Virginia took advantage of same late birdies to edge No. 1 Auburn, beat three other team in my preseason top 6, and capture the fall-opening Inverness Intercollegiate on Tuesday in Toledo, Ohio.
Here are a few takeaways:
VIRGINIA WAS IN MY PRESEASON TOP 5 FOR A REASON: Make no mistake, the Cavs are good. This performance backs that up. With junior Ben James playing out of the five hole, the two-time first-team All-American led the way with a T-3 finish. Junior running mate Bryan Lee added a T-7, and how about everyone’s favorite former club golfer? Paul Chang closed with a 3-under 66 in the final round as Virginia shot 6 under – the best round of the day – to speed past Auburn, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. If the Cavs don’t make a third match play next May at La Costa, I’ll eat – well, let’s just say I’ll be surprised.
KOIVUN, TIGERS SPUTTER LATE: The good news for Koivun, the reigning national player of the year as a freshman, is that he held on to win the individual title, the third win of his young career and the 14th time in 15 career starts that he’s cracked the top 6. However, Koivun bogeyed each of his final three holes as the Tigers played the last four holes in 5 over and ended up four shots back of Virginia. Strangely, this could be just what the defending NCAA champs needed; a slice of humble pie early that could lead to another cherry on top.
MIGHT BE TIME FOR MY EARLY PICK: I have a rule in which I don’t pick the preseason No. 1 to win it all. So, sorry, Auburn. And my No. 2 team, Florida State, looks to be awfully reliant on Luke Clanton at the moment. Instead, I’m going to officially lock in my pick to win the 2025 NCAA men’s team title: Oklahoma. The Sooners tied Vanderbilt for third, a shot back of Auburn. Drew Goodman did what he’s expected to do, leading the team with a T-7 showing. Jase Summy, Ryder Cowan and Matthew Troutman all added top-20s. I love this team’s depth. I love what head coach Ryan Hybl does. He’s going to have this team peaking at the right time, and once they get into match play, those Sooners will be a tough out.
SPEAKING OF EARLY PREDICTIONS: I went on the record last week to say that Vanderbilt senior Gordon Sargent would have his best season of college golf as a senior. A T-33 certainly throws a wrench in that, but I’m holding off on demoting the future PGA Tour member to Gordon Corporal. The 8-over start through two rounds wasn’t good. Again, Sargent struggled with the big numbers – he carded a double bogey each of the first two days. But he looked like his usual self on Tuesday, closing in 67 with just one bogey. The wedge game needs to improve. So, too, does the short game. That’s what is holding Sargent back. But you can’t teach that speed, and this kid is a gamer; he will figure it out soon. New prediction: A minimum of two wins for Sarge this season!