After advancing to third-straight NCAA regional, can Utes make it back to the championships?

For the third consecutive year, Utah’s golf program punched its ticket to the NCAA regionals.

Under head coach Garrett Clegg, who became the Utes’ head coach in 2016, the Utes have seen steady success, making the NCAA championships in 2022 and 2024. Prior to that, Utah had not reached the NCAA championships since 1988.

The Utes teed off the Columbus regional on Monday, vying for their third NCAA championship appearance under Clegg’s leadership. Utah entered the tournament ranked No. 35 in the country and will face stiff competition in No. 2 Florida, No. 11 Arizona State and No. 14 Stanford.

The top five teams from the Columbus regional, which also includes No. 23 Long Beach State, No. 25 Florida State, No. 38 South Carolina, No. 48 Cal, No. 52 South Florida, No. 61 Memphis, No. 64 Oregon, No. 128 Illinois State and No. 173 Wright State, will advance to the NCAA championships.

This year, the Utes went 98-60-3 as a team over 11 events, led by Sergio Jimenez, who is ranked No. 63 in the nation, Gabriel Palacios (No. 150 in the nation), Brandon Robison (No. 169 in the nation), Davis Johnson (No. 225 in the nation) and Jack Jerge (No. 474 in the nation).

Jimenez fired a 7-under at the Big 12 championships to finish third, while Robison was 3-over and Jerge and Palacios were 10-over as the Utes finished sixth as a team.

Utah is capable of advancing to the NCAA championships — this season, the Utes have had three top-five finishes, including a first-place finish in March’s Schenkel Invitational in which they posted a 21-under — but will need good performances, especially from the top of their lineup.

The Utes teed off at par-71 Ohio State University Golf Club on Monday morning with a lineup of Jimenez, Palacios, Robison, Johnson and Jerge (No. 474 in the nation). The regional continues with play on Tuesday and Wednesday.