No. 3 Men’s Golf tied for sixth after opening round at NCAA Championship

CARLSBAD, Calif. — The No. 3 Texas Men’s Golf team carded a 1-under-par 287 on Friday to rest in a tie for sixth place after the opening round of the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa. Senior Luke Potter registered a 4-under 68 on Friday and is tied for fifth place in the individual standings, just two strokes off the lead.

In addition to Potter’s performance, the Longhorns also counted scores in the opening round from senior Tommy Morrison (3-under 69), graduate Matt Comegys (2-over 74) and senior Christiaan Maas (4-over 76).

No. 30 UCLA, who teed off in Friday’s morning wave, posted an 8-under 280 and owns a four-stroke lead in the team standings after the first 18 holes. No. 1 Auburn is second at 4-under 284, and No. 14 Pepperdine is third at 3-under 285. The Longhorns are in a four-way tie for sixth place at 1-under 287.

A trio of players share the individual lead after the first 18 holes, as San Diego’s Ian Maspat, Connor Williams of Arizona State and Alabama’s William Jennings each fired a 6-under 66 on Friday. Potter is one of four players tied for fifth following the opening round at 4-under 68, while Morrison is one of six individuals tied for ninth at 3-under 69.

The 2026 NCAA Championships continue with stroke play for all 30 teams on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. In Saturday’s second round, the Longhorns will be paired again with Auburn and Florida, and tee times will begin at 8:30 a.m. CT (6:30 a.m. PT) from hole 1.

The field will be cut to the top 15 teams following Sunday’s third round. The fourth and final round of stroke play is set for Monday, June 1, and the individual NCAA champion will be crowned following the completion of 72 holes of stroke play.

The top eight teams following Monday’s final round of stroke play will advance to the NCAA Match Play Championships. Quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on Tuesday, June 2, while the NCAA Championship match is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.

The Lineup

• Senior Luke Potter fired a 4-under 68 in the opening round and is tied for fifth in the individual standings, just two strokes off the lead. Starting on hole 10, he dropped to 1-over after a bogey on 12. Potter responded with birdies on holes 13, 17 and 9 along with an eagle on the par-four 1st hole when he holed out from a fairway bunker.
• Senior Tommy Morrison carded a 3-under 69 on Friday and is tied for ninth place. Morrison was 1-over through his first five holes before posting birdies on holes 15, 17, 2 and 6 to close out his opening round.  
• Graduate Matt Comegys recorded a 2-over 74 in his opening round and is tied for 74th. He tallied one birdie on Friday and it came on the opening hole (hole 10) of his round.
• Senior Christiaan Maas registered a 4-over 76 on Friday and is tied for 100th. He posted three birdies (holes 10, 17 and 6) during his opening round.
• Sophomore Daniel Bennett carded a 5-over 77 in his opening round and is tied for 116th. Bennett tallied a pair of birdies (holes 10 and 2) on Friday.