Men’s Golf: TCU takes ninth at NCAA Auburn Regional

This week, Men’s Golf headed out to Auburn, Alabama to face off with 14 teams in the NCAA Regionals. Among the hills and humidity of the Auburn University Club course, the Frogs sought to continue their upward mobility since the last third of the regular season and Big 12 tournament to earn a spot in the coveted NCAA Championship at Greyhawk in Scottsdale and to keep Coach Montigel’s final season as head coach going for as long as possible.

Rounds 1 + 2:

The Frogs were paired with #1 Vanderbilt and #25 Ohio State for the first two rounds of the tournament, and spent the day showcasing their worth as they scored better than both schools after the first day. TCU carded a +4 (two shots better than both) and a tie with location host Auburn behind a 2-under 70 from Jakob Skov Olsen (T-3 after round 1) and a 73 from Aymeric Lassout. The hot start put the Frogs into excellent position heading into the second day. In the second round, the Frogs maintained striking distance of qualifying position and were squarely in the middle of the pack at 7^th place behind an even par round from Lassout and a 1-over 73 from Brent Hamm.

Round 3:

Entering the final round of play, TCU needed to gain ground and finish in the top 5 to be considered for the NCAA Championship. The Frogs were teeing off just three shots out of fifth place and tied with Washington at +14 team score. The final round proved to be a beast for most schools, notwithstanding tournament host Auburn—who was the only team under par for the day, and the only way the Frogs could have gained ground was through conservative, par-is-birdie scoring for the day.

Still, TCU faltered in the final round as the course ate many teams up, completing the final round at +17 and a tournament total of +31, slipping two spots to earn them the ninth place position in the field. Freshman Maxence Gibadout was the low round for the day, with a 1-over 73. Only two other Frogs broke 80 in the final round, and the season comes to a close for TCU. Still, it was another solid season for the Frogs, who made their 32 NCAA Regionals appearance in 33 seasons—another testament to the legacy that Bill Montigel left on the Horned Frogs Golf Program. Coach Montigel will depart TCU after 45 years, which included 8 conference titles and a hall of fame career for the 7-time Coach of the Year.