U of A men's golf stands ground, defends Arizona Thunderbird Intercollegiate golf title

Jakubčík, the 2025 European Amateur champion, finished second in the individual scoring. But after a crucial up and down on the par-4 18, the Wildcats claimed victory Tuesday at their home tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years. This is the Wildcats’ 13th win since the start of the tournament in 1981, the most of any team. 

However, this was not an easy task this year for the Wildcats as the field at Tucson Country Club included four Top 25 teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The Wildcats finished at 25-under, edging Long Beach State by one. Colorado tied for third with Arizona State at 21-under-par after shooting 14-under in the third round. 

Freshman William Wistrand and sophomore Taishi Moto each finished 7-under, helping Jakubčík and the Wildcats reach 25-under. 

Moto said his focus remains on each shot, a mindset he believes helped him score how he did. Still, the win carried extra significance. 

“It's a pretty special tournament because this is our home tournament for me and for us,” Moto said. “So yeah, it’s pretty special.”

The Wildcats make the most of their home field advantage, holding the most wins in Arizona Thunderbird history. Wistrand asserted the comfort of playing their home course as they know where to miss and are able to get away with misses more than other courses. 

Wistrand contributed in a key stretch for the Wildcats, chipping in three times on the back nine during his second round, including an eagle on the 532-yard, par-5 10th hole.

“It’s both very weird and a relief,” Wistrand said when asked about the three chip-ins. “You've been out of position and you make it but at the same time you don't really expect it to go in.”

The freshman is still looking for his first tournament win at the college level, with three top-five finishes in his last four events.

Wistrand also noted the daily hard work from Jakubčík and others is the key for them accomplishing their goals, which is to sit on top of leaderboards. 

“We have a great team and I think we come out here every day to practice to be better and strive towards our big goal,” Wistrand said. 

Senior Alejandro de Castro Piera from Long Beach State won the individual title at 13-under, earning his first Division I win. 

“I’ve been seeking this first one for a really long time,” de Castro said. “I finished second last week by one shot and to get it done here at this course I played three times means a lot.”

De Castro opened the tournament with back-to-back rounds of 7-under but shot 1-over in the final round, dropping Long Beach State behind the Wildcats.

The finish marked de Castro’s sixth top-10 finish of the season and moved him to No. 50 in the national college rankings.

The Sun Devils opened at 13-under in the first round but after back-to-back rounds of 4-under they fell short and finished third. 

Senior Michael Mjaaseth led ASU in the final round, shooting 4-under after a bogey-free front nine. Still, he said he left shots out on the course. 

“I didn’t have my best game this week but it's always good to help out the team on the final day,” Mjaaseth said. “The course set up didn't really fit my game … but that's just how golf is and we play all over the country so I guess I’ll have a better week in the future hopefully.”

Colorado matched ASU for third after junior Ty Holbrook led the charge during the Buffaloes’ final round, going 6-under.

Holbrook credited a recent putter change for his performance, saying the confidence he had was important to his comfort on the course. 

“I was hitting irons pretty solid. Gave myself a lot of makeable opportunities and am fortunate enough to capitalize on them,” Holbrook said.

The runner-up finish for Long Beach State moved it into the top 30 in national rankings. 

Up next for Arizona: the Western Intercollegiate April 13-15 in Santa Cruz, California. The Big 12 Championship follows at Prairie Dunes Country Club outside Hutchinson, Kansas, starting April 27.