College golf’s championship season continues this week with men’s Division I regional play at six locations across the country.
Three regions have 13 teams and 10 individuals while the other three have 14 teams and five individuals, with 18 holes of stroke play each day from Monday, May 15 through Wednesday, May 17. The top five teams (30 total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six total) from each region advance to the NCAA Men’s Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, May 26-31.
Below you’ll find a recap, as well as a breakdown of what to watch for from each regional as play concludes from all six sites on day one.
Golfweek/Sagarin rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual
Auburn regional
Winning team: Auburn (1 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Auburn; 2. Vanderbilt; 3. Chattanooga; 4. Ohio State; 5. Colorado State
Individual winners: Maxwell Moldovan, Ohio State; Christoph Bleier, Colorado State
Advancing individual: Drew Salyers, Indiana
Star performance: It has to go to Chattanooga. On March 23, Chattanooga coach Blaine Woodruff and his wife, Katie, lost their unborn child. Since then, the team went on a run and is now going to nationals. It’s an incredible story and an easy team to root for in Arizona.
Keep an eye on: Gordon Sargent. The sophomore at Vanderbilt shook off a slow start to move to T-7 at regionals. He has won three times this year and is the defending individual NCAA champion.
Write it in GOLD 🌟
Most wins in a single season since 1997!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/ofe3grh42g
— Auburn Men's Golf (@AuburnMGolf) May 17, 2023
Bath regional
Winning team: Georgia (29 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Georgia; 2. Illinois; 3. Oregon; 4. Florida; 5. Texas
Individual winner: Ben Van Wyk, Georgia (10 under)
Advancing individual: Luke O’Neill, Kansas State
Star performance: The Bulldogs came into the regional as the sixth-seeded team yet ran away with the victory. Georgia won by eight shots over Big 10 Champion and top seed Illinois, and Ben Van Wyk had the individual title, as well.
Keep an eye on: Texas. The defending national champions are heading back to Grayhawk Golf Club, but only Mason Nome remains in the lineup from regionals that played in the title match last spring. The Longhorns have a trio of freshman, including mid-year enrollee Tommy Morrison, who have proven they’re capable of playing strong, so don’t be surprised to see Texas make another run.
MOVING ON
The 🔶&🔷 close out the NCAA Bath Regional in second place to secure the program’s 14th NCAA Championship appearance in the last 15 years, and the 16th overall under head coach @MikeSmall4! #Illini // #HTTO // #RoadToGrayhawk pic.twitter.com/nlbDFOyCFG
— Illinois Men’s Golf (@IlliniMGolf) May 17, 2023
Las Vegas regional
Winning team: Arizona State (59 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Arizona State; 2. Stanford; 3. Virginia; 4. San Francisco; East Tennessee State
Individual winner: Ben James, Virginia; Matthew Anderson, San Francisco
Advancing individual: Jonas Baumgartner, Oklahoma State
Star performance: Arizona State. The Sun Devils shattered the NCAA record for lowest regional round by 15 shots. It was a dominant performance from them and Stanford, which beat the school record for low regional round and the old NCAA record for regional score, however, it was Arizona State that walked away with the title.
Keep an eye on: Ben James. The freshman from Virginia has won four times this season, same as Ludvig Aberg at Texas Tech. Yet his regional victory was his biggest. He hasn’t played as tough a schedule as others ranked as highly as he is, but he showed Wednesday he’s capable of winning on the biggest stage.
Ticket Punched!
Hoos are headed to the Natty! pic.twitter.com/5UDYHqf1Ah— Virginia Men's Golf (@UVAMensGolf) May 17, 2023
Morgan Hill regional
Winning team: Mississippi State (1 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Mississippi State; 2. BYU; 3. Florida State; 4. Baylor; 5. Pepperdine
Individual winner: Luke Clanton, Florida State
Advancing individual: Riley Lewis, Loyola Marymount
Star performance: BYU. While the top-three teams advanced at regionals, the Cougars, the No. 8 seed, also advanced and finished only five shots behind winner Mississippi State. BYU had four players finish in the top 21, including Zach Jones at T-4.
Keep an eye on: Florida State. The Seminoles are deep enough to make a run if they make it to match play. Clanton, a freshman, picked up his signature win at the Morgan Hill regional, and Frederik Kjettrup and Cole Anderson are also capable of going low.
The Bulldogs are your 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒! 🏆
Ticket to Scottsdale: 𝘗𝘜𝘕𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋 🎟️ #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/eb9szX2lrn
— Mississippi State Men’s Golf (@HailStateMG) May 17, 2023
Norman regional
Winning team: Alabama (28 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Alabama; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Colorado; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Duke
Individual winner: Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech (14 under)
Advancing individual: Will King, Kansas
Star performance: Colorado. As the ninth seed, Colorado was brilliant down the stretch and earned its first appearance in the NCAA Championships since 2002. The Buffaloes finished higher than top-seed Texas Tech and shot 12 under in the final round to advance.
Keep an eye on: Oklahoma. The Sooners have had plenty of success at Grayhawk, and they’re a team that is playing well as of late. If Oklahoma’s younger players, like Drew Goodman who placed second at regionals, continue to play well, it could make match play and a deep run.
For the fifth time in school history, Alabama has won an NCAA Regional! The Crimson Tide finishes at 28-under par to claim the top spot in the Norman Regional!
Anyone know what the weather is like in Scottsdale this time of year? 😎🌵#RollTide pic.twitter.com/ms91IrvG5M
— Alabama Men's Golf (@AlabamaMGolf) May 17, 2023
Salem regional
Winning team: Georgia Tech (53 under)
Advancing teams: 1. Georgia Tech; 2. Arkansas; 3. North Carolina; 4. New Mexico; 5. Texas A&M
Individual winner: Ryan Burnett, North Carolina (17 under)
Advancing individual: Sam Lape, Furman
Star performance: Sam Bennett and Texas A&M. The Aggies were well outside of the cut line most of the regional but had a strong back nine, with Sam Bennett was the star. He came home in 5-under 31, helping Texas A&M make a playoff against host Clemson, which the Aggies won 2 under to 1 under.
Keep an eye on: Georgia Tech. Although North Carolina is one of the title favorites, Georgia Tech should be in the conversation, too. Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe each finished T-3, but Georgia Tech’s 53 under is a new regional record.
Aggies survive. Aggies advance.#GigEm | 👍 | #BTHOthefield pic.twitter.com/9RUdoD2raS
— Texas A&M Men's Golf (@AggieMensGolf) May 17, 2023
