Wake Forest University
2025 NCAA Championship
Demon Deacons Finish 15th at NCAA Championship
5/26/2025 11:27:00 PM | Men's Golf
For the first time since 2021, the Demon Deacons advanced to the final round of match play.
CARLSBAD, Calif.- The Wake Forest men's golf team's season came to an end Monday at the NCAA Championships hosted by the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The Deacs finished the tournament with a final score of 1183 (+31) landing them a 15th place finish among the nation's top-30 teams.
For the first time since 2021, the Demon Deacons advanced to the final round of match play after a thrilling morning playoff victory against Georgia Tech. The playoff win was highlighted by sophomores Kyle Hass and Tom Haberer, who each sank 20-foot or longer putts for birdie to help the Deacs advance into Monday's final stroke play round.
In the final tournament of his collegiate career, senior Marshall Meisel carded two under-par rounds and finished within the top-40. Meisel tied as the top Deac on the individual leaderboard with junior Jakob Melin at four-over.
Climbing 32 spots up the individual leaderboard in his final round, Scotty Kennon closed out his collegiate career with six birdies on his final day of tournament play. This was the highest amount of birdies recorded by a Demon Deacon all week.
Haberer shot his best round of the tournament in the final round, posting an even-par score of 72. The sophomore tied for 67th place at 12-over.
Season Highlights
The Demon Deacons claimed their first title of the 2024-25 season winning the Lyon's Links Invitational by twelve strokes in Dublin, Ireland, turning in a 54-hole score of 833 (-31) and tying for ninth lowest 54-hole score to par in program history.
Wake Forest had a historic final round to punch their ticket to NCAA Championships, recording a score of 265 (-15). The total score is the second lowest in program history, lowest postseason total score and to-par score in program history.
This marks the 14th NCAA Championship appearance under the direction of head coach Jerry Haas including the fifth in the last six years. Additionally, it marks the third time since 2019 that the Demon Deacons have finished inside the top 15 or better.
Over the 2024-25 season, the Deacs picked up eight top-5 finishes over 13 events.
Ranked No. 27 in the PGA Tour University rankings while also earning All-Region and All-ACC honors during his senior campaign. During his career, he captured two individual titles while also being a part of a number of team titles including the 2022 ACC Championship as a freshman. Kennon captured his first collegiate title in 2024 at the Calusa Cup, setting a tournament record shooting six-under par. This fall, Kennon claimed his second collegiate title at the 54th Furman Invitational with a score of 202 (-11), the lowest 54-hole score in the history of the tournament. This season, Kennon posted a career-low 71.25 scoring average and had a total of five top-10 finishes and seven top-25 finishes.
Ranked No. 33 in the PGA Tour University rankings en route to earning PING All-Region honors during his senior season. Meisel was the highest Demon Deacon on the individual leaderboard at the NCAA Championships and at the NCAA Amherst Regional finishing in a tie for sixth place, marking his fourth top-10 finish of the season and second consecutive after tying for sixth at ACC Championships earlier this month. Meisel played his best golf at the end of the season as he was the Deacs top finisher for the final four tournaments of the season. He finished the season with a 71.69 scoring average which ranked second on the team and was his lowest scoring average since his freshman season.
Closed out his Wake Forest career with a scoring average of 72.57 and three top-10 finishes, two of which came in the 2023-24 season. Adams had his best career finish tying for sixth at the Wake Forest Invitational in 2024.Playing as an individual at the Furman Invitational, senior Collin Adams recorded a season best finish, holding a share of tenth place at three-under. Adams earned ACC All Academic honors in 2024.
DJ Francey
Graduate student DJ Francey finished his single season as a Demon Deacon with a scoring average of 74.56. Francey posted a solid final round at the Lyon's Links Invitational, tying for 11th and playing as an individual at 2-under-par for the tournament.
In his outing at the Lyons Links Invitational, Melin Melin captured his first top-5 finish as a Demon Deacon, holding a share of fourth place at six-under. Melin picked up his best finish this spring, and second-best career finish as a Demon Deacon, tying for 13th place at four-under. Melin carded a low 65 (-5) in the final round of the NCAA Amherst Regional, finishing tied for 24th and marking his sixth top-25 finish of the season.
Tom Haberer
Carded a final round 67 (-3) at the NCAA Amherst Regional tying his lowest score of his collegiate career, and claimed his seventh top-25 finish of the season. Haberer had his season best finish at the Lyon's Links Invitational, tying for sixth. In his second postseason appearance, Haberer carded a bogey-free 69 (-3) in round two of the ACC Championship to find himself a top-25 finish at one-over.
Leading the Deacs at the Lyon's Links Invitational, sophomore Kyle Haas finished in third place, tying his best career finish. Haas picked up his third top-five finish of his career holding a share of fourth place at four-under par playing as an individual at The Stono. The Winston-Salem native fired his lowest round of his Demon Deacon career with a 66 (-4) that included just one bogey for his final round at the NCAA Amherst Regional.
In his first season as a Demon Deacon, freshman Jorge Hao claimed two top-5 finishes and two top-10 finishes.
In Owen's outing at the Lyon's Links Invitational, the junior ended in 33rd place at 12-over. At the Inverness Intercollegiate, Owens was first in the field in par-three scoring, going -3, and led the Deacs in birdies scored (12) throughout the Inverness Intercollegiate. Owens ends round three tied for 38th.
From Coach Haas:
"We dug deep in the regional, last night and this morning (playoff win). Lots of positives to draw on this week. This is what I told the team, 'be proud, because I am'. Thanks to Collin Adams, Scotty Kennon, Marshall Meisel and DJ Francey for a great ride. It was a nice playoff win and sometimes a team has a let down. Making no excuses by any means, we were better than last year on this course and we will be better again next year. Go Deacs!"
Day Four Scores
Team
|
Rank |
Team |
Round One |
Round Two |
Round Three |
Round Four |
Total |
|
1 |
Arizona State |
286 (-2) |
277 (-11) |
295 (+7) |
280 (-8) |
1138 (-14) |
|
2 |
Auburn |
286 (-2) |
282 (-6) |
286 (-2) |
286 (-2) |
1140 (-12) |
|
3 |
Florida |
285 (-3) |
286 (-2) |
292 (+4) |
280 (-8) |
1143 (-9) |
|
4 |
Oklahoma State |
293 (+5) |
285 (-3) |
291 (+3) |
282 (-6) |
1151 (-1) |
|
5 |
Oklahoma |
280 (-8) |
286 (-2) |
295 (+7) |
291 (+3) |
1152 (E) |
|
6 |
Texas |
285 (-3) |
291 (+3) |
293 (+5) |
288 (E) |
1157 (+5) |
|
7 |
Virginia |
299 (+11) |
287 (-1) |
291 (+3) |
284 (-4) |
1161 (+9) |
|
8 |
Ole Miss |
293 (+5) |
287 (-1) |
296 (+8) |
287 (-1) |
1163 (+11) |
|
9 |
Florida State |
285 (-3) |
290 (+2) |
298 (+10) |
291 (+3) |
1164 (+12) |
|
10 |
Texas Tech |
292 (+4) |
298 (+10) |
286 (-2) |
290 (+2) |
1166 (+14) |
|
11 |
Texas A&M |
297 (+9) |
291 (+3) |
288 (E) |
292 (+4) |
1168 (+16) |
|
12 |
Pepperdine |
293 (+5) |
294 (+6) |
292 (+4) |
290 (+2) |
1169 (+17) |
|
T13 |
Vanderbilt |
294 (+6) |
294 (+6) |
291 (+3) |
291 (+3) |
1170 (+18) |
|
T13 |
Brigham Young |
289 (+1) |
300 (+12) |
289 (+1) |
292 (+4) |
1170 (+18) |
|
15 |
Wake Forest |
296 (+8) |
292 (+4) |
293 (+5) |
302 (+14) |
1183 (+31) |
Wake Forest Team
|
Player |
Rank |
Round One |
Round Two |
Round Three |
Round Four |
Total |
|
T38 |
75 (+3) |
67 (-5) |
70 (-2) |
80 (+8) |
(+4) |
|
|
T38 |
72 (E) |
77 (+5) |
70 (-2) |
73 (+1) |
(+4) |
|
|
T67 |
74 (+2) |
76 (+4) |
78 (+6) |
72 (E) |
(+12) |
|
|
T76 |
75 (+3) |
77 (+5) |
76 (+4) |
77 (+5) |
(+17) |
|
|
T80 |
81 (+9) |
72 (E) |
77 (+5) |
84 (+12) |
(+26) |
Players Mentioned
