NCAA Men’s Golf
By Cameron Jourdan
A battle between the top-two teams (and top four overall) in the desert didn’t disappoint.
No. 1 Virginia topped second-ranked Auburn by a single shot Tuesday to win the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas. Virginia shot even par in the final round to finish at 15 under, while Auburn’s 1-under total on Tuesday wasn’t enough to catch the Cavaliers. No. 3 Florida placed fifth while No. 4 Texas came in fourth. Illinois came in third.
The win is the fourth for Virginia this season. Only once in school history have the Cavaliers won more than four tournaments, when they captured five in 2016-17. Josh Duangmanee shot 3-under 69 in the final round to pace Virginia, placing second individually at 8 under. World No. 2 amateur, Ben James, who sits first in the PGA Tour University Class of 2026 rankings, finished fifth. Former walk-on Paul Chang came in 11th for Virginia.
Top-ranked amateur Jackson Koivun tied for lowest round of the day, shooting 4-under 68 for Auburn, but he was unable to win his third straight start of the spring, placing third. In Monday’s second round, Koivun shot 74 and was Auburn’s drop score, the first time all year his round didn’t count toward the Tigers’ total. Jake Albert finished fourth for Auburn, and Logan Reilly came in 18th.
Texas senior Christiaan Maas, the No. 4 amateur in the world and No. 2 in PGA Tour U Class of 2026, won the tourney, closing with consecutive 4-under 68s to win by two shots. It’s Maas’ second win of the season.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
College golf fans don’t have to wait long for Virginia and Auburn to face off again, either. They’ll battle this weekend in The Hayt at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which begins Saturday. Virginia is 2-0-1 against the Tigers this year, with the teams tying for second in the Invitational at the Honors Course in the fall.
