Hiroshi Tai (Georgia Tech Athletics Photo)
The top four seeds are all heading home from match play at the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Championship at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
And No. 8 seeded Georgia Tech is making a statement this week.
First, Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech won the individual title after shooting three rounds of 67-77-70-71 to finish 3-under, one shot better than six golfers, including Gordon Sargent of Vanderbilt, the No. 1 ranked player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
Tai was the first-round leader after posting a 5-under 67. He started his first round on the back nine and birdied the par-5 10th. He turned to the front nine at 2-under and birdied holes No. 1, 2, 4, and 9 with a bogey on No. 5 to get into the clubhouse at 5-under.
Then, without star Christo Lamprecht, who had to be pulled from the lineup after round one of stroke play, the No. 8 seeded Georgia Tech defeated No. 1 seed Illinois 3-1 to advance to the semifinals.
Illinois earned the top seed in the match play portion after putting on a clinic over the 72 holes of stroke play, shooting 6-under with rounds of 293-287-282-284 and winning by 16 shots.
Tai, Aidan Tran, and Bartley Forrester all secured wins for Georgia Tech.
In the Ohio State and Vanderbilt match, Adam Wallin was all but done against Gordon Sargent after going two down with two holes left, but he made a 30-foot par putt on No. 17 and made a par on No. 18 to extend the match to 19 holes. On the 19th hole, both Wallin and Sargent went into the front greenside bunker on the par-3 No. 16, and Wallin got up and down for par. Sargent missed his par putt, giving Wallin and Ohio State the win.
For Ohio State, Neal Shipley and Jackson Chandler won their matches to get the Buckeyes to three points.
Tyler Sabo also recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 8.
In a rematch of the ACC championship match, Florida State defeated North Carolina 3-2 after falling to the Tar Heels 3-2 at the ACC's. Brett Roberts, Tyler Weaver, and Luke Clanton won the three matches for the Seminoles.
No. 6 seed Auburn defeated No. 3 Virginia 3-1 behind wins from Jackson Koivun, Carson Bacha, and Josiah Gilbert.
ABOUT THE
NCAA Division I Championship
The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship is the pinnacle of collegiate golf in the United States, held annually in late May or early June. The event brings together the nation's top 30 teams and six individual qualifiers, all of whom have advanced through a grueling regional qualifying process. Conference champions earn automatic regional berths, while a selection committee fills the remaining spots.
The championship begins with 72 holes of stroke play to determine the individual national champion. Following this, the top 8 teams advance to a match play bracket to compete for the team title — a format introduced in 2009 that added a dramatic head-to-head element to the final days of competition.
Some of the most decorated names in professional golf have competed in this event, including Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Winning the individual title now includes an added bonus: the champion receives an invitation to the following year’s Masters Tournament, provided they maintain amateur status.
The tournament dates back to 1897, originally run by the National Intercollegiate Golf Association. The NCAA began officially sponsoring the event in 1939. Over time, the championship has become not just a collegiate milestone, but also a launching pad for future PGA Tour stars.
After 72 holes of stroke play, the individual champion is crowned, and the low 8 teams advance to match play to determine the team champion.
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