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 16 through Wednesday, May 18. 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 27-June 1.
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 two.
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual
Bryan regional
Team leader: Arizona
Individual leaders: T-1. William Paysse, Texas A&M; Trent Phillips, Georgia; Christian Banke, Arizona
If the cut were today: 1. Arizona, T-2. Texas A&M, T-2. Georgia, 4. Pepperdine, 5. Oregon State
The hook: Four teams seem to have all but secured a spot in the field at Grayhawk after two rounds, with Arizona, Texas A&M, Georgia and Pepperdine all clear of the rest of the pack.
What to watch for Wednesday: 10 seed Oregon State currently sits in fifth, with three teams within six shots (a more than manageable deficit). After stumbling out the gate on Monday, Tennessee and Kansas got in the mix in the second round, with the Vols climbing three spots with the day’s low round of 4 under as a squad.
Columbus regional
Team leaders: Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech
Individual leader: Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Oklahoma State
If the cut were today: T-1. Oklahoma State, T-1. Georgia Tech, 3. Ohio State, 4. Clemson, 5. East Tennessee State
The hook: The Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech were the low team by a mile on Tuesday, shooting 13 under as a team to join Oklahoma State atop the leaderboard at 7 under. The Cowboys’ Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra leads the way on the individual leaderboard at 4 under, with the Yellow Jackets’ Ross Steelman one shot back.
What to watch for Wednesday: Three spots are up for grabs, with hosts Ohio State in the mix along with Clemson, East Tennessee State, Arkansas, San Francisco and Duke. The race for the individual spots is also close, with Wright State’s Davis Root and Oakland’s Thomas Giroux T-3.
https://twitter.com/OSUCowboyGolf/status/1526611354345512962
Palm Beach regional
Team leader: Vanderbilt
Individual leader: Kieron van Wyk, College of Charleston
If the cut were today: 1. Vanderbilt, 2. Florida State, 3. Florida, 4. South Florida, 5. College of Charleston
The hook: They’re playing for second in Palm Beach Gardens, because nobody’s beating Vanderbilt this week. The Commodores are alone under par atop the leaderboard at 9 under, with Florida State in second at even par. College of Charleston’s Kieron van Wyk shot a second consecutive 3-under 69 to take the individual lead at 6 under, one shot ahead of South Florida’s Sam Nicholson.
Florida State’s Daniel Bradbury led a charge up the leaderboard with the day’s low round of 67 just weeks after he had to go to the hospital during the ACC Championship because of a problem with his appendix.
What to watch for Wednesday: It looks like five teams are competing for just four places, with Notre Dame currently on the outside looking in by two shots. The Irish will need a big day from Palmer Jackson if they have a shot at Grayhawk.
https://twitter.com/FSUGolf/status/1526627971364175874
New Haven regional
Team leader: Wake Forest
Individual leader: Ryan Gerard, North Carolina
If the cut were today: 1. Wake Forest, 2. North Carolina, T-3. North Florida, T-3. Georgia Southern, 5. Texas Tech
The hook: Have yourselves a day, North Carolina. The Tar Heels shot 13 under on Tuesday to climb into second place, with teammates Ryan Gerard and Austin Greaser Nos. 1 and 2 on the individual leaderboard. Greaser, the runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Amateur, shot the day’s low round at 7-under 63 with Gerard just two shots worse with a 65.
What to watch for Wednesday: The top five teams have all separated from the rest, with just three other teams under par on the outside looking in. Illinois, the No. 4 seed, has the best shot in sixth place, five shots back, but the real head-scratcher has been NC State, who sits in 13th after entering the region as the No. 5 seed.
https://twitter.com/UNCmensGolf/status/1526663590987673602
Norman regional
Team leader: Auburn
Individual leader: Travis Vick, Texas
If the cut were today: 1. Auburn, 2. Oklahoma, T-3. Texas, T-3. Ole Miss, 5. Utah
The hook: The winds are howling in Norman, but that didn’t both Auburn. The Tigers were 12 under on Tuesday to surpass hosts Oklahoma atop the leaderboard at 20 under, six shots clear of the Sooners. Texas, led by Travis Vick who tops the individual leaderboard, sits T-3 with Ole Miss while Utah and South Carolina will battle it out for the final spot.
What to watch for Wednesday: We called Ole Miss making a run on Tuesday in Monday’s recap, and we’ll call our shot again, this time for the Gamecocks. South Carolina put up a few too many big numbers on the back nine to fall into sixth in the second round, but sit just one shot behind Utah. Ryan Hall, the Gamecocks best player, will need to step it up on Wednesday if his team is to have a shot.
https://twitter.com/AuburnMGolf/status/1526693907379240963
Stockton regional
Team leader: Arizona State
Individual leaders: RJ Manke, Washington; Carson Lundell, Brigham Young; Carson Griggs, Denver; David Timmins, BYU; Jose Luis Ballester, Arizona State; Barclay Brown, Stanford
If the cut were today: 1. Arizona State, 2. Stanford, T-3. Oregon, T-3. Brigham Young, 5. LSU
The hook: The fellas are tearing up the The Reserve at Spanos Park, with 10 of the 14 teams under par. Five teams are within eight shots of the fifth and final place, including three teams within three shots (Liberty, Denver and LSU). Oregon was 18 under today, with another six teams 10-under par or better on Tuesday.
What to watch for Wednesday: Medalist honors could not be more up for grabs, with six players currently tied for the lead at 7 under and another 20 within just four shots. Denver, the 12 seed, is just one shot back and would be the biggest story of the regionals if they can make up the one-shot deficit and oust LSU from the top five.
https://twitter.com/sundevilmgolf/status/1526709572177567745
