The LSU men’s golf clinched its spot in the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2019 after finishing one spot above the cutline in the Baton Rouge Regional.
The Tigers shot 4-under 288 in the third and final round of the regional to move their tournament total to 4-over 868. Auburn won the regional with a score of 21-under 843.
Senior Connor Gaunt led the way for LSU with a 5-under 211 that secured him a fifth-place finish in the individual standings. He carded 15 birdies over the three-day tournament and shot under par in rounds one and three.
“I think our team is just a bunch of dogs,” Gaunt said. “I think we have a bunch of guys who can play good golf even when they don’t have their best stuff. Golf is hard, and you may not have your best stuff all the time, but we’ve been working hard.”
Freshman Jay Mendell carded an even par day. He carded five birdies during the regional. Seniors Alex Price and Lance Yates both put in solid scores for the Tigers in round three. Price carded a three birdie, zero bogey day that left his scorecard at three under and Yates had a one over par performance.
LSU’s qualification for the NCAA Championship came down to the wire. The Tigers had just a one stroke lead over sixth place Houston, but a bogey from Santiago De La Fuente on the 18th hole punched LSU’s ticket to California.
The NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, Calif. At the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa on Friday, May 24. 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.
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