Upcoming Event: Men's Golf versus The Wohali on September 15, 2025
Men's Golf
vs The Wohali
Friday, May 24
Carlsbad, Calif.
University of Utah
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Axe Tang/Utah Athletics
Utah Golf Set to Start NCAA Championships on Friday
5/22/2024 12:59 PM | Men's Golf
After spectacular showing at regionals, Utes to compete with National Championship on the line
2024 NCAA Men's Golf Championships
Date: May 24 – 29
Location: Onmi La Costa Resort and Spa | Carlsbad, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72, 7,538 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
Television: Golf Channel, May 27 - 29
THIS WEEK
In 2022, coach Garrett Clegg led the University of Utah men's golf team to their first appearance at nationals in more than 30 years. Two seasons later, Utah's golfers have earned a return trip to the NCAA Men's Golf Championships, the eighth in program history, which will be held from Friday through Wednesday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
The team Clegg and Co. will field in California will include two holdovers from the that 2022 squad, Javier Barcos and Braxton Watts. Barcos followed up his 11th-place finish at the Norman Regional by recording the Utes' lowest score at the NCAA Championships, shooting 12-over to earn a share of 68th. Watts' 2022 postseason saw him at his best in the final round of both competitions, scoring a final round 70 at regionals, followed by a 72 over the final 18 holes of his freshman season.
Utah's initial appearance at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships came in 1948, the first in a streak of three straight trips to nationals for the Utes, including a 1950 performance that saw them take ninth, which still stands as the best finish in school history. Utah returned in 1954 to place 19th, followed by a 36th-place showing in 1964. It wasn't until 1988 that the program returned to the national stage, a feat they accomplished by winning the WAC Tournament. The Utes were eliminated after 36 holes in 1988 and eliminated after 54 holes in 2022.
UTAH LINE-UP
Utah will field the same lineup they did at NCAA Regionals, with Braxton Watts, Javier Barcos, Sergio Jimenez, Brandon Robison and Gabriel Palacios making up the starting five and Davis Johnson serving as the team's alternate.
COACHES THOUGHTS: Head Coach Garrett Clegg
"Everyone is really excited for this week," said Clegg. "This will be the first NCAA championship for three players and coach Wilson and that's great! I expect to see what we have been all year, a team that is gritty, that competes for every shot, and gives everything they have. It's a fun group and we are excited to be at the finals."
THE FIELD
The Utes will be one of 30 teams competing for the National Championship in Carlsbad, with the rest of the list consisting of Auburn, Virginia, Texas Tech, Ohio State, LSU, Clemson, East Tennessee State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, North Florida, Illinois, Florida State, Texas A&M, SMU, Stanford, Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
All 30 teams and six individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket thereafter.
LAST TIME OUT
The Utes spent almost the entirety of their regional tournament within striking distance of the top five before a fantastic finish propelled them into fourth, the program's best showing ever at NCAA Regionals.
No one played a more prominent role in Utah's final round push than freshman Gabriel Palacios, who carded a 3-under 68 to move up 25 spots and grab a tie for 12th, his highest finish as a member of the Utah lineup. The freshman from Guatemala finished strong, with two birdies over his last three holes to help the Utes pass both Wake Forest and BYU and secure their place in California. Palacios' 68 also represented his second-best score during the 2023-24 season.
Barcos was responsible for Utah's best first-round mark, with a 2-under 69 that helped set the stage for his team's final round run. The Estella, Spain native piled up four total birdies and, much like Palacios, finished strong with a pair of red scores over the final three holes. Barcos will enter his last tournament as a Ute with a 71.3 stroke average for the season, within striking distance of the program's single season record of 71.2, which is shared by three players.
Sergio Jimenez posted colorful scorecards on each of the final two days in Austin, but ended up with a pair of 71's. In both instances, he got hot on the front nine, recording a 2-under 33 that included an eagle on Tuesday, then shooting 1-under over his final nine holes on Wednesday, helping him climb five spots into a tie for 20th. In eight spring tournaments, Jimenez has now finished in the top 20 six times and owns a 72.0 stroke average, second-best among Utah golfers who've logged at least 20 rounds.
Braxton Watts got his time in Austin started with a 1-under 70 that included an excellent showing on the back nine. He then bounced back from a difficult second round by carding a 71 on the final day and his 1-under 34 on the front nine was part of Utah's fantastic finish. Individually, his play over the final 18 holes moved him up 10 spots, where he ended up sharing 35th. Brandon Robison had his sharpest showing in round two, when he put up 15 pars and entered the clubhouse at 1-under and he added six birdies in round three to finish with a 72.
LIVE SCORING
To keep up with all the action, fans can visit Golfstat.com.
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Golf program along with tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtesGolf | Instagram: @UtesGolf).
Date: May 24 – 29
Location: Onmi La Costa Resort and Spa | Carlsbad, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72, 7,538 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
Television: Golf Channel, May 27 - 29
THIS WEEK
In 2022, coach Garrett Clegg led the University of Utah men's golf team to their first appearance at nationals in more than 30 years. Two seasons later, Utah's golfers have earned a return trip to the NCAA Men's Golf Championships, the eighth in program history, which will be held from Friday through Wednesday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
The team Clegg and Co. will field in California will include two holdovers from the that 2022 squad, Javier Barcos and Braxton Watts. Barcos followed up his 11th-place finish at the Norman Regional by recording the Utes' lowest score at the NCAA Championships, shooting 12-over to earn a share of 68th. Watts' 2022 postseason saw him at his best in the final round of both competitions, scoring a final round 70 at regionals, followed by a 72 over the final 18 holes of his freshman season.
Utah's initial appearance at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships came in 1948, the first in a streak of three straight trips to nationals for the Utes, including a 1950 performance that saw them take ninth, which still stands as the best finish in school history. Utah returned in 1954 to place 19th, followed by a 36th-place showing in 1964. It wasn't until 1988 that the program returned to the national stage, a feat they accomplished by winning the WAC Tournament. The Utes were eliminated after 36 holes in 1988 and eliminated after 54 holes in 2022.
UTAH LINE-UP
Utah will field the same lineup they did at NCAA Regionals, with Braxton Watts, Javier Barcos, Sergio Jimenez, Brandon Robison and Gabriel Palacios making up the starting five and Davis Johnson serving as the team's alternate.
COACHES THOUGHTS: Head Coach Garrett Clegg
"Everyone is really excited for this week," said Clegg. "This will be the first NCAA championship for three players and coach Wilson and that's great! I expect to see what we have been all year, a team that is gritty, that competes for every shot, and gives everything they have. It's a fun group and we are excited to be at the finals."
THE FIELD
The Utes will be one of 30 teams competing for the National Championship in Carlsbad, with the rest of the list consisting of Auburn, Virginia, Texas Tech, Ohio State, LSU, Clemson, East Tennessee State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, North Florida, Illinois, Florida State, Texas A&M, SMU, Stanford, Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
All 30 teams and six individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket thereafter.
LAST TIME OUT
The Utes spent almost the entirety of their regional tournament within striking distance of the top five before a fantastic finish propelled them into fourth, the program's best showing ever at NCAA Regionals.
No one played a more prominent role in Utah's final round push than freshman Gabriel Palacios, who carded a 3-under 68 to move up 25 spots and grab a tie for 12th, his highest finish as a member of the Utah lineup. The freshman from Guatemala finished strong, with two birdies over his last three holes to help the Utes pass both Wake Forest and BYU and secure their place in California. Palacios' 68 also represented his second-best score during the 2023-24 season.
Barcos was responsible for Utah's best first-round mark, with a 2-under 69 that helped set the stage for his team's final round run. The Estella, Spain native piled up four total birdies and, much like Palacios, finished strong with a pair of red scores over the final three holes. Barcos will enter his last tournament as a Ute with a 71.3 stroke average for the season, within striking distance of the program's single season record of 71.2, which is shared by three players.
Sergio Jimenez posted colorful scorecards on each of the final two days in Austin, but ended up with a pair of 71's. In both instances, he got hot on the front nine, recording a 2-under 33 that included an eagle on Tuesday, then shooting 1-under over his final nine holes on Wednesday, helping him climb five spots into a tie for 20th. In eight spring tournaments, Jimenez has now finished in the top 20 six times and owns a 72.0 stroke average, second-best among Utah golfers who've logged at least 20 rounds.
Braxton Watts got his time in Austin started with a 1-under 70 that included an excellent showing on the back nine. He then bounced back from a difficult second round by carding a 71 on the final day and his 1-under 34 on the front nine was part of Utah's fantastic finish. Individually, his play over the final 18 holes moved him up 10 spots, where he ended up sharing 35th. Brandon Robison had his sharpest showing in round two, when he put up 15 pars and entered the clubhouse at 1-under and he added six birdies in round three to finish with a 72.
LIVE SCORING
To keep up with all the action, fans can visit Golfstat.com.
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Golf program along with tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtesGolf | Instagram: @UtesGolf).
Players Mentioned
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