Utah Returns to National Postseason at the NCAA Austin Regional
2024 NCAA Austin Regional
Date: May 13 – 15
Location: The University of Texas Golf Club | Austin, Texas
Par/Yardage: Par 71, 7,399 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
THIS WEEK
For the third time in four seasons, the University of Utah men's golf team has earned a spot in the NCAA postseason and this time, coach Garrett Clegg's crew is traveling to Austin, Texas, where the NCAA Austin Regional will take place at The University of Texas Golf Club on May 13 – 15.
The Utes made their first trip to regionals under Clegg in 2021, when they recorded their highest finish ever to that point, taking seventh in Cle Elum, Washington. Utah's team performance was highlighted by the play of Tristan Mandur, who tied for fourth by shooting 6-under. His play earned him an individual spot at the NCAA Championships.
One season later, the Utes were back at regionals, this time in Oklahoma, where they bested the mark they posted in 2021 to earn the chance to move on to Nationals. They were led by Blake Tomlinson's 5-under 211, which earned him a tie for 9th, and right behind him was Javier Barcos, who posted a mark of 3-under, good enough for 11th. Mandur and Braxton Watts also contributed to the team's score of 4-under, with Watts carding his lowest score on the tournament's final day. The team's fifth-place finish sent them to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1988.
UTAH LINE-UP
The Utes will field a lineup consisting of Braxton Watts, Javier Barcos, Sergio Jimenez, Brandon Robison and Gabriel Palacios, with Davis Johnson serving as the team's alternate.
COACHES THOUGHTS: Head Coach Garrett Clegg
"It is always great to compete at the NCAA Regional Championships," said Clegg. "In order to make it to the finals, we are going to need to have a really solid week. This will be the first time for three of our players, but I know we are a confident group and looking forward to the challenge that comes with this course and tournament!"
THE FIELD
The teams joining Utah in Austin will be top-seeded Tennessee, as well as Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, BYU, San Jose State, Grand Canyon University, Arkansas State and Kansas City.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Six 54-hole regional tournaments will be conducted to determine the 30 qualifying teams and six individuals (not on those qualifying teams) who will compete in the finals. Thirteen teams and 10 individuals (not on those teams) will compete at each of three regionals while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals (not on those teams). The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the finals.
LAST TIME OUT
Barcos has been Utah's most consistent golfer all season and that remained true when the team traveled to the Pac-12 Tournament. The senior from Spain recorded his second straight top-15 finish at the conference championships, becoming the first Ute to ever accomplish that feat and logged his team-high ninth top 20 finish of the season.
Barcos also achieved All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention status when the league released its annual awards, adding one more accomplishment to an outstanding senior campaign and an exceptional career. So far in 2023-24, Barcos has recorded five top 10 finishes, one shy of tying the program record, and his 71.2 stroke average would tie him for the best in school history over a full season.
Not far behind Barcos on the leaderboard was Jimenez, who placed 15th, the highest finish ever by a Utah freshman at the Pac-12 Tournament. For the rookie from Madrid, Spain, this represented his sixth top 20 finish in his last eight competitions and he's lowered his stroke average to 72.0, third-lowest on Utah's roster. He accomplished that in part due to an excellent finish at the conference tournament, carding a 2-under 69 in the final round that allowed him to move up 15 spots.
One of the best moments of the 2023-24 season so far for the Utes came at The Goodwin, one of the nation's most competitive events, where Watts posted the first victory of his collegiate career. In a field of 168 golfers, he shot 5-under to defeat all of them and his performance included a 4-under 66 in round two, his best round of golf as a junior so far. Watts also finished strong at the Pac-12 Tournament, carding a final round 68, and he'll be attempting to carry that momentum into Monday.
One tournament after Watts' victory, Robison nearly replicated his teammates' feat at the Gaucho Invitational, where he finished as the runner-up. Robison was 10-under for the tournament, thanks mostly to his play on day one, when he piled up 11 birdies. He also logged a top three finish in February at The Invitational at the Ford and he's collected 14 rounds with a score of par or lower so far as a sophomore.
Palacios put together one of his best performances in Utah's final regular season tournament, where he posted his second top-20 finish of the year. His work at the Thunderbird Collegiate included the lowest round put up by a Utah golfer in 2023-24, when he concluded the event with a final round 65. He'll be trying to add to a total of a dozen rounds at or below par he's registered during his freshman campaign.
Davis Johnson has participated in only two events in the spring, but he still owns one of the team's lowest stroke averages at 71.7, mostly thanks to a trio of top 20 finishes in the fall, one of which was a fourth-place finish at the Husky Individual Invitational in September. Johnson also posted a score of 6-under at the Visit Stockton Invite in October.
LIVE SCORING
To keep up with all the action in Austin, 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).