Men’s Golf Tees Up for NCAA Stanford Regional

LOS ANGELES – The No. 6 seed UCLA men's golf team will compete at the NCAA Stanford Regional at Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif. next week from May 13-15. The Bruins are making their first team NCAA Regional appearance since the 2018-19 season.
 
Teams will play 18 holes each day, starting Monday, May 13 with UCLA's tee times beginning on hole 10 at 9 a.m. (PT). The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships which will be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
 
Tiebreaker Procedure
Team ties shall be broken by a sudden death playoff counting the aggregate of all five individual scores on each hole. Play shall continue with new scoring on each successive hole until a winner is determined.
 
Fans can follow the action live at this GolfStat live scoring link.
 
UCLA Lineup: Omar Morales, Pablo Ereño, Luke Powell, Kyle An and Mason Greene.
 
UCLA Substitute: Luciano Conlan.
 
The Field: (6) Florida State, (7) Ole Miss, (18) Illinois, (19) Texas A&M, Stanford (host), SMU, Missouri, Fresno State, UNLV, Augusta University, Liberty, Sacramento State and Siena and UCLA.
 
Weather Report: Sunny with temperature highs in the mid 70s.
 
Par and Yardage: Par 70, 6,727/6,676 yards.
 
History at NCAA Regionals
UCLA has won five NCAA Regional Championships: 2013, 2011, 2009, 2004 and 2003. Three Bruins have medaled at an NCAA Regional event. That list features Patrick Cantlay (2011), Kevin Chappell (2006) and Travis Johnson (2004).
 
The last time the Bruins advanced past Regionals and to the NCAA Championships was in the 2017-18 season. UCLA has won two NCAA Championships with the last title coming in 2008.
 
Three Bruins Earn All-Pac-12 Recognition
Omar Morales, Pablo Ereño and Luke Powell were named to the 2023-24 Pac-12 Men's Golf All-Conference Teams, it was announced May 2. Morales was tabbed to the All-Pac-12 First Team while Ereño and Powell each received All-Pac-12 Second Team recognition. Additionally, Powell was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. The three All-Conference Team selections are UCLA's most since the 2012-13 season (does not include honorable mention).
 
These marks the first All-Conference Team honors for both Morales and Ereño. Ereño was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2021-22.
 
Last Time Out
UCLA placed sixth (+64, 1,484) at the Pac-12 Championships at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Ariz. on April 29, marking a six-spot improvement from last year's finish at the event.
 
Morales shot the best score out of the 72-golfer field with a 6-under 65 in the final round. His day three performance, featuring two eagles and three birdies, matched his lowest 18-hole score of the season and moved him 13 spots up the leader board. An joined Morales in the top 20, finishing 11-over in a tie for 15th.
 
Bruins at a Glance
Morales leads UCLA with a 70.0 scoring average, seven top 10s, 23 rounds under par and 17 rounds in the 60s in his junior campaign. Morales posted a string of four consecutive top-10 finishes, including his second collegiate medal at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate with a score of 11-under 205 (68-68-69) on Oct. 15. Beginning at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate, Morales had a dominant stretch of 14 consecutive stroke play rounds under par. He is coming off a t-3rd finish (+2; 69-75-77-65) at the Pac-12 Championships for his best result at that event in his career.
 
Ereño was the Bruins' best golfer during the spring portion of their schedule. The Spaniard posted four consecutive top-10 finishes from The Prestige through the Thunderbird Collegiate and was UCLA's best finisher at all four events. Ereño entered 2023-24 with just two top 10s under his belt in his previous two seasons. This season, Ereño is averaging a career-best 71.3 strokes per round and has shot under par in 17 of his 31 rounds. Fourteen of those under par rounds came in the Spring.
 
Powell opened his collegiate career with four top 10s over his first five events. The freshman from Laguna Niguel, Calif. won his first collegiate medal in just his second event at the Hamptons Intercollegiate with a score of 17-under 199 (65-67-68). Powell's 17-under is the second lowest 54-hole score in relation to par in program history and the third lowest 54-hole score. His 8-under 64 in round one of the Hamptons Intercollegiate is tied with Patrick Cantlay, Jonathan Garrick and Steve Conway for the lowest 18-hole score by a UCLA freshman.
 
Individual Rankings
Morales is tabbed as the 31st best golfer and 2nd Latin American in the most recent World Amateur Golf Rankings. Additionally, Morales is ranked as the 24th best collegiate golfer in the country in Scoreboard powered by Clippd's rating system. Powell is ranked 48th by Scoreboard.
 
Morales Selected to Arnold Palmer Cup International Team Roster
Morales was one of 48 collegians selected to rosters for the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup on April 23. The international collegiate event is set to take place at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland from July 5-7.
 
Morales, a native of Puebla, Mexico, was named to the International Team. He is the sixth UCLA men's golfer to compete at the event and first since Pedro Figueriedo (Portugal) and Pontus Widegren (Sweden) who both competed for the International Team in 2013. Widegren also played in the 2010-2012 renditions of the event. Patrick Cantlay (2011), Erik Flores (2009) and Kevin Chappell (2008) all competed for Team USA.
 
Morales, Powell Named to Ben Hogan Award Spring Watch List
Morales and Powell were named to the 40-player 2024 Ben Hogan Award Watch List on Feb. 9. The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award annually awards the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months.
 
UCLA is one of seven programs with multiple student-athletes selected to the Watch List. This marks UCLA's first Watch List selections since Jonathan Garrick who was honored his senior season in 2015-16. Morales and Powell look to become the second Bruin to win The Hogan Award after Patrick Cantlay earned the honor in 2012.
 
The selections are UCLA's first under head coach Armen Kirakossian, who is in just his second year with the program.
 
Rapid Improvement in Year Two
UCLA head coach Armen Kirakossian has steered UCLA to its first NCAA Regional appearance in four years in just his second season leading the program. The Bruins have posted four top-3 team finishes in year two under Kirakossian; the best UCLA had placed in the previous two seasons was fourth (2022-23, 2021-22).
 
Additionally, there has been much individual success this season with three separate golfers placing in the top-10 a total of 15 times. UCLA had just five individual top-10 finishes over the last two seasons (2022-23, 2021-22).