Wake Forest University
New Haven NCAA Regional
Deacs Set to Begin NCAA Regional Play Monday
5/14/2022 11:51:00 PM | Men's Golf
The defending ACC Champions will look to punch their ticket to 47th NCAA Championship in program history this week in New Haven, Conn.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 17 Wake Forest men's golf team is set to begin NCAA Regional play on Monday morning in New Haven, Conn.
The nationally-ranked Demon Deacons, who recently won their 19th ACC Championship, will be the No. 3 seed in New Haven, Conn.
Each regional will be played May 16-18 and consist of 13 or 14 teams and 10 or five individuals (not from those 13 or 14 teams). The top five teams and one individual (not from a top-5 team) from each regional will advance to the National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 27-June 1.
The Deacs will be looking to ride their momentum off their ACC-best 19th conference championship, as they defeated Georgia Tech, 3-2, in the finals on April 25.
The Demon Deacons return four of the five lineup players who competed in the postseason a season ago. They are led by sophomore Michael Brennan and senior Alex Fitzpatrick who are both currently ranked inside of the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Last season, Wake Forest was placed in Cle Elum, Wash. where the team placed third to advance to the 46th NCAA Championship in program history, the most of any school in the ACC.
The Demon Deacons will be in search of their third tournament victory as a team this season after winning the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational at the end of September.
Michael Brennan, who will play in the No. 1 position for the Demon Deacons this week. He was recently named to the Arnold Palmer Cup USA Team. The Demon Deacon sophomore continues a long tradition of Wake Forest golfers taking part in the event.
The Leesburg,Va. native becomes the 12th player from Wake Forest to compete in the event. Additionally over the last five years, nine different Demon Deacons have competed in the three-day tournament, accounting for 15 appearances.
He was one of just 16 players to make the latest watch list. The Haskins Award recognizes the most outstanding male NCAADI college golfer as voted on by players, coaches and members of the college golf media.
Monday's first round is scheduled for a 8:30 a.m. start with the Demon Deacons, teeing off with No. 1 with North Carolina and Texas Tech.
All-Time NCAA Championship Appearances
Wake Forest is 11th in the country and has the highest total in the ACC with 46 NCAA Championship appearances in program history.
|
School |
NCAA Championship Appearances |
|
1. Oklahoma State* |
73 appearances |
|
2. Texas* |
66 appearances |
|
3. USC |
58 appearances |
|
4. Arizona State* |
56 appearances |
|
5. Florida* |
54 appearances |
|
6. Stanford |
53 appearances |
|
7. Georgia* |
49 appearances |
|
8. Houston |
48 appearances |
|
T9. Ohio State |
47 appearances |
|
T9. Oklahoma* |
47 appearances |
|
11. Wake Forest* |
46 appearances |
* Indicates 2021 qualifier for NCAA Championships
THE DEACS' LINEUP FOR THE NCAA REGIONAL
Brennan, who has now risen to No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, made his PGA Tour debut at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in February. That Monday, he earned a spot in the field as the only amateur, setting a Collegiate Showcase record Monday, shooting a five-under-par 66. He will look to claim potentially his fifth individual title, trying to join elite company in Wake Forest history. It could be his third win of the season after tying for medalist honors at the Old Town Collegiate and winning the Colonial Collegiate. He was named a watch list member for both the Ben Hogan Award and the Fred Haskins Award this spring.
In the run to the ACC Championship title, he gave the Demon Deacons the clinching point over North Carolina in the semifinal and the second point for the team in the title match against Georgia Tech.
Fitzpatrick also is the current No. 7 ranked player in the World Amateur Golf rankings and is No. 7 on the PGA Tour University rankings. He is looking for his third top-15 finish after a tie for 13th finish at the Colonial Collegiate. Fitzpatrick also tied for medalist honors with Brennan at the Old Town Club Collegiate. He also tied for 20th at the ACC Championship, his sixth top-20 finish of the season.
He also made his PGA Tour debut this spring, playing in the Valspar Championship in March. Additionally, he was named a watch list member for the Ben Hogan Award in February.
In the ACC Championship run, he provided a point in each of the match play wins including the clinching point in the title match over Georgia Tech.
Gillam was the Demon Deacons top finisher at the 2021 NCAA Championships as he tied for 13th on the individual leaderboard. The performance helped him earn PING All-America Honorable Mention honors. He finished tied for 26th at the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational. Gillam also just qualified for the 2022 Canadian Tour, tying for seventh in qualifying school last month. He looks to continue his impressive run of play after tying for 17th at the Valspar Collegiate with the help of a 65 (-6) opening round and most recently finishing eighth at the Calusa Cup as he was one of just eight players to be par or better for the tournament.
In the ACC Championship match against Georgia Tech, Gillam posted the first point.
Kennon had an impressive showing at the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational. He was par or below in all three rounds of the tournament, finishing the week tied for ninth and nine-under par, the first career top-10 finish. Kennon picked up his second top-10 finish of the season at the Valspar Collegiate with the help of his best round of his young career. He finished eighth, firing a final round 64 (-7), moving up 20 spots on the final day of competition.
Power helped the team to a title at the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational, tying for 35th on the individual leaderboard. He was helped by a 66 (-4) in the second round of the tournament. He was one of three Demon Deacons to compete at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase. Most recently, he captured his second consecutive top-25 finish at the Calusa Cup, helping the Demon Deacons finish inside of the top three on the leaderboard.
In the ACC semifinal, Power provided the second point in the win over North Carolina.
WAKE FOREST ALTERNATE
Stirsman captured the Wolfpack Invitational on Feb. 27 in Raleigh, N.C. This marks the first individual title in his two seasons at Wake Forest, winning the tournament by five strokes and being one of just two players in the 41-player field to be under par for the tournament. This marks the second time this season Stirsman will be in the lineup for the Demon Deacons. He recently helped Wake Forest finish third at the Calusa Cup.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS AT NCAA REGIONAL (14)
|
2022 New Haven Men's Golf Regional Seeds |
||
|
Seed |
School |
GolfStat Rank |
|
1 |
North Carolina |
5 |
|
2 |
Texas Tech |
8 |
|
3 |
Wake Forest |
17 |
|
4 |
Illinois |
20 |
|
5 |
NC State |
27 |
|
6 |
Charlotte |
31 |
|
7 |
North Florida |
39 |
|
8 |
Georgia Southern |
49 |
|
9 |
Mississippi State |
52 |
|
10 |
Virginia |
58 |
|
11 |
Central Florida |
68 |
|
12 |
Seton Hall |
90 |
|
13 |
Yale |
166 |
|
14 |
Sacred Heart |
204 |
COURSE INFORMATION
NCAA Regional
Yale Golf Course - New Haven, Conn. – Par 70 – 6,749 yards
Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald—renowned golf course architect, champion golfer and co-founder of the USGA—and opened for play in 1926, the Yale Golf Course is recognized globally as an exemplar of early American course design. The 6,749-yard, par-70 course features large and deeply bunkered greens and narrow fairways that challenge golfers at all levels of play. Two of the holes—the 432-yard par-4 fourth and the 238-yard par 3 ninth—have been ranked among the world's 100 most difficult holes.
LIVE SCORING
NCAA Regional
TEE TIMES
Monday, April 16 - First Round - Play begins at 8:30 a.m. with Wake Forest teeing off of No. 1
Tuesday, April 17 - Second Round - Play begins at 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 18 - Third Round - Play begins at 7:30 a.m.
Players Mentioned
