NEW ORLEANS — Little Rock advanced to the 2021 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, to be held May 28-June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. This is the second-straight season that the Sun Belt will be represented at the NCAA Championship, after Georgia Southern advanced to the final site in 2019. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Trojans carded five birdies on No. 18 in Tuesday’s final round to vault into fifth place in the Stillwater Regional and qualify for the program’s first-ever berth to the NCAA Championship, following their third NCAA Regional appearance.
Little Rock posted a 54-hole score of 15-over par 879 (290-295-294) at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., to edge Auburn and Baylor by one stroke for the final qualifying spot. Junior Anton Albers tied for 10th at 1-under par 215 (68-76-71) to lead the way for the Trojans.
The Sun Belt’s other representatives saw their seasons conclude in their respective NCAA Regionals Wednesday.
Sun Belt men’s golf champion Georgia Southern finished eighth in the Tallahassee Regional at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla., with a 54-hole score of even par 864 (291-285-288). Sun Belt individual medalist junior Ben Carr led the Eagles with a 4-under par 212 (71-69-72) to tie for 14th individually.
The Eagles earned the Sun Belt’s automatic NCAA berth by virtue of their 3-1-1 match play victory over Little Rock in the 2021 Sun Belt Men’s Golf Championship. Georgia Southern has won two Sun Belt titles all-time (2015 & 2021).
Arkansas State placed seventh in the Noblesville Regional at The Sagamore Club in Noblesville, Ind., with a 54-hole score of 10-over par 874 (297-290-287). Red Wolves senior Zan Luka Stirn tied for third at 7-under par 209 (77-66-66), just three strokes behind individual qualifier Cole Bradley of Purdue (-10).
Coastal Carolina senior Zack Taylor finished tied for 70th at the Noblesville Regional, after shooting 22-over par 238 (78-79-81).
ULM senior Guillaume Fanonnel tied for 39th at the Stillwater Regional with a 54-hole score of 10-over par 226 (80-73-73).
App State junior Timothius Tamardi shot even par 213 (74-70-69) to tie for 19th at the Kingston Springs Regional at The Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston Springs, Tenn.
The top five teams from each 54-hole regional, as well as the top individual not on an advancing team from each regional site, will compete in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship—to be held May 28-June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.