Nicholson Finishes T6 in NCAA Regional
Bulls finish 4th in Palm Beach Gardens Regional to advance to the program’s third NCAA Championship in the last eight years.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA., MAY 18, 2022 – The University of South Florida Men’s Golf team utilized a total team effort to advance to the NCAA Championship for just the fourth time in program history after posting a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional Wednesday.
“It was awesome. Really a great couple of days with everyone contributing,” Head Coach Steve Bradley said. “It really was a complete team effort to advance to the NCAA Championship and I’m just really proud of this team.”
The Bulls entered the final round in fourth place and gained early momentum with an eagle from sophomore Sam Nicholson (Atlantic Beach) on the par 5, 10th hole as USF opened play on the back nine. Nicholson went on to finish tied for sixth overall at -3 following a final round of 2-over par 74 on the par 72, 7,048-yard PGA National Resort – Champion Course. His rounds of 68 and 71 in the first two rounds paced the Bulls as he recorded his first career top 10 finish in a team scored event.
“Sam really held us in there the first two days with the low rounds for our team and gave us a chance in the final round,” Bradley said. “I’m just really proud of how he has grown and developed and he really came up big in the regional.”
Meanwhile, junior Luke Gifford (Boca Raton) went three under through his first nine holes Wednesday to bolster the Bulls. Gifford went on to card the USF’s low round of the day with a 1-under par 71 in the final round to finish tied for 13th at +1 for the tournament. His even par 72 marked the Bulls’ second-lowest score in Monday’s opening round.
Florida State’s Brett Roberts posted a final round 67 to claim the individual title at -7 while No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt, the No. 1 seed in the regional, took the team victory with a -20 total of 844.
The Bulls maintained a top five position Wednesday with a final round of 6-over par, 294 to finish with a three-round total of +12, 876 (290-292-294), two strokes ahead of fifth place College of Charleston (+14, 878) and 13 strokes clear of sixth place Little Rock (+25, 889). No. 22 Florida State finished second (-8, 856) and No. 10 Florida third (-2, 862), as the top five teams advanced to the 2022 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship held May 27-June 1 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Bulls also bettered No. 15 Notre Dame (+32), No. 26 Purdue (+26) and No. 34 New Mexico (+38) among ranked teams in the regional.
USF has now advanced to the NCAA Championship four times in program history (1987, 2015, 2016 and 2022), three in the last eight years under five-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Steve Bradley, including reaching match play and posting a sixth-place finish in 2015.
AAC tournament runner-up Run Youprayong (Bangkok, Thailand) posted six birdies in his final round, but also had seven blemishes on his card and carded a 3-over par 75 to finish tied for 30th at +8 for the tournament. His 1-over 73 in the second round marked USF’s second-lowest round on the day.
2022 AAC Player of the Year Albin Bergstrom (Falsterbo, Sweden) posted a pair of birdies in his first nine Wednesday before carding a final round of 2-over par, 74 to finish tied for 45th at +12. After a tough opening round 80, Bergstrom posted counting rounds of 74 in the final two rounds.
Freshman Shubham Jaglan (Delhi, India) recorded an 8-over par 80 in the final round to finish tied for 48th at +14, but provided a team score counting 74 in Monday’s opening round.
TEAM FINAL Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Total
1. (3) Vanderbilt -20 285 282 277 844
2. (22) Florida State -8 297 279 280 856
3. (10) Florida -2 294 284 284 862
4. (40) USF +12 290 (2nd) 292 (4th) 294 876
5. College of Charleston +14 294 292 292 878
–– NCAA Qualifying Cut Line ––
6. (45) Little Rock +25 295 302 292 889
8 teams finished +26 or higher
Player FINAL Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 TOTAL
Sam Nicholson -3 (T6) -4 (68)* -1 (71)* +2 (74)* 213
Luke Gifford +1 (T13) E (72)* +2 (74)* -1 (71)* 217
Run Youprayong +8 (T30 +4 (76)* +1 (73)* +3 (75)* 224
Albin Bergstrom +12 (T45) +8 (80) +2 (74)* +2 (74)* 228
Shubham Jaglan +14 (T48) +2 (74)* +4 (76) +8 (80) 230
* score counted in team score
About USF Men’s Golf
USF men’s golf program has captured 17 conference titles, including in 2021, and have seen players earn 19 All-America honors. The Bulls have won five of the last seven American Athletic Conference Tournament championships in wire-to-wire fashion, winning four-consecutive from 2015-18. The Bulls have had four individual conference champions, including Albin Bergstrom in 2021, and have earned nine straight NCAA Regional appearances, including posting a 6th place finish in NCAA Championship match-play in 2015. USF is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times since taking over the program in 2014. The Bulls have posted 20 tournament wins under Bradley entering the 2021-22 season, by far the most under any coach in program history.
Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.
– #GoBulls –
