NCAA Men's D1 National Championships

[ATXGolferGuy]

Is the Men's stroke play competition not on TV?  I thought Golf Channel would at least have some coverage of it.  55+ guys within 4 of the lead, with 5 under coming from Carter Loflin of Georgia.  OU taking an early lead halfway through their round.

 

Was really hoping at least some of the stroke play would be on TV, oh well. SCOREBOARD - NCAA DI Men's National Championship- Stroke Play (Men) Team Leaderboard

[leezer99]

I set YouTube TV to record it but I don’t think we get anything until Sunday. 
 

I will reserve my thoughts and comments until we are further into the event. 
 

However… I saw a player from UCLA at our course today grinding and it made me sad to think he was left home. 

[jdl]

TV coverage starts Monday afternoon, covering the final stroke play round. They'll spend most of the time that day following the race for the individual title. Then Tue/Wed coverage of the match play rounds.

[wegobomber31]

I'm at La Costa this week.  It's a pretty cool event and I hope they can make it work long-term at La Costa.  Lots of good storylines going into the tournament this week.

[WesternRacing]

Really enjoying the matches this year.  So close, lots of drama.  What I love about watching these college players is that they’re good enough to play elite, world class golf and hit so many great shots, but still young enough to spray it wildly into the weeds once in a while or hosel a pitch shot here and there.  Never a dull moment.

[animalgolfs]

That's shot by Lee on 18 was spectacular 

Go Pokes

Edited May 28 by animalgolfs

[golfdad1]

This entire OK State/ Ole Miss is wild.

[ATXGolferGuy]

Wish my Horns would have done better, Maas was just too juiced up yesterday on his 17th hole and flew the green.  They don't have a SR on the team so all should be back next year.

 

Shocking that Auburn and ASU get knocked out round 1 after just dominating stroke play.   I'm pulling for Virgina just because they upset UNC in the ACC tournament and are playing really well right now....plus they have that walk-on, Chang I think, that is playing some clutch golf. 

[Guest]

UVA is a really good team.  I play in some events with their coach and w their players.  Ben James and Paul Chang have immense potential.  Paul is a really funny kid.  He should have been on the real team after his freshman year.  He was already excellent, but the coach wouldn't even let him try out.  Then the US Am happened and it forced his hand.  The team doesn't play in enough major events to get much higher in the rankings, mostly due to location.  I could see them winning this, which would be big for a non-warm weather school to do.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28 by Guest

[golferdad8]

20 minutes ago, OliverKloz said:

UVA is a really good team.  I play in some events with their coach and w their players.  Ben James and Paul Chang have immense potential.  Paul is a really funny kid.  He should have been on the real team after his freshman year.  He was already excellent, but the coach wouldn't even let him try out.  Then the US Am happened and it forced his hand.  The team doesn't play in enough major events to get much higher in the rankings, mostly due to location.  I could see them winning this, which would be big for a non-warm weather school to do.

 

UVA coach is solid. However, even he admits that much of this is luck & getting good players & not because he’s an enter coach than he used to be. After all, you think the coach is much better than he was the past 10-15 years & thus his strong performance this year? As you said, without Chang or James, they wouldn’t be in the finals, let alone in the Championship. In looking at the top 40 schools, it does seem like there’s lots more parity than the some of their rankings suggest

[Guest]

1 hour ago, golferdad8 said:

UVA coach is solid. However, even he admits that much of this is luck & getting good players & not because he’s an enter coach than he used to be. After all, you think the coach is much better than he was the past 10-15 years & thus his strong performance this year? As you said, without Chang or James, they wouldn’t be in the finals, let alone in the Championship. In looking at the top 40 schools, it does seem like there’s lots more parity than the some of their rankings suggest

 

Oh, Bowen definitely knows he lucked out with some guys.  I'm sure Ben could have chosen a lot of schools and had transfer offers.  He loves UVA though.  Paul being a total unknown.  The Duangmanee brothers wanting to play at the same school.  That being said, UVA did a nice job on their new team facility and he's capitalized on the things that fell his way.

[J-Blade]

On 5/24/2025 at 5:35 PM, wegobomber31 said:

I'm at La Costa this week.  It's a pretty cool event and I hope they can make it work long-term at La Costa.  Lots of good storylines going into the tournament this week.

I think they just said La Costa will host until 2028 at least. Glad to see it. 

[Ray Jackson]

Souring on John Cook as a commentator quickly right now!!!

[masegolf1978]

Guess I’m getting old, but these kids are behaving like idiots right now.

[cardoustie]

Looooove college golf

[tx_bayou]

Fun to watch in prime time 

 

[wegobomber31]

2 hours ago, J-Blade said:

I think they just said La Costa will host until 2028 at least. Glad to see it. 

yeah, I meant Omaha-level long term.

[Ray Jackson]

1 hour ago, masegolf1978 said:

Guess I’m getting old, but these kids are behaving like idiots right now.

Admit that he could have walked behind him as he was setting up to hit but I am sure he was just trying to get out of the way. 
 

then they were quick to jump on him on the next hole only to find out the opponent was looking for his first ball in the water. Cook never said “oops I got that wrong”. 

[ncgolfer1234]

10 hours ago, Ray Jackson said:

Admit that he could have walked behind him as he was setting up to hit but I am sure he was just trying to get out of the way. 
 

then they were quick to jump on him on the next hole only to find out the opponent was looking for his first ball in the water. Cook never said “oops I got that wrong”. 

I don't think Cook was the one who reported he threw the ball in the water, but I may be misremembering.  I did notice in the semifinals when he was in extra holes, I thought he was standing incredibly close to his opponent with his bag also right there too.  I thought it was weird, but thought maybe it was just the camera angle, but then when it got close last night, he did the same thing again, and it was noted on TV.  

[Ray Jackson]

6 minutes ago, ncgolfer1234 said:

I don't think Cook was the one who reported he threw the ball in the water, but I may be misremembering.  I did notice in the semifinals when he was in extra holes, I thought he was standing incredibly close to his opponent with his bag also right there too.  I thought it was weird, but thought maybe it was just the camera angle, but then when it got close last night, he did the same thing again, and it was noted on TV.  

The on course reporter first reported that he had thrown his opponents ball to him and it had gone in the water and then Cook piled on. The on course then apologized as she had it wrong and Cook said nothing. Then when the kid let out some excitement when making a putt to go dormie Cook made another comment. Just seemed like Cook was going after him when other players do the same thing and he says nothing. That kid had gone through multiple 3 putts and a shank in the round before, winning after losing a big lead and multiple playoff holes so I am sure he was very relieved. The commentary didn't need his personal opinions. 

[chachang25]

I don't know the backstory here, so genuinely curious.  Don't really follow college golf, big college football guy so very aware of how NIL/portal is affecting the scene there.  With all that said, what did OSU have to pay those 2 Cal kids to transfer there?  

 

[LawGenius305]

17 hours ago, Ray Jackson said:

Souring on John Cook as a commentator quickly right now!!!

Said some really stupid stuff.

 

 

[golferdad8]

3 hours ago, chachang25 said:

With all that said, what did OSU have to pay those 2 Cal kids to transfer there?  

 

Hearing full scholarship plus $25-50k each/year for Lee & Fang to entice them to transfer (the OSU girls currently get Cadillacs to drive, but not sure about the Men). 

The $ obviously goes up big for next year given other top golfers are getting $100k to $400k/year. 

The downside is there are risks from injuries or if golf performance deteriorating. 

Most would agree that if golf doesn't work out, for global reputation and career choices, having a "Cal" degree might offer more options.

[ilikegolf26]

13 minutes ago, golferdad8 said:

Hearing full scholarship plus $25-50k each/year for Lee & Fang to entice them to transfer (the OSU girls currently get Cadillacs to drive, but not sure about the Men). 

The $ obviously goes up big for next year given other top golfers are getting $100k to $400k/year. 

The downside is there are risks from injuries or if golf performance deteriorating. 

Most would agree that if golf doesn't work out, for global reputation and career choices, having a "Cal" degree might offer more options.

$100k-$400k for college golfers? 
 

Someone on this very forum said they can’t even afford to travel. How are they affording $400k/year for a kid to play at their school!?

[ATXGolferGuy]

2 hours ago, golferdad8 said:

Hearing full scholarship plus $25-50k each/year for Lee & Fang to entice them to transfer (the OSU girls currently get Cadillacs to drive, but not sure about the Men). 

The $ obviously goes up big for next year given other top golfers are getting $100k to $400k/year. 

The downside is there are risks from injuries or if golf performance deteriorating. 

Most would agree that if golf doesn't work out, for global reputation and career choices, having a "Cal" degree might offer more options.

Wow, didn't think the bidding wars were extending all the way to golf outside of the Gordon Sargents of the world.  You think all the Men's top 25 programs are giving out NIL or just a rare few? 

 

Really thought UVA was going to pull the upset in the beginning of the round.  Have to hand it to OSU though they played outstanding over the last half of the round.  If I'm playing with that kid from OSU (the Swede) I'd be giving it right back to him.  Oh, you're gonna set your bag right there....I'll take my practice swings right next to you....better move!  The on course reporter did say she got it wrong on tossing the UVA players ball in the water....maybe words were exchanged earlier in the day or something, who knows...they are 19-21 year old young guys.

 

Was everyone else's TV commentary just a second or two off from the live action on some holes?  A shot would get close, lip out, etc, and I'd have my reaction of whatever and a second or two later the TV guys would react after the fact...just seemed a little weird...could be because I was watching it recorded. 

[golferdad8]

6 minutes ago, ATXGolferGuy said:

Wow, didn't think the bidding wars were extending all the way to golf outside of the Gordon Sargents of the world.  You think all the Men's top 25 programs are giving out NIL or just a rare few? 

 

I don't think the academic schools (Northwestern, Stanford, Cal, etc. are able to provide top dollars, but here's one source below.

 

Also, hearing many southern schools are offering $100k for the big name 2025s who have been playing Korn Ferry exemptions. Same for BYU. 

The last I heard Dunlap was getting $250k/year before he turned pro. 

If I were Koivun, I'd stay another year too!

It's better to get (save) the guaranteed NIL $ for another year or two, rather than going PGA today.

   

 

[golferdad8]

8 hours ago, ilikegolf26 said:

$100k-$400k for college golfers? 
 

Someone on this very forum said they can’t even afford to travel. How are they affording $400k/year for a kid to play at their school!?

I think you got it backwards. The top golfers are getting full scholarships PLUS $100-$400k/year to play the golf team. 
For those players, the “traveling” and golf related costs were clearly worth the investments given the high return from making junior golf. 

[ilikegolf26]

9 hours ago, golferdad8 said:

I think you got it backwards. The top golfers are getting full scholarships PLUS $100-$400k/year to play the golf team. 
For those players, the “traveling” and golf related costs were clearly worth the investments given the high return from making junior golf. 

I was told college programs can’t afford the travel expenses because they are non revenue generating and have to operate so lean. But they can get boosters to pony up half a million per year for a kid? Where are these $400k/year figures coming from? I could understand a kid like Luke Clanton getting that from Nike, TaylorMade, company deals but those companies don’t care what school you’re at. Money to transfer or stay at a specific school is coming from the collectives and/or boosters that want to see that kid at that specific school. 

Edited May 30 by ilikegolf26

[LawGenius305]

18 hours ago, ilikegolf26 said:

$100k-$400k for college golfers? 
 

Someone on this very forum said they can’t even afford to travel. How are they affording $400k/year for a kid to play at their school!?

Schools aren't responsible for NIL payments.

[ilikegolf26]

1 hour ago, LawGenius305 said:

Schools aren't responsible for NIL payments.

I understand that but if it’s to get a kid to stay at their school or bring a transfer in they are facilitating it.