Arizona men’s golf advances to NCAA Championship after runaway win in Marana Regional

The Arizona men’s golf team dominated the Marana Regional at The Gallery Golf Club, cruising to a 14-shot victory that easily secured a spot in next week’s NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, California.

The top five finishers from each regional advance. Oklahoma State finished a distant second at 35 under par, followed by LSU (30 under), Duke (24) and Arkansas State (24).

The only lingering drama for the Wildcats on Wednesday was seeing how low they could go.

Arizona shot a school-record 24 under Tuesday. It was the second-lowest 18-hole team score in relation to par at an NCAA regional since the format was introduced in 1989.

The Wildcats posted a 14-under round Wednesday to finish at 49 under par — one shot off the lowest tournament total in relation to par in school history (50 under at the 2024 Arizona NIT).

How did Arizona do it? A combination of preparation and a distinct home-course advantage.

“The more comfortable you are on a golf course and know how to play a golf course, there’s inherent advantages that come with that,” UA coach Jim Anderson said. “Don’t get me wrong; you can carry scars from that, too. It can cut both ways. But this team’s so talented and hardworking.”

The Wildcats played practice rounds at The Gallery at 7 a.m. three times over the previous two weeks to get used to how the course plays that early in the morning. Senior Zach Pollo said he played the course 10-15 times this season.

It showed. Pollo tied for the individual title at 15 under par, including a second-round 63. He followed it up with a 6-under 66 Wednesday.

Teammate and fellow senior Filip Jakubcik also finished at 15 under. Alabama’s William Jennings and Oklahoma State’s Eric Lee made it a four-way tie at the top. UA sophomore Taishi Moto finished tied for 11th at 10 under.

“It's a unique course with a unique setup,” Jakubcik said. “It’s desert golf. We don't get to play it very often in college. I think being able to know the layout, all the little tricks on this golf course, definitely has helped a lot.”

The Gallery is a true desert course. It’s hilly. And the overall elevation (approximately 2,875 feet above sea level) takes some getting used to for visiting teams.

Pollo played irons off the tee on the 10th and 13th holes — both 450-plus-yard par-4s. He hit driver on the 336-yard, par-4 17th, drove the ball onto the fringe and made birdie.

“The ball travels way further,” Jakubcik said. “It depends on the trajectory, the spin, it all affects how far the ball goes. I feel like I've seen a lot of great players struggle this week with that.”

Jakubcik had no trouble with it, shooting three straight rounds of 67. He had one score above par all week — a double-bogey on the par-3 seventh hole Monday.

Arizona began Wednesday with a 10-stroke lead. The gap between first and the cutline was so great — 23 shots — that there was virtually no chance the Wildcats wouldn’t advance.

But they didn’t think about playing it safe, and that was also one of the keys to their success.

“We felt like we needed to keep the game plan the same,” Anderson said. “Of course there could be a prevent defense or any of those kind of components that a coach could dispatch. But for us it was like, ‘Hey, listen: We've played this course a dozen times in the last three weeks. We've seen great scores this week and leading up to it. Let's let the boys play, let's trust the team.’

“They did a great job. I think less is more a lot of times, especially when you're coaching a golf team that's very skilled and very prepared. Our guys have proven that a lot this year, and it just makes it an easy group to coach.”

Added Pollo: “You don't want to be holding on to your lead; you want to keep pushing and almost act like you're chasing in a way, especially on a course like this. It's easy to get a little in your head with desert on both sides. The mindset was just keep going.”

After falling short last spring by one shot at the Amherst Regional in Virginia, Arizona will keep going this year. The NCAA Championship begins May 29 at Omni La Costa Resort.

Jakubcik and Pollo played there two years ago, when the Wildcats were tied for the lead after the first round but eventually fell to 15th and failed to advance to match play.

Coming off a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship and a dominant win in Marana, Arizona heads to Carlsbad with plenty of confidence.

“I really like our chances,” Anderson said. “Filip and Zach both got a chance to see La Costa when they were sophomores. The team's been playing great. They're very hungry and very experienced.

“The stage will be heightened. There will be external things that are going to try to make it feel bigger. But it's still the same game, and our message will be the same. It's get prepared, stick to your process and just let the results get in the way.”