Bulls seek program’s fourth NCAA Championship berth, third in last eight years, among 14-team field in Palm Beach Gardens Regional
By Joey Johnston
The legacy of USF men’s golf standout Albin Bergstrom is secure. Regardless of what happens at the Palm Beach Gardens NCAA Regional, which begins Monday at the PGA National Resort Champion Course, Bergstrom will be remembered as one of the best golfers (and accomplished athletes) in USF history.
But he wants more.
“Albin is happy with his accomplishments, but he’s never content,’’ Bulls head coach Steve Bradley said. “He doesn’t have a win (individually this season). He has been close, but there haven’t been any true breakout moments.
“He’s capable of that — and he’s capable of doing it on the biggest stage. And the thing that’s great about Albin — with all his accomplishments and all his potential and aspirations in professional golf — is how he always stays in the moment. All he’s thinking about right now is competing and helping his team win.’’
No. 40-ranked USF, runner-up to SMU in the American Athletic Conference Tournament and making its ninth straight NCAA Regional appearance, is the No. 7 seed in the 54-hole Palm Beach Gardens Regional, which includes No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 10 Florida, No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 22 Florida State in the 14-team event.
The top five finishers advance to the 30-team NCAA Championships field The top individual player (not on an advancing team) also will claim an NCAA Championship spot.
“I think we shouldn’t have any pressure or expectations,’’ Bradley said. “I made a statement before the season — and maybe it backfired on us — that we had expectations for the first time. But we haven’t lived up to those things.
“I want to change our mindset now. The regular season and conference tournament are over. All of our goals are still attainable. We need to concentrate on what we can control. I think we did some things (in the AAC Tournament) that gave us hope and encouragement. Now we need to build on that and take care of the golf ball. Just keep our focus.’’
Focus has never been an issue with Bergstrom.
Bergstrom, a unanimous selection as the 2022 AAC Player of the Year, is the program’s fifth conference player of the year honoree (Jim Fee, 1985 Sun Belt; Chase Koepka, 2013 Big East; Aksel Olsen, 2016 AAC; Claudio Correa, 2018 AAC).
Bergstrom set a USF program record posting 30 rounds or par of better this season. He has logged eight top 10 finishes and a 70.16 adjusted scoring average, making him the second-highest ranked player in the state of Florida. His current scoring average of 69.27 (11 tournaments, 19 of 33 rebounds in the 60’s) is on pace to break his own USF record.
“Over the course of four years, I’ve probably been most impressed with Albin’s maturity,’’ Bradley said. “Just how he has grown as a person and a man, how he handles his business, the relationship he has with his teammates, how he’s a leader. The numbers he has put up, they are jaw-dropping. But the complete package, his stability and reliability, that’s what I’m most impressed with. Those things will last a long time.’’
Bergstrom is acutely aware that his clock is ticking. He would love another big splash to punctuate his USF career.
“I’m excited for the regionals and the chance to go to nationals, but I have to treat it like a normal event,’’ Bergstrom said. “I’ve got to play my own game. It’s hard to start changing stuff or act differently. It’s important to do what we’ve done all season and trust our preparation.
“Of course, I think about my scores from time to time, but not in the moment. All I’m thinking about now is the next round, the next hole, the next shot. Hopefully I can look back and say I’ve had a good career at USF. But right now, I’m trying to stay in the moment and play my absolute best golf. I’m confident that I’ve put in the work and it’s going to be good.’’
Bradley said he was greatly encouraged by USF’s final round at the AAC Tournament (a 17-under-par score as a team with all players posting 2-under-par or better). If the Bulls maintain that consistence through the lineup, Bradley is confident that USF will advance to the nationals, something the Bulls have done three times previously (1987, 2015, 2016), including reaching match-play and finishing sixth in 2015.
“We can’t worry about what Wednesday afternoon (final round) might look like and what we have to do,’’ Bradley said. “We’ve got to worry about what’s directly in front of us and get help, one through five, in our lineup.
“This is a really tough course. We’re going to make some bogeys. You’ve got to be mentally tough and make sure you don’t turn those into double bogeys. I think we’re in a good place to play our best. In a way, I don’t think our story has yet to be written.’’
That’s Bergstrom’s approach as well. After a brilliant USF career, he hopes he has saved the best for last.
NOTABLE
• Bergstrom finished the regular season ranked No. 23 in the nation on Golfstat and No. 15 in the Velocity Global Rankings, after reaching as high as No. 4, with a 70.16 adjusted scoring average making him the second-highest ranked player in the state of Florida and the highest in the AAC by 37 spots.
• Bergstrom set a program record reaching 86 rounds of par or better on his career this season and his current scoring average of 69.27 on the year over 11 tournaments and 33 rounds, including 19 rounds in the 60’s, is on pace to break his own program record for lowest season scoring average.
• The 2019 AAC Freshman of the Year, Bergstrom made his third all-conference team appearance.
• Bergstrom joined Claudio Correa (2018, AAC), Aksel Olsen (2016, AAC), Chase Koepka (2013, Big East) and Jim Fee (1985, Conference USA) among the Bulls’ previous conference player of the year honorees.
• Run Youprayong fired a 5-under par 67 in the final round of the AAC Championship to post an 11-under total of 205 to tie for second with rounds of 71, 67 and 67.
• Youprayong earned his first all-conference team selection after finishing second on the USF team with a 71.61 stroke average, 17 rounds of par or better on the year and five top 25 finishes.
• Bergstrom currently has the Bulls’ best-ever career scoring average (70.24), more than a stroke better than Chase Koepka’s previous record mark of 71.53.
• Bergstrom’s 69.27 season scoring average is on pace to break his own USF record of 70.00 set in 2018-19.
• Bergstrom also owns USF career records for scoring average (70.24), tournament low round (63, 2019-20), tournament low round to par (-9, 2019-20), tournament low 36-hole total (133, -11, 2018-19), and is second in wins (3) and low 54-hole total (201, -11, 2018-19).
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.
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– #GoBulls –
