Pepperdine senior Joey Vrzich
“I would have never thought this far coming into college, that I would ever be called a national champion. So, to be here with all of these guys, and two of them just come down and watch us today, it was great to see them and for us to have support. I can’t believe how many Pepperdine fans we had come and watch. To have my Dad here, I don’t even have a word for it. It makes me tear up every time.”
Pepperdine head coach Michael Beard
“It all started when I played at Pepperdine, I got to play there for four years and always felt like we could be the best team in the country. To be able to come back as coach, I still felt that way. I With everyone that has worked with us and every player that we’ve had come through believe in that as well. I’m just so proud of these guys. Our program, our university,alumni, all you guys here, it’s unbelievable.”
On meeting the high expectations that were set coming into the year...
“That was there all the time. It felt like we just didn’t get to see it through last year and these guys came back better. It really wasn’t me, they just came back with more fire and more determination and motivation. These guys are so good, me, Blaine and Christian we don’t have to do much to motivate them.”
“It was kind of surreal to come down to the 18th hole and basically have the last point just kind of on my shoulders..it was nerve wracking but it was exciting. I didn’t think I was going to be the final point here. It was kind of crazy.”
DAY FIVE QUOTES (JUNE 1, 2021)
Arizona State senior Chun An Yu
"It is a blast for myself. I so enjoy being out there and playing in front of the family, fans, and friends. I am blessed to join the ASU family. I learned a lot over the past five years. Thanks to the coaches and Arizona State for giving me the opportunity to do this. I feel great and looking forward to what is next ahead of me."
"Every shot and every day I give it my all out there. We tried really hard, but they are really good and there is a reason they are ranked No. 1. They played really well out there today. Congrats to Oklahoma, but the boys will come back stronger next year. They'll get the job done one of these next two years."
Oklahoma head coach Ryan Hybl
On his sweater vest…
"I wore it every day in that tournament and haven't worn it since," Hybl said. "I've been saving it for the right moment. Some people say why didn't you wear it in 2018 or 19. Well you can't overdo it. If you have a good feeling you go with it. I don't care if it's 140 out."
Arizona State head coach Matt Thurmond
"I'm so disappointed but at the same time this is competition," Thurmond said. "They just made one more putt, one more good shot than we did. If your life is only good if you win everything then you're going to be pretty miserable. In a couple days I think we'll feel a lot better. We had a great season."
Arizona State sophomore Ryggs Johnston
"It's really disappointing because we were having so much fun and everyone was playing well but Oklahoma is good," Johnston said. "When you put yourself in a position to play the best in the final four you're going to get beat sometimes. That's the way sports works. I know I left everything out there and so did the other four."
Pepperdine head coach Michael Beard
“Everything was close today. It never felt comfortable. Clay’s performance today was ridiculous, beating a couple of great players and All-Americans. I’m so proud of him. Everyone played great but for Clay to come through the way he did, he should feel pretty good right now. We won’t tell our guys to do anything different, we’ve just go out and keep playing and executing tomorrow.”
DAY FOUR QUOTES (MAY 31, 2021)
Pepperdine head coach Michael Beard
“We’re super thrilled for the guys. We’re just so pleased with how they played and how they kept it together mentally. That was something we talked about last night. They weren’t wrapped up in the score, they were just going to do their job, and each guy did that today. It does start over tomorrow, we’re starting at zero, but I’ve got to think our guys will feel good about how they approached today and how they played the course, and I don’t see that hurting one bit.”
Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh
“The way I look at it is, nobody outside our program and our Vandy family has given these boys much of a chance all spring. All they keep doing is answering the bell every time it goes off. I just think as a coach it just makes you dang proud.”
“Just to see our guys go out there today – I understand people take these kind of days for granted when you’re just flipping through scores. But it is dang hard out there today. Our guys, just one guy after another, we’re just staying the course, being steady, hanging out, hitting shots down the stretch, making putts down the stretch and we looked up and we’re going to have a tee time Tuesday.”
“We love our culture. The guys before them have fought to establish a culture. That will to compete and do your best is what it takes this time of year. You kind of got to have a I-won’t-be-denied kind of mentality. That’s what we had today. We weren’t perfect today. I didn’t think we’d be perfect. But we were good. Our guys they fight and they don’t give in and different guys are stepping up each day.”
Illinois head coach Mike Small
On the way the guys played over the course of the final day of stroke play:
"I wasn't sure because we were the first out, and it was not very good early. We didn't come out and play Illinois golf - we came out a little carless and didn't place the ball where we needed to place it - and the course bit us. As a coach, you're wondering, 'is it us, or is it the golf course?' I think time showed that the course was playing difficult, but we need to control our golf ball a little better than that if we expect to advance in this thing the next couple of days. We righted then ship again, we settled down, and played some solid golf. Jerry Ji has been one of our better players as of late, and really was a non-factor after the way his front nine went, and the rest of the guys stepped up and held him up today, which was great."
On what it means for the team to get back to match play for the seventh time:
"This is our goal at the start of the year. We're second in the country in number of appearances in the elite eight, so it's something we've been used to, but it's been a couple of years since we've been there. That hasn't set well with the entire team, so I'm glad we got back and have this chance again. It's just the standard that we try to hit. Some years you hit it, some years you don't, but I want to be clear that when I talk to people that years aren't necessarily a successful year or not if you don't make it. There's different levels of success that teams can achieve for themselves. I think, for this team, this was an appropriate goal, and the way we've played this spring shows that. Just because other teams didn't make it, doesn't make it a bad year, it just means we didn't make it. Now we're here and it's something we can be excited about and be proud of."
DAY THREE QUOTES (MAY 30, 2021)
Arizona State Head Coach Matt Thurmond
"The shot that Cameron hit on 18, 228 to a back-left pin into the wind over water with a four-iron, that was a key moment. One thing we had all day was every one in the mix. We knew if somebody had a problem, we had somebody else there to back them up. Having five in the game is always huge. The way we finished, I am really proud of."
On Ryggs Johnston's performance...
"One of the hardest things to do is to follow a career round. It is hard to do it twice in-a-row. Expectations go up and you think things are supposed to be easy and the putts are supposed to go in the hole. Today was a really cool round by Ryggs because I don't think he hit it very well. He didn't have the best momentum at times, but he just kept battling. That is what you want to see."
Arizona State junior Cameron Sisk
On how he was feeling today...
"I felt great all day. My mentality going into today was to hit a bunch of greens and give myslef a lot of looks. I hit 15 or 16 greens and stuck to my game plan, which worked out well. I am putting really well, even when I don't hit it close. I was hitting fairways and greens which was key becuase this is a very control-oriented course."
On what he likes about his game right now...
"I haven't been hitting it the straightest this Spring, but this week, I have been playing with a lot of confidence. This is the perfect type of set up for Ryggs and I."
On his shot on 18 to get in position for birdie...
"I hit a four-iron from about 228 that rode the wind perfectly. I don't know what it did to get to three feet, but it was there."
On the team's positioning heading into the final round of stroke play...
"I think we are in a great spot. All of us are due for a round where we all come together and play four or five great rounds. We have an opportunity to do that tomorrow and we are in a great spot. We are not too far behind and right where we need to be."
On the Sun Devil fans...
"The fans being out here has been awesome. People we don't even know are coming out here and spending their time to watch us play. We truly appreciate it and give us a lot of good vibes out there."
Vanderbilt sophomore William Moll
On his first two days...
“I was just missing my targets by a little bit and I was putting myself in bad spots and out her bad spots typically mean bogey – sometimes double. So I was missing spots and making bogeys and not giving myself as many birdie chances.”
On what changed Sunday...
“(Saturday) after the round I worked on my swing a little it. I got a new sweep about my head that I was mainly paying attention to all round and I definitely stuck the ball a lot better and gave myself more chances and less short-sides.”
On the resiliency of the Commodores...
“Everyone on the this team fights a lot for the team and everyone is really tough. I’m just really proud of how everyone is fighting today and (Saturday).”
Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh
“I thought we got off to a fast start this morning and that was so important. The course is really demanding and it requires your full attention on every shot. It was great to see William get out first and play with some momentum. That took some resilience and courage and he has both of those. Michael continues to lift our team up with his play and his round today was really good and I’m proud of him. Reid was steady all day and he continues play at a high level. Cole did a great job hanging in there and got some momentum coming in and really made a nice par putt on the last. Matthew played better than he scored today and we know he will be there tomorrow.”
“Starting today the field gets cut in half after each round so we need to be thankful to have the opportunity to compete together again tomorrow. There’s a lot of really good teams that won’t have that opportunity. Our guys are doing a good job committing to our plan and that’s what it will take tomorrow. We just need to play Vanderbilt golf and continue to play with courage, calmness, confidence, and pride in performance. It will take all of us having the right competitive character and doing it together.”
“We struggled. It was a tough day for us. But we’re still in the top 15 so we’ll have a shot at it tomorrow. We just got off to a bad start. The guys rallied a little bit there at the end, so that was nice. It took a while for us to get some birdies going. We were just a little off, had some bogeys early, our front nine was frustrating. We’ve got to bring it tomorrow. It’s going to be a battle, that’s for sure. We’ve got to play well. They have it in them, they’re great players and they’ve done it all year. I know the fire will be lit for them.”
Oklahoma State head coach Alan Bratton
“We wanted to win the day today. We did our job today and then the job will be the same tomorrow. Go stay focused and just keep trying to win every day. That’s been our mindset every single day, just take care of what’s right in front of you stay in the moment and just be yourself.”
Sam Houston State head coach Brandt Kieschnick
“I’m just trying to look forward. We want to focus on what we have to do. We just need to play a solid round tomorrow, and we know how to do that. It’s a tough golf course that challenges you mentally, physically, discipline-wise, so we’ll talk about what we’ve got to do tomorrow, and just everyone execute, and just give yourself the best chance.”
“I want people to see this is a team that’s been solid all year. I say this humbly, it’s not a surprise. We’ve played solid every year. These guys are great players. They play the game the right way and that leads to good scores and that leads to them getting to the top. We love that we can inspire a nation through the tough thing we went through. If you can play golf and have other people watch you and follow you and be inspired, there’s nothing better than that.”
Illinois head coach Mike Small
On Michael Feagles' play through 54 holes
"Michael is playing great - he's playing solid. That's probably a better description. The first day I could tell he was a little - not nervous - but playing back home in a big tournament. He settled down quickly and he's been on point the whole time so far. He's enjoying it, enjoying the challenge. Some friends and family are out watching him and it's been fun to watch him spend his last national championship at home in front of his family and friends."
On Jerry Ji's performance in his first NCAA Championship
"Jerry has been solid as well. He's made very few bogeys. The putter hasn't really heated up for him yet, but he's played really well from tee-to-green. He made a couple of good saves coming in today. This is his first national championship, since we didn't have the tournament last year, so his first experience at this has been pleasant to see. He's a big-time amateur, he's played a lot of big events in Europe, but the way he's coming in and hitting it, and handling his space has been positive as well."
On the team's mindset looking ahead to Monday's final stroke play round.
"We never look down the leaderboard, we always look up the leaderboard. Golf is an easier game when you are chasing people than it is if you are protecting. We don't believe in the word protection. We talked about that, obviously, and we're going to come out tomorrow and play golf like we've been playing, and be prepared to handle some adversity. Something is going to happen tomorrow to each one of them that's going to rattle their cages. They've got to get through it and figure it out. That's what national championships are supposed to do. If we can handle those problems when they come - and stay in control of our space and look up the leaderboard - we should be, hopefully, ok."
Georgia Tech head coach Bruce Heppler
“They were disappointed (after today’s round) and so was I. We didn’t finish very well yesterday or today. And at that point it seemed like a long ways away. We went back (to the hotel). We probably figured we were done, to be honest. But you never know, and you just go sit and wait. Lo and behold, there’s one more hole to be played. You thought you were going home, and now you have a chance to get another day. Eighth (place) is a long ways away, but another day would be really helpful.”
TCU head coach Bill Montigel
"It was the most clutch putt I’ve ever seen. I’m really happy for Ricki (Aymeric Laussot) and for our entire team for the chance to play another day here."
Georgia head coach Chris Haack
“Our goal was to come here this week and leave with the national title, so we’re disappointed. But I know this will not be the lasting memory I have of this team. They gave us everything we asked of them and more. They were tremendous representatives of our school and our sport, and I’m proud of everything they did on and off the course this season. This is a special group. I’m happy that DT and Trent get more lap around the track, too. We’re excited to see them out there one last time.”
Florida head coach JC Deacon
On the round...
“Certainly a tough way to end the year. We got close there at the end and just couldn’t finish it off. I would have loved to have a chance tomorrow. Tears my heart out to miss that cut.”
On what’s next…
“It’s a disappointing end as I hold this program up to the highest standards. We did not reach those standards and that ultimately falls on me. Golf is a tough game to be your best at every single week, but we definitely need to be more consistent. We have everyone returning next year and I’m already thinking of ways we can grow this summer.”
On Ricky Castillo…
“I’m excited for Ricky and the opportunity he has tomorrow. He’s playing as well as anyone and is due for a hot putting round. We will go give it our all and represent the Florida Gators as best we can!”
UAB head coach Mike Wilson
“I am so proud of how our guys handled themselves the entire year. To put together one of the best seasons in school history while battling the elements of a global pandemic shows how bought in and determined they were. This is a special group of guys and they should be proud of what they accomplished this year.”
Oregon State head coach Jon Reehoorn
“Not the day we were looking for but I’m so proud of this group. They’ve achieved a ton the last two years and have made it so much fun to show up to work each and every day. I’m excited for Carson and Spencer and their opportunity to play another day to see what they can do tomorrow."
“I’m thankful for everything Shawn and Kyosuke have given our program. They have helped get us to a point where we can compete with the best teams in the country and have raised the expectations for what is possible at Oregon State.”
DAY TWO QUOTES (MAY 29, 2021)
Oklahoma State Head Coach Alan Bratton
What he saw that he liked today
“That was the big thing. We made several double bogeys yesterday. So I think we're just getting more used to the golf course. And obviously the conditions in the morning are a little easier. That's why you play for a top seed like that and hopefully play well, so we get to go out. Obviously, we'll need to go out early again tomorrow. That's big. I mean, there's a few hole locations, No. 1, No. 4, No. 6 today, this afternoon, those are going to be difficult. They were hard this morning.”
Surprised at all about how a young Bo Jin has played early on?
“And if people have been paying attention, he's been doing that this spring. But from the start of the year to now he's improved in a big way, and I'd say our team across the board has done that, beyond these guys, all the guys at home, too. Just really impressed. He's so good. He's got a lot of shots for a young kid, and he had a great quote a few weeks ago. We were playing a practice round, I think it was at the Big 12. The kids are on the same hole hitting on a par 3 trying to compare clubs, and he hits something different. I think it was shorter than everybody else. And they were kind of teasing him or questioning him and he said, ‘Hey, I decide how far this club goes.’ He can hit a 7 iron, he might chip it from 150 or he might hit it 210. It's impressive. That's unusual for a young kid like that.“
Most improvement?
“I think his wedge play. And just his consistency. He mentioned that he's been a sponge, really coachable, works really hard, and he wasn't a very good wedge player when he came and he's become a nice wedger. And that's why he made so many birdies today. You could see him hitting his short irons in there close. I think that's where he's improved the most is that wedge play, and then he's just become consistent and he's become confident off the tee as well.”
On Grayhawk over the last few days
“I really just appreciate how much they've put into making the championship. I mean, they've obviously brought in the rough lines and spent money overseeding and watering and doing all the things that you’d like them to do when you're going to host a championship, firmed up the greens. The green complexes are really good here, so there's a lot of nice hole locations. You've got to be precise with those short irons and wedges, you can’t just blast it around wherever you want, which you could do if they were soft. Credit to the people who put on the tournament. They've done a really good job. We're excited to see what they do over the next few days.”
Vanderbilt freshman Cole Sherwood
On his 4-under-round: “I think a big thing was being off in the morning and having fresh greens. I had a lot better numbers today, got to hit a lot stock shots and I felt really confident with my irons so I could attack a few more pins than I did (Friday).”
On being a freshman at the national championship: “I lot of people here are rookies to it. I don’t really try to make more of it than it is. It’s just another golf tournament. You’re still playing golf and still have to get the ball in the hole so that’s what I’ve been focused on.”
On making the cut as a team: “We’re not worried about the cut. We know where we have to be when this thing finishes. We’re just trying to play the best we can. We’re all in a pretty good spot physically and we know what we’re capable of and we’re just ready to get after it.”
Pepperdine Head Coach Michael Beard
“We didn’t play great today. It was fine early on, we played nice to start, but made some silly bogeys. You’re going to have a little bad stretch at some point in this tournament. We just had our bad stretch here today. As far as tomorrow goes, we’ll just relax this afternoon, talk about the course a little bit and get ready for the third round. Joey (Vrzich) had a solid round. He’s been playing steady for us the whole spring. It doesn’t surprise me, he’s a great ball-striker and he’s finding his groove.”
Michigan State head coach Casey Lubahn on James Piot’s second round…
“It was a little bit tougher out there today. He had a few sloppy moments and when you don’t hit it or putt as well on a tough golf course, that will hurt you. He’ll bounce back and has a chance to play his way back in tomorrow.”
Michigan State’s James Piot on his second round…
“I just didn’t strike it as well today as I did yesterday. I had a few sloppy shots but did my best to manage it and give myself a chance to survive and get back into it tomorrow.”
Illinois head coach Mike Small
On the team's improved play in Round 2
"The efficiency and mental toughness was up a notch today. It was a step in the right direction, but it needs to continue tomorrow. When you are in the national championship, you need all five guys to show up and bring it every day. We're getting a good number, but we need all five to continue to play solid. It doesn't have to be perfect golf, but it has to be solid, Illinois golf. We need to have all five guys continue this trend. When they do that, we're pretty good."
On being able to count on consistent play from Jerry Ji and Michael Feagles
"Those two (Jerry Ji and Michael Feagles) are playing really well right now, and I'll throw Adrien (Dumont de Chassart) in that category as someone who can do that too; he's had a good stretch. The game is a hard game. It ebbs and flows and comes and goes. But at this time of the year, you need a majority of your team to be clicking and playing good shots and thinking correctly, and we're on our way to getting that done."
South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald
“Ryan didn’t have his best stuff today, but he really hung in there and shot a bogey free 1-under on his back nine. He had several things not go his way early in the round, and I’m very proud of how he fought on that back nine. He could have a really good day tomorrow if he can keep that same mentality and patience.”
UNC head coach Andrew DiBitetto
"Our guys took advantage of our early tee time today, as we got off to a tremendous start when the wind was down. As we made the turn, the wind kicked up a bit and was also swirling. Grayhawk is a very difficult golf course and our guys were really good."
"Each guy learned a lesson or two yesterday. Maybe it was choosing a slightly different target on a tee shot, understanding the grain on the greens or visualizing shots. Collectively, we learned our plan."
Arizona State sophomore Ryggs Johnston
"Throughout the round I didn't hit anything super close, but I made a ton of putts and I kept hitting it on the lines I was trying to hit it at, 10 feet and just kept making them," Johnston said. "I was in my own little world today. I felt like I was in the zone, didn't really think about what anyone else was doing. Just tried to focus on myself."
On the biggest transitions he dealt with in his move to Arizona
"A lot more golf than I was ever used to playing. I practice a lot but not every day and not year round but it's been good. I think it benefited me to not have that when I was younger because I didn't get burned out. I always had a break to play other sports. And I was ready to go in the spring when it came to golf."
Arizona State Head Coach Matt Thurmond on the first time he saw Ryggs Johnston
"I saw this phenom, 13, 14-year old had won a USGA qualifier up in Montana. That was the first I had heard of him. Started seeing here and there, various different national events, but he didn't play a ton so he was still relatively unknown."
Florida Head Coach JC Deacon
On the round…
“It was definitely a difficult afternoon conditions-wise. The scores for most of the late-draw teams are enormous. Gusty winds and very firm greens made controlling your ball difficult. Yuxin (Lin) and Ricky (Castillo) putting up 71s was really solid. I’m proud of both of them. They fought hard. Unfortunately, the rest of our squad wasn’t able to keep the big numbers off their cards. We obviously made some very costly mistakes.”
On tomorrow’s round…
“Fortunately, we have one more day to make it right. I’m going to sub-in John DuBois. He’s worked hard and I think he’s going to give us a big boost tomorrow. We are seven back of the top 15 cut and are not dead yet. All year we have played our best golf with our backs against the wall and I bet that’s exactly what we will go out and do tomorrow!”
Greg Sands - Texas Tech head coach
“It was a lot tougher this afternoon with the wind picking up and the greens getting baked out. We just didn’t do a good enough job hanging in there. We kind of let our emotions get to us early and we couldn’t make enough birdies to catch up from our start. I don’t think we did a very good job of executing or staying committed like we were able to do in our first round. We can’t let this round beat us twice though. We are still right there and have a good chance to advance if we can play well tomorrow.”
“We have to reset and get back to our process that has gotten us here. We didn’t respond very well today to being in the lead. Sometimes a different mindset can cost you a lot and unfortunately that happened to us today. I think we’ll respond tomorrow by getting back to being committed and focused on our game. We know that if we play like we are capable of being right there at the top of any leaderboard.”
Vanderbilt Head Coach Scott Limbaugh
“We knew today was an important day for us and we wanted to continue to trust our plan and stay patient and our boys did that which is exciting. I’m really proud of the way we competed and pleased with how we finished the round really strong for the second day in a row. The guys were excited to get out there early this morning and have a little better conditions and when our guys are excited they seem to compete really well. Cole got a lot out of his round today and putted it great and birdied three of his last four holes. He managed to post a bogey free round which was huge for our team. Matthew has a good plan and he’s tough enough to stick with it and he got some putts to drop coming in which was great to see. Reid looks good and he is close to playing a good round and Michael hung in there all day which is big. William hasn’t had his best stuff, but he’s a leader for us and we all believe in him and I believe he will be there going forward.”
“It’s important for us to continue to embrace the course and be tough enough to stick with our plans. This group believes in each other and we have to continue to compete to our standards, have some fun, and not worry about the finish line. Every guy has to put their blinders on and focus on the right things at the right times. It’s not easy to do, but that’s what it takes. I’m excited to see our guys compete again tomorrow. We need our fans to continue to lift the boys up!”
San Diego State Head Coach Ryan Donovan
“It played tough out there. Obviously we knew the winds were going to pick up and the scores yesterday afternoon were high so we knew what to expect. We just didn’t execute. Our top guy didn’t play as well as he has been playing all year, so that hurts us as well.
“We’ve got 18 holes more to play tomorrow and we’re going to come out firing. We’re going to play with some grit. These guys are tough. I expect them to come out and put in a good round tomorrow.”
Louisville Head Coach Ryan Blagg
“It was hard out there today. I thought the heat and wind picked up today. The greens were really fast and were dried out. The guys fought hard. We kind of struggled there through the midpoint of the round, but they closed with a bunch of birdies on the way in, which was huge. It puts us in the morning wave tomorrow morning, which is huge. We are six off the cutline for the match-play round so we are right where we need to be heading into tomorrow’s round."
Georgia head coach Chris Haack
“We know exactly what we have to do on Sunday. We’re in the fight that we expected with this caliber of competition. It’s time for every member of this team to step up. We can’t be three-legged or four-legged on Sunday. We need all five guys doing what they are capable of doing.”
Georgia senior Davis Thompson
“I got off to a good start today (with four birdies over the first 10 holes), then I had a hiccup on 3 (with a double bogey), but it was still a solid round. I can build on that momentum. I had it to 4-under on that course, so it can be done. As a team, we need a good day on Sunday to see where things fall. I expect us to grind it out and play well.”
Oregon State Head Coach Jon Reehoorn
On the team's second round...
“The course played really tough in the afternoon with the wind, and we just were not able to grind it out like we needed. We are right there for the top. 15. We will be first off in the afternoon wave. We need to just play our own game and take care of each shot one at a time. We’ve got something special in us.
On Carson Barry's performance...
“Carson’s round this afternoon was so impressive. He made sure to keep the ball in good spots and executed at a really high level.”
DAY ONE QUOTES (MAY 28, 2021)
Texas Tech Head Coach Greg Sands
“We played really well today with all five of our guys playing with a lot of confidence. I know it’s cliché, but we're going to stick to our process tomorrow. Ludvig has been a fighter all year and never gives in. I think the best players play good at the end and he’s a great player. I wasn’t surprised when I saw him making those birdies at the end."
Bearkats Head Coach Brandt Kieschnick
"I thought it was a solid round. I’m very proud of how they played and proud of their discipline,” observed. “We had three under par rounds today. We have been preparing to be the same team every day. We are doing the things that lead to an under par day, and that’s what we want to do and it’s not easy.”
Florida Head Coach JC Deacon
On the round…
“I don’t think our score of 8-over is very good. It could’ve been a lot better and I guess it could’ve been a little worse. We got a great round out of Ricky (Castillo), he was fantastic and has been building up to this all year. He’s really been working on his mental toughness and saw a ton of that today. I know Yuxin (Lin) will be disappointed shooting 2-over. I think he played a lot better than that. Joe (Pagdin), Tyler (Wilkes) and Gio (Manzoni) just have to be better. We have the guys to do it and we have an 11:30 a.m. (PST) tee time tomorrow. The guys are obviously going to get to know the course better and better as the week goes on. Just have to put up a good number tomorrow and get back in it.”
On the course…
“Hats off to the NCAA and Grayhawk Golf Club. The greens are perfect, the conditions are just mint. Perfect fairways, perfect everything. Obviously, we have this great Scottsdale weather, so it’s a dream come true for the guys with the golf course. There’re no excuses there. There’s no wind, just have to hit a lot of straight shots and make a lot of putts. That’s exactly what we have to do tomorrow.”
SMU Head Coach Chris Parra
“I saw some really good things, then I saw some stuff that I know that the guys could do a lot better on. If you let your mind wander for one split second out here with as firm and fast as the greens are getting, a shot that wouldn’t normally get away from you can get away from you pretty quickly. They hung in there, because it was a grind with some really difficult pins in this first round, but overall, it’s okay.”
Ludvig Aberg – Texas Tech sophomore
“I’m proud of how I finished. It’s a tough course with the greens being firm and they put the pins in some nasty spots. I had a lot of patience, especially in the first nine when I didn’t get it going. I’m going to stick to my game plan and feel comfortable with that. Obviously as a team we’re really confident coming from Albuquerque to here. All five guys on the team are playing really well. For me personally, I feel like I have more left in the tank so I think it’s going to be a lot of fun this week.”
Sam Houston State Head Coach Brandt Kieschnick
On Ting Wei
“I love Ting-Wei. He is real simple. Just hits his shot, gets balls up and down and putts it good. His strength is his simplicity. He just knows what he can do and doesn’t do too much. He plays within himself and is very capable of shooting that every day."
Ting-Wei Hsieh – 3-under
“I think with this golf course you have to hit your tee shot pretty good and I think I hit my tee shots pretty good today. I got some up and downs, hit some greens and made my putts. As soon as I made my first birdie I felt I could go low today. I was just trying to focus on each shot and do my best on this course."
William Holcomb – 3-under
“I got off to kind of a slow start and grinded it out and just took what the course would give me. I finally started getting the ball in the fairway and getting closer looks. On the back nine I was getting fairways and greens and it’s a pretty easy game if you can do that.”
"I was just focusing on staying in the present and taking what the course would give me. It’s the first day of the tournament and you aren’t going to go out there and win it. I just waited on the round to come to me and not try to force something on a tough championship golf course."
San Francisco Head Coach Jack Kennedy
Overall thoughts on the day:
“Tough day for us today,” said head coach Jack Kennedy. “We did not expect to get off on this kind of start. We just couldn’t really get any momentum going. But we are fine mentally, the guys are confident that there’s a big round in us tomorrow and we’ve seen this in past National Championships, there are always a lot of big swings and we are ready to get back into this thing tomorrow.”
Kennedy on Toby Briggs eagle and Soren Lind's hole in one
“Obviously I was there with Toby on the front nine and saw him hole out for eagle on 14,” said Kennedy when asked about the Dons’ highlights. “That got him back under par and tried to get a little momentum going. I was there, but seeing Soren make a hole in one is obviously really special, especially in a national championship setting. So hopefully we can build off those shots and find something for tomorrow.”
San Diego State Head Coach Ryan Donovan
On the first round:
“(We had) a slow start. Two guys were kind of out of it early so that makes it challenging. Our goal every tournament is to have all five guys in it throughout the rounds so things don’t change so drastically. The guys fought back hard. There’s no quit in these guys. We have a lot of golf ahead of us.”
On Puwit Anupansuebsai (2-under 68):
“(Puwit) was solid all day. He made nine straight pars and then had a couple of birdies. He had one three-putt, which was kind of unexpected, and maybe a wrong club on a par 3, but overall he was pretty solid. He did what he needed to do in the first round. Nobody is going to go extremely low out here so he just needs to stay consistent and he’ll be right in the mix down the stretch.”
San Diego State senior golfer Puwit Anupanuebsai
On the first round:
“We knew the beginning of the day was going to be a grind out here. You’re going to hit some bad shots. You just have to stay patient. We knew we were going to make some birdies coming in. You just need to stay calm and not force it.”
Oregon State Head Coach Jon Reehoorn
“A really solid start by our group. A bit of a disappointing ending but hopefully that helps fuel the fire for a bounce back tomorrow and not be too focused on how we stand after 18 holes.”
“Carson, Spencer and Jackson all played some very good golf for the entire round. Carson and Spencer did a great job of not letting anything rattle them. Both of them caught a couple of bad breaks and made some unfortunate bogeys, but they bounced right back on the next holes with great shots.”
Louisville’s Trevor Johnson
“It was a good day out there. Coach and I had a good game plan coming into today’s round. We talked about it yesterday. It’d different out here. The ball is traveling a lot farther out here because of the heat and the altitude. It was a big of an adjustment. I made a few key putts out there. I just stuck to my game plan. It was big. I made some big shots coming down the stretch so I was pleased with my round.”
Vanderbilt junior Michael Shears
On Friday’s round: “Overall it was good. I hit the ball well and kept it out of the desert. It was a good start.”
On Saturday’s round: “The greens will probably be a little smoother just because it’s early in the morning. Hopefully you can get out there and make a couple birdies.
Vanderbilt Head coach Scott Limbaugh
“Michael lifted the team up today. That’s why he’s playing. He’s playing really good golf right now and he’s got a lot of confidence. Really proud of the job he did today.
“I really thought he battled. I thought we battled hard. We didn’t have our best stuff – first round of the national championship – and I just think we didn’t putt with a ton of consistency today, for sure. We’ll need to do that better (Saturday).
“We got to stay patient with our plan, trust our plan and guys got to step up. That’s what we had all year. We got to play better as a group. It’s a long tournament. There’s no panic here. We know what it takes. We’ve got guys that understand what it takes and I do think (Saturday) is obviously an important round, we’ll get out here early and try to get a little momentum and play Vanderbilt golf.”
“You always you know the morning tee times are the preferred tee times. We just got to get everybody moving forward to see if we can get a little bit of momentum and may need to adjust some things a little bit. The main thing is just us being excited and not thinking we got to do more. And then some of our good players that have played good for us all year need to step up.”
Mike Small – Illinois Head Coach
“I thought it was kind of a loose day, but it wasn't a bad day. We kind of salvaged it - showed some resiliency right at the end. Sure you'd like to be in first place every day, but you can't do that. You've got to get a feel for the course.”
Oklahoma Head Coach Ryan Hybl
"We did what we needed to do to get out to a good start today," 12th-year head coach Ryan Hybl said. "We got two really big rounds from a couple of our vets in Quade (Cummins) and Jonathan (Brightwell) that helped even things out. I think today showed that getting under-par is out there for our guys and we'll have to play well again tomorrow."
"Just two massive rounds today from Quade and JB," Hybl added. "We know that we can't win if our older guys don't play well and so it was really good to see them play under-par this afternoon."
"We go off early tomorrow, which will hopefully be good to us," Hybl added. "The greens might be a little bit softer, but at the end of the day you have to go and execute shots. It doesn't matter what time of the day you play, if you don't shoot well out here, it'll get you into trouble."
Jonathan Brightwell (T5, -2)
"I'm at a really good spot with my game right now," Brightwell said. "I had some really good shots out there today that gave me some chances, and then I had a few shots that I let loose and was able to recover from. I just need to focus on staying patient because this is such a long championship. As a team, we've got to take it one shot at a time and then see where we end up."
Sun Devil Men’s Golf Head Coach Matt Thurmond
On the four and five slots coming through…
“Cameron Sisk was a third team All-American and Mason Andersen is a first team All-Pac-12 player guy who has had a great year. They are great players and today was huge. David struggled, Kevin didn’t have his best stuff, and Ryggs was pretty shaky early on too. So for those two to go out there and be super steady all day and Mason to finish like he did with one of four birdies on the last hole today. It was really impressive. I walked with Cam all day and man he was so solid. Fairways and greens and it could have been a lot lower.”
On the team’s position in the team standings…
“If you are hosting, you get the afternoon, which is always tougher. The greens are not as good, it is a lot firmer, and the wind is blowing more. To get out of that at four-over par today is solid. We want to win every day, of course, but there are 30 teams here. So to finish seventh after playing in the afternoon round, with five guys bogeying the first hole, that was a pretty awesome day.”
Michael Beard - Pepperdine Head Coach
“We played solid. Our front nine, which was the back nine, it took a little bit getting used to. It was a little bit different than the practice round. But when we made the turn, it seemed like the guys turned it on. I think we just have to keep pushing, keep the ball in the fairway, and try to make birdies. We like the warm weather. The course isn’t easy. It’s easy to make doubles. That’s why you haven’t seen a ton of low numbers. You’ve got to keep it in front of you. And the greens are tricky.”
North Carolina Head Coach Andrew DiBitetto after UNC’s opening-round 288
“We had a less than ideal start to the round, but our guys showed their toughness and grit. They fought incredible hard and hung in there. We learned even more today about the course and conditions and look forward to our early-morning tee time tomorrow.”
Connor Creasy, Georgia
“We’re a confident team, and we know we still have a lot of golf in front of us,” Creasy said. “This was not the start we wanted, but we’re confident that we can move up the leaderboard. No one is pushing the panic button. Our goal is to compete for the national championship, and that goal is still right there.”
“The key to this course is patience,” said Georgia coach Chris Haack, who has guided 20 of his 25 squads to the final tournament. “You have to take what the golf course gives you. It was something of a mixed bag for us today, but we feel good about the next few days. We got beat up a little bit today, but I know our guys will come out fighting on Saturday.”
DAY FOUR NOTES (MAY 31, 2021)
TCU
- With a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships, TCU finished inside the top 20 nationally for the second straight season and the fifth time in the last eight years.
- This is Florida State’s second appearance in NCAA Match Play. The first came in 2010 when a Brooks Koepka-led FSU team reached the match play semifinals.
- John Pak becomes the sixth Seminole to finish in the Top 5 of stroke play at NCAAs and the first since Daniel Berger tied for second in 2013.
- Regardless of the outcome of match play, Carolina is guaranteed a top-eight finish in the NCAA Championship, the Tar Heels’ 22nd finish in the top 10, but first since tying for ninth in 2003. It will be Carolina’s highest finish since at least 1993, when the Tar Heels were third.
- Peter Fountain tied for 13th, Carolina’s highest finish since Ben Griffin tied for 11th in 2017, and UNC’s best by a freshman since Rob Bradley and Lee McIntee tied for seventh in 1993.
- Fountain had the second-highest finish in the 2021 NCAA Championship by a freshman. Only Oklahoma State’s Bo Jin, who finished second, had a better finish by a freshman.
- It was the sixth time in nine tournaments this season Fountain had UNC’s best individual finish.
- Pepperdine's 9-under 271 was the best round of the tournament. It set the Waves' NCAA Tournament record (previous was 4-under in 2003).
- Pepperdine has advanced to match play for the first time
- The Fighting Illini advance to match play for the seventh time since the current stroke play/match play format was adopted in 2009. The Illini’s seven match play qualifications rank second nationally, one behind Oklahoma State who also advanced today.
- The Illini’s quarterfinal match on Tuesday morning will also mark the team’s 12th total NCAA match play match, which moves the Orange and Blue into a tie with Texas and Alabama for second nationally, behind Oklahoma State which will play its 16th.
- Illinois fifth-year senior Michael Feagles finished stroke play this season with an average of 70.54, establishing a program record for the lowest single-season mark (Nick Hardy, 70.61 in 2017-18).
DAY THREE NOTES (MAY 30, 2021)
PEPPERDINE
- Clay Feagler played in his 163rd career round today, setting the Pepperdine all-time record. The record was previously held by head coach Michael Beard, set from 1999-02.
- Noah Goodwin breaks the SMU single-season scoring record, finishing his season with a mark of 70.00
- Mac Meissner ends his SMU career with the third-best career scoring average in school history at 71.41, trailing only Bryson DeChambeau (71.15) and Noah Goodwin (71.24)
- Meissner ends his career fifth at SMU with 65 par-or-better rounds
- The SMU team averaged 286.08 strokes per round, the second-best mark in school history, each of which have come in the first two seasons with Chris Parra at the helm of the program
- The Cardinals put together their best round of the of the day to assure themselves a position in the final 15 of the NCAA Golf Championship at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
- It will mark the third time in five tries that the Cardinals advanced to the fourth day of the championship, and the first time since 2016.
DAY TWO NOTES (MAY 29, 2021)
NORTH CAROLINA
- The 68s by North Carolina senior Ryan Gerard (Raleigh, N.C.) and freshman Peter Fountain (Raleigh, N.C.) were Carolina’s lowest individual scores in an NCAA Championship round since Barden Berry shot a 65 in the third round in 2007 in Williamsburg, Va.
- Carolina shot 2-under 278. It was Carolina’s first time scoring under par as a team in a round in the NCAA Championship since shooting 1-under 287 in the second round in 2017 and its best score to par in an NCAA Championship round since a 2-under 282 in the first round of the 2002 Championship in Columbus, Ohio.
- Gerard’s 68 matched his season-best round (he also shot 68 in the third round at Pinehurst No. 2 on March 2).
- Fountain’s 68 was his team-leading 12th round in the 60s this season. The freshman shot at least one round in the 60s in eight of UNC’s nine tournaments this season.
- Bo Jin's 65 today is the lowest score at NCAAs by a Cowboy since Charles Howell's 63 in 2000.
DAY ONE NOTES (MAY 28, 2021)
Cole Bradley, Purdue
- Bradley has recorded nine straight rounds of even-par or better in NCAA competition.
- With four birdies and no bogeys, Bradley is now 11-under par 131 (65-66) in his last two rounds.
- By recording no bogeys, Bradley has now gone 37 holes without a bogey. He had zero bogeys in the final round of the NCAA Regionals at Sagamore Golf Club last week. His last bogey came on No. 17 in the second round at Regionals.
- Ollie Osborne shot an even-par 70, marking his fourth in seven rounds since returning from his appearance at the Masters Tournament in April. He had four in 15 rounds to start the season.
- Osborne’s 70 is the lowest for an SMU golfer at the NCAA Championships since Bryson DeChambeau’s second-round 67 during his 2015 NCAA Individual Championship tournament. DeChambeau opened the 2015 Championships with a 70 as well, although The Concession played as a par 72 that season.
- Noah Goodwin has shot no worse than 71 in each of his last 10 rounds, dating back to March 25
San Diego State
- Puwit Anupansuebsai shot a 2-under 68 in the opening round, which was tied for the third-lowest score by a San Diego State golfer in a NCAA tournament round … Anupansuebsai also recorded his team-leading 10th round in the 60s and 13th round below par.
- San Diego State had just one team birdie on its front nine with its lowest four players combining to shoot 8-over-par, which was 15th out of the 15 competing teams in the morning wave. The Aztecs moved up 12 spots in the back nine (T3rd) of the morning wave, recording 10 birdies with their lowest four players combine to shoot 3-under par.
- Quade Cummins logged the 29th even-or-better opening round of his career. The redshirt senior has played in 46 tournaments as a Sooner.
- Brightwell’s 68 was his eighth round in the 60s this season and he has posted at least one round in the 60s at six events this season.
Pepperdine
- Third place is Pepperdine's best-ever standing after the first round of the NCAA Championships. The Waves were sixth after the first round in 1997 when they won the NCAA title.