invitational in the fall and went 3-0 in match play at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge earlier this spring. Filler is the first Gator with three wins in a season since Sierra Brooks in 2018.
Filler sat No. 2 in the individual NCAA college golf rankings heading into the tournament. With the win, she easily takes pole position for the Annika Award with the stretch run of the season approaching.
In the team competition, LSU won for the second straight year and for the second time this season. Lindblad and Donegan paced the Tigers, but 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up Latanna Stone (T-8) and Carla Tejedo Mulet (T-12) also helped LSU finish at 14 under, the only team to shoot under par.
Auburn placed second at 2 over with Northwestern (5 over), Vanderbilt (6 over) and Texas A&M and Florida (9 over) rounding out the top five.
Meanwhile, top-ranked Wake Forest had its worst finish of the season, coming in 12th out of 17 teams. However, the Demon Deacons were without Carolina Lopez-Chacarra because of an injury, and Mimi Rhodes withdrew after an opening 76, leaving only four players for Wake Forest in the final two rounds.
“We definitely faced some adversity this week with weather and injuries, but the team dealt the hand we were given, and we used this tournament as a simulation for overcoming what you can’t control,” coach Kim Lewellen said. “I am proud of the entire team, especially the four that played through these unusual circumstances. We are looking forward to getting home, regrouping and recovering before our next event in a few weeks.”
UCLA sweeps Pac-12 Preview
Is there a new favorite in the Pac-12?
OK, don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but UCLA is having a great season under first-year coach Alicia Um Holmes. Look no further than when the Bruins won the Pac-12 Preview at Nanea Golf Club in Hawaii, besting Stanford by four shots to win the title.
Not only did UCLA win the team title, but junior Zoe Campos won her third individual title of her career.
The Bruins were tied with Stanford heading into the final day, but while the Cardinal were stuck in neutral, UCLA shot 4 under in the third round to win by four shots at 11 under. Arizona finished third at even, and USC was fourth at 3 over.
Zoe Campos shot 8-under 211, beating USC’s Amari Avery and Stanford’s Paula Martin Sampedro by one shot. For UCLA, Kate Villegas (T-4) and Caroline Canales (ninth) also finished inside the top 10.
It’s the third win this season for the Bruins and the second of the spring.
Texas Tech wins The Prestige
For the last three years, the Texas Tech Red Raiders had the best player in the field of the Prestige at PGA West men’s college golf tournament. This year, the Red Raiders simply had the best team.
Texas Tech started the last day of the 54-hole Prestige tournament with a 10-shot lead over Kansas and stretched that out to an eventual 12-shot victory at the Norman Course at PGA West in La Quinta. The Red Raiders finished the 54-hole tournament with a team score of 33-under 819, including a 9-under 275 on Wednesday.
“A combination of things came together,” said Texas Tech coach Greg Sands. “We obviously had some guys who are playing some solid golf. We’re really working hard on some mental, cultural things that seem to be clicking with some guys. We feel together. We feel like we have to play for each other.”
Texas Tech is no stranger to the Prestige tournament, having played the event over the last 15 years. But in the last three years, while the team didn’t win the title, Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg did win the individual title three times, two times alone and once in a tie. Aberg has already won on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and played in the Ryder Cup for Europe last year.
This year’s individual winner was Cecil Belisle of Kansas, the team that finished second behind Texas Tech. Belisle was the overnight leader and maintained the lead throughout the day. While he was pressured by both Petr Hruby of Washington and Karl Vilips of Stanford, Belisle fired a 4-under 67 Wednesday to finish at 13-under 200. Hruby and Vilips both finished at 202, Vilips shooting 66 Wednesday and Hruby shooting 68.
Belisle shot 3-under 32 on the front nine but then stalled with seven consecutive pars. That was enough to maintain a one-shot lead until the par-3 17th hole where Belisle chipped in for a birdie and a two-shot lead.
For more on The Prestige, click here.
Vanderbilt defends at Watersound Invitational
For the second straight year, Vanderbilt is leaving the Watersound Invitational as champions.
The Commodores shot 29 under for the event, winning by nine shots over Florida State and Georgia Tech. Vandy had three golfers finish in the top seven, led by Gordon Sargent’s T-2 finish at 9 under. Cole Sherwood finished T-5 at 7 under, and Jackson Van Paris placed T-7 at 6 under.
Playing as an individual, Florida State’s Gray Albright won for the second time in his college career, finishing at 10-under 206.
Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht also finished T-2 at 9 under alongside Sargent.
Florida men finish first – and second – at home tournament
The Florida men’s golf team not only won its home tournament, but it also finished second.
The Gators swept the top two spots with its A and B teams at the 2024 Gators Invitational. Florida shot 26 under to win at Mark Bostick Golf Course, however, the Gators’ B team finished only three shots behind. The teams were a combination of players who have been featured in the top five of Florida’s lineup all year, and it was a dominant showing at home.
Ian Gilligan, a transfer from Long Beach State led the way for the A team, placing solo third at 10 under. Joe Pagdin finished T-6, Matthew Kress was T-11, Tyler Wilkes placed T-18 and Quentin Debove ended T-21 for the winning Florida team.
Parker Bell and Jack Turner finished T-6 for the B team. Ryan Hart finished solo 10th. Luke Poulter placed T-11 and John DuBois carded a T-27 finish.
It was the second team title for Florida, the defending national champions, this spring.
North Florida placed third, with senior Nick Gabrelcik, a 2023 U.S. Walker Cup team member, taking home medalist honors at 13 under. It was Gabrelcik’s second victory and seventh top 10 of the season.
After runner-up finish in 2023, Arizona claims John A. Burns in Hawaii
Arizona persevered through windy conditions at Ocean Course at Hokuala to capture the 2024 John A. Burns Intercollegiate title after a runner-up finish in 2023.
The Wildcats shot 11 under in the final round to finish at 20 under for the tournament, beating California by three shots. The Bears shot 17 under in the final round to vault into second. New Mexico, Grand Canyon and Texas A&M rounded out the top five.
For Arizona, Yannick Malik placed second at 8 under while Zach Pollo was a shot behind at 7 under. Filip Jakubcik was T-8 at 4 under.
New Mexico’s Bastien Amat shot 8 under in the final round and finished at 13 under for the event, winning by five shots. It’s his second win this season, the first coming at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational in October.
School record for Illinois State
It was a record-setting performance for Illinois State in the Border Olympics at Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas.
The Redbirds shot 32-under 832 for the tournament, breaking the low total score in program history for a 54-hole event by four shots. Illinois State won by 16 shots over Lipscomb, North Texas and Rice.
Additionally, Valentin Peugnet was the individual medalist for the Redbirds, tying the lowest tournament in school history with a three-round total of 199. It’s the second time an Illinois State golfer has broken 200 in a tournament, joining teammate Alex McCulla.
🚨 SCHOOL RECORD ALERT 🚨
ISU demolished the previous record for lowest tournament score, as this tournament's 832 broke the previous record by four strokes.
Valentin Peugnet was the individual medalist, tying the lowest tournament in school history with a three-round 199. pic.twitter.com/hhBz1fO0rj
— Illinois State Men’s Golf (@ISURedbirdGolf) February 20, 2024
At 17 under, Peugnet beat McCulla, who finished second, by five shots.
College golf facilities: Stanford and Siebel Varsity Golf Training Complex
Stanford’s Siebel Varsity Golf Training Complex is the latest in our look at college golf practice facilities around the country. And a quick look at the Cardinal facilities shows why the men’s and women’s teams have been so successful in recent years.
