With March Madness in the rearview and the College World Series on deck, college golf took center stage this week as the 2025 NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals delivered a thrilling finish across six sites nationwide. The 54-hole stroke-play gauntlet produced everything fans could hope for: dominant team wins, final-round rallies, and cutline collapses, as programs battled for 30 coveted team spots and six individual berths at the upcoming NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, California.
All six regionals are now complete, and the field for La Costa is officially set. Defending national champion Auburn looked the part on home turf. Florida State, BYU, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Florida each captured regional titles in style. Underdog stories like Troy, Augusta, and San Diego proved that grit can go just as far as seeding. Breakout performances from the likes of Paul Chang, Braxton Watts, and Hunter Thomson capped off a week defined by drama and the razor-thin margins that make postseason golf so compelling.
Here’s a region-by-region breakdown of how it all played out, and who’s heading to Carlsbad with national title dreams still alive.
NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
Championship Dates: May 23–28
Venue: Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, California
🏆 NCAA Regional Team Scores – Through May 14, 2025
Tallahassee Regional – Final Results
- Florida State – -29
- Ole Miss – -20
- New Mexico – -14
- Georgia – -7
- Augusta – -3
Luke Clanton delivered a clinical performance at Seminole Legacy Golf Club, firing rounds of 66-66-69 to claim medalist honors at 15-under, powering Florida State to a dominant 29-under team win at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The junior never let up across three days, stringing together birdies with surgical precision and anchoring the Seminoles’ wire-to-wire victory on home turf.
Florida State finished nine shots clear of second-place Ole Miss, with New Mexico, Georgia, and Augusta rounding out the top five teams advancing to the NCAA Championship. Clanton, ranked No. 5 by Clippd, capped his round with clutch play down the stretch, sealing one of the most complete regional performances in recent memory.
Results from Seminole G.C. - Tallahassee, FL >>
Auburn Regional – Final Results
- 1. Auburn – -32
- 2. Texas A&M – -5
- 3. UCLA – +6
- 4. Purdue – +9
- 5. Georgia Tech – +10
The Auburn Regional didn’t have the same cutline drama seen elsewhere, but it delivered dominant performances at the top of the leaderboard. Host team Auburn cruised to a wire-to-wire victory on its home course, finishing at a remarkable 32-under. Their second-round score of 282 (-6) was their worst of the tournament, yet no other team in the field shot better than 5-under in any round. Auburn bookended that "off day" with matching 13-under 275s. They left no doubt.
Texas A&M stood out as the only other team to finish under par, claiming second place at 5-under. UCLA, Purdue, and Georgia Tech—each already inside the top five entering the final round—held their ground and secured the last three advancing spots.
SMU, ranked 24th nationally and the 4th seed in the region, missed the cut by five shots. No. 36 Oregon finished ninth, undone by slow starts in the opening rounds despite a strong finish. Kennesaw State’s Claes Borregaard, competing as an individual, entered the final round with the solo lead but closed with an even-par 72 to finish in a tie for second, four shots behind medalist Jackson Koivun. Still, it was more than enough to secure his spot at the National Championship.
Results from Auburn University G.C. - Auburn, AL >>
Urbana Regional – Final Results
- T1. Illinois – -15
- T1.Oklahoma State – -15
- 3. UNLV – -6
- 4. Troy – -2
- 5. Texas Tech – -1
Oklahoma State and Illinois shared top honors in Urbana, both finishing at 15-under to tie for first place. The Cowboys, who began the final round three shots behind Illinois, surged with an 8-under closing effort after carding an impressive 9-under in Round 2. Illinois countered with consistency, posting under-par scores in all three rounds, the only team in the field to do so.
UNLV, Texas Tech, and surprise qualifier Troy claimed the remaining three advancing spots. Troy, the 9th seed in the region, entered the day as a potential target for higher-ranked challengers like North Carolina and Houston, but showed grit down the stretch. Steady play and a clutch performance coming home earned the Trojans a trip to Carlsbad.
The disappointment belonged to No. 10 North Carolina, the regional’s 2-seed, who finished eight shots shy of the cutline despite a respectable 2-under final round. Houston made a late charge with a 7-under performance on the final day, but early struggles proved too costly, and the Cougars settled for seventh.
The real drama unfolded on the individual leaderboard. Michigan’s Hunter Thomson and Cincinnati’s Ryan Ford, paired together in the final tee time, dueled throughout the back nine for the solo qualifying spot. Both closed with a 3-under 32, but Thomson edged ahead to claim medalist honors and punch his ticket to the National Championship despite a closing bogey. North Carolina’s David Ford, the nation’s top-ranked player and a Ben Hogan Award finalist, finished 11th. With the Tar Heels outside looking in and Ford not the low individual from a non-advancing team, the No. 1 player in college golf won’t be heading to Carlsbad.
Results from Atkins Golf Club, Urbana, IL >>
Bremerton Regional – Final Results
- 1. Florida – -28
- 2. Arizona State – -25
- 3. Colorado – -4
- 4. USF – -2
- 5. South Carolina - E
Florida and Arizona State—two of the most formidable teams in the country—lived up to expectations, finishing first and second at 28-under and 25-under, respectively. After missing out on nationals last year, Arizona State looked motivated and sharp. Both teams made their move in the second round, with Florida torching the course for a 16-under round and ASU not far behind at 14-under to separate themselves from the pack.
Colorado delivered a consistent performance to finish third at 6-under. South Florida surged into contention with a clutch 10-under final round, good enough to grab fourth place. South Carolina secured the final qualifying spot despite stumbling to a 2-over team score on the last day.
The heartbreak belonged to Utah. The No. 3 seed entered the final round outside the cut and made a valiant charge with a 7-under performance. The Utes’ scorers closed their rounds bogey-free over the last six holes, collectively carding seven birdies in that span, but the comeback fell just one shot short of the cutline. Few things highlight the razor-thin margins of regional play better than that.
On the individual side, Utah’s Braxton Watts turned in a heroic effort, winning medalist honors at 12-under. While his team won’t be joining him in Carlsbad, Watts will represent the Utes at the National Championship as an individual qualifier.
Results from Gold Mountain G.C. - Bremerton, WA >>
Amherst Regional – Final Results
- 1. Oklahoma – -10
- 2. Vanderbilt – -6
- 3. Tennessee – -5
- 4. Wake Forest – -1
- 5. Pepperdine – +9
The final round at Poplar Grove Golf Club delivered high drama as Oklahoma fired an 11-under team round to vault into the top spot and win the NCAA Amherst Regional at 10-under. The Sooners surged past Vanderbilt and Tennessee with a dominant team effort, led by Clark Van Gaalen’s 4-under 66, and secured one of five coveted spots at the NCAA Championship.
Vanderbilt and Tennessee held on to finish second and third, respectively, while Wake Forest made the biggest jump of the day—climbing four spots into fourth after a scorching 15-under final round, the lowest team round of the week.
The final qualifying spot went to Pepperdine, who posted a steady closing effort to edge out Arizona and Florida Gulf Coast. Top-seeded LSU was left on the outside looking in.
On the individual side, Jackson Van Paris of Vanderbilt held steady to win medalist honors at 8-under, carding rounds of 67-67-68. The junior showcased control and consistency, never posting a round over par and leading the field wire-to-wire.
Results from Poplar Grove G.C. – Amherst, VA >>Reno Regional – Final Results
- 1. Brigham Young – -15
- 2. Virginia – -11
- 3. Texas - -8
- 4. San Diego - +8
- 5. California - +9
BYU secured a convincing win at 15-under, powered by a blistering 13-under 275 in Round 2, the lowest team round of the tournament by four shots. Virginia, led by club golfer turned regional champion Paul Chang, finished just behind after a strong closing round. Top-seeded Texas also played well, finishing as the third and final team under par, right behind the Cavaliers.
San Diego delivered a composed effort to lock up the fourth qualifying spot, setting up a short drive up the 5 freeway to Carlsbad for the National Championship. Cal, meanwhile, overcame a disastrous 20-over 308 in the opening round with back-to-back under-par rounds to rally into the fifth and final spot. A far longer trip from Berkeley, but a welcome one nonetheless.
It was a punishing week for several high seeds. No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Duke, and No. 5 Mississippi State all fell short of expectations. Mississippi State sat comfortably inside the cutline after two rounds at even par, but collapsed with a 16-over final round to tumble out of contention. Alabama and Duke suffered the opposite fate; sluggish starts left them too far back, and despite valiant final rounds, they couldn’t close the gap.
Individually, Duke’s Bryan Kim clinched the solo qualifying spot after a final round bogey-free 67, finishing tied for third at 6-under to earn a trip to Carlsbad. Utah Valley’s Dane Huddleston nearly forced a tie, needing a birdie on the challenging par-4 4th to match Kim. But the second-toughest hole on the course didn’t give in, leaving Huddleston just shy of a playoff.
Results from Montreux G.C. - Reno, NV >>
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.
View Complete Tournament Information