West Virginia may be in position to make its first NCAA Men’s Golf Championship finals since 1947.
WVU Men’s Golf, which was reinstated in 2015 after being cut in 1981, is making itself known amongst top collegiate competition. In the program’s second NCAA Regionals appearance since reinstatement, WVU is making a run for the national championship finals.
The Mountaineers began competition at the Rancho Santa Fe Regional on Monday in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. After one round, senior Jackson Davenport, juniors Todd Duncan, Max Green, and Pierce Grieve, and sophomore Kaleb Wilson have WVU five strokes above par, tied for fifth place with San Diego.
Grieve led all Mountaineers in the first round, golfing an even par of 70. He was one of 12 golfers to golf par or better in Santa Fe. He also recorded a team-high four birdies in the first round, on holes five, eight, 10, and 18.
Grieve’s performance matches his from the Big 12 Championships last month, where he led WVU with an even first round and was one of 13 individuals to golf par or better in round one.
Also similar to the Big 12 Championships, Green and Wilson tied in the first round for West Virginia’s second best score. Instead of the +2 efforts from April, though, the pair golfed 71-stroke rounds to trail Grieve by just one.
Todd Duncan rounded out West Virginia’s first round score, posting a 73 (+3). Duncan started on pace to match Green and Wilson but posted a double bogey in his final hole of the day. Jackson Davenport finished with a 75 (+5) on day one.
West Virginia and San Diego lead Arizona State by one stroke, but behind the Sun Devils, none of the remaining seven teams come closer than five strokes to the Mountaineers.
The top five teams from each of the six NCAA Regional tournaments will advance to the NCAA Championship finals in Carlsbad, Calif. Of the players not advancing with their teams, the individual with the lowest Regional score will also advance to the finals. The NCAA Championship begins Friday, May 24.
NCAA Regional competition will continue at The Farms Golf Club on Tuesday morning. West Virginia will tee off on the back nine at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Photo from WVU Men’s Golf
