Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
The Desimone Invitational
Deacs Face Strong Field at Desimone Invitational
3/8/2026 11:55:00 AM | Men's Golf
A total of nine teams in the field sit inside the top 35 nationally.
DALY CITY, Calif. – The Wake Forest men's golf team continues its California swing at the Desimone Invitational in Daly City, California. The 54-hole tournament begins Monday with a shotgun start at 11:45 a.m. ET, as the Deacs play 36 holes alongside Arizona, Utah and USC. The final round on Tuesday will feature tee times starting as early as 11:30 a.m. ET.
The field includes 15 teams, six of which qualified for last season's NCAA Championship. Among the participants are two programs that advanced to match play at the 2025 NCAA Championships, Texas and Arizona State, both of which tied for fifth. Pepperdine (12th), Wake Forest (15th), Cal (17th) and UCLA (20th) also finished inside the top 20 of last year's NCAA field.
The Deacs' Lineup
In his most recent outing at The Prestige, Senior Jakob Melin posted a top-20 finish. Melin picked up his second top-5 finish of his senior season, ending in fifth place at nine-under at The Bryson Invitational. Senior Jakob Melin ended the Hamptons Intercollegiate inside of the top 20 after having a pair of top-10 finishes to start the season.
Junior Tom Haberer claimed his first collegiate title by two strokes with a score of 203 (-13), tying for the eighth-lowest 54-hole score to par in program history. Haberer's win was highlighted by three under-par rounds, including a low five-under 67 in round two, tallying 17 birdies and carding just four bogeys over three rounds. Haberer had a second place finish at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, marking his second runner-up finish this season.
At the Bryan National Collegiate, Prieto claimed his first collegiate title as a Demon Deacon with a score of 203 (-13), tying for eighth-lowest 54-hole score to par in program history. Prieto secured a top-10 finish at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, tying for sixth on the individual leaderboard. At the Palmas del Mar Collegiate, Prieto claimed a runner-up finish, marking his fourth top-five finish of his junior season. Prieto shot his best in round three, carding a career-low 66 (-6).
In the first two events of his spring season, Rodriguez has claimed back-to-back top-25 finishes. Rodriguez started his career as a Deac with a top-10 finish at the Bryan National Collegiate, tying for eighth place at two-under.
Playing as an individual at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate, senior Boyd Owens shot back-to-back under-par rounds to pick up a season-best finish, tying for 16th at four-under.
The Field
- No. 26 Arizona
- No. 7 Arizona State
- Cal
- Loyola Marymount
- No. 10 Pepperdine
- SMU
- San Jose State
- TCU
- No. 4 Texas
- No. 33 UCLA
- No. 25 USC
- No. 24 Utah
- No. 27 Wake Forest
- No. 32 Washington
- Washington State
Tournament Format
The 54-hole event will begin with a shotgun start at 11:45 a.m. ET for 36 holes on Monday. Tee times for the final round on Tuesday will begin as early as 11:30 a.m. ET.
Teams will play two 18-hole rounds on Monday, March 9 followed by the final round on Tuesday, March 10 at Lake Merced Golf Club. The first round will begin on Monday with a shotgun start at 11:45 a.m. ET and the second round will begin following the conclusion of the first. The final round on Tuesday will feature tee times starting as early as 11:30 a.m. ET. The Deacs will be paired with players from Arizona, Utah and USC.
Live Stats
Scoring for The Desimone Invitational will be available via Scoreboard powered by Clippd
About the Course
Lake Merced Golf Club - Par 72 - 6,915 yds.
Founded in 1922, Lake Merced Golf Club has been a canvas upon which golf architects have made their mark for the past century. Undoubtedly, two architects stand out as the most estimable in its history. On this
visual journey, we invite you to compare historical photographs capturing the essence of the MacKenzie designed holes from the 1930s to contemporary images showcasing the recent restoration led by the
remarkable Gil Hanse and design partner Jim Wagner. Lake Merced Golf Club's eighteen holes, restored to their stunning MacKenzie roots by architect Gil Hanse. His groundbreaking work earned the
course Golf Digest's Best Transformation of 2023 Award.
Players Mentioned
