NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 24 Wake Forest men’s golf team is set to begin NCAA Regional play on Monday morning in Norman, Okla.
The Demon Deacons are the No. 5 seed in Norman, Okla. They will look to continue their success in regional play after winning the New Haven Regional last year, finishing in first by seven strokes and finishing 24 strokes above the cutline. It marked an ACC record 47th time that the Deacs had qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Fourteen teams and five individuals are set to compete at the regional. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships at Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Demon Deacons return three of the five lineup players who competed in the postseason a season ago. They are led by junior Michael Brennan who is currently No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The Deacs will be looking to ride their momentum off their ACC Runner-Up finish last week in Pinehurst, N.C.
The Demon Deacons are one of two teams to reach the final twice in the three years of the match play format at ACC Championships. The Deacs were led by their underclassmen as they put the team in position to win a title. En route to the title match, Wake Forest finished second in the stroke play portion and then went on to defeat No. 16 Virginia in the semifinal match.
The Deacs will be led by reigning ACC Individual Champion in junior Michael Brennan. He became the 23rd Demon Deacon to win the title, taking home medalist honors after winning on the third playoff hole over Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech.
Monday’s first round is scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. ET start with the Demon Deacons, teeing off with No. 10 with Duke and LSU.
Elite Golf School
Along with the Demon Deacon women’s golf team who qualified last week for the NCAA Championships, Wake Forest is one of just three schools in the nation to have both their men’s and women’s programs qualify for the NCAA Championships during the last three events (Arizona State and Texas).
In the 2019 NCAA Championships, the men and women’s programs advanced to match play. Wake Forest was one of just three schools to have both programs move on to the match play portion of the Championship.
All-Time NCAA Championship Appearances
Wake Forest is 11th in the country and has the highest total in the ACC with 47 NCAA Championship appearances in program history.
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School
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NCAA Championship Appearances
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1. Oklahoma State*
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74 appearances
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2. Texas*
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67 appearances
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3. USC
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58 appearances
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4. Arizona State*
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57 appearances
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5. Florida*
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55 appearances
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6. Stanford*
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54 appearances
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7. Georgia*
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50 appearances
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T8. Houston
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48 appearances
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T8. Ohio State*
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48 appearances
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T8. Oklahoma*
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48 appearances
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11. Wake Forest*
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47 appearances
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* Indicates 2022 qualifier for NCAA Championships
THE DEACS’ LINEUP FOR THE NCAA REGIONAL
Brennan, who has now risen to No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, made his PGA Tour debut at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in February. That Monday, he earned a spot in the field as the only amateur, setting a Collegiate Showcase record, shooting a five-under-par 66.
He claimed his sixth individual title at the 2023 ACC Championship, joining elite company in Wake Forest history. Brennan is one of just four players in program history to have six or more collegiate titles joining Bill Haas (10), Gary Hallberg (9) and Curtis Strange (8).
He was named a watch list member for the Fred Haskins Award to start the season.
In the Southwestern Invitational, Brennan claimed his fifth career individual title, shooting the lowest score in the field in both the second and third round to win by a stroke over the loaded field. He followed that up by finishing in the top five at the Battle of Briar’s Creek and claimed his third consecutive top-10 finish at the Wake Forest Invitational. After finishing 20th at the Valspar, Brennan was right back in contention for the individual crown at the Calusa Cup, finishing tied for second.
Earlier this spring Power claimed the Battle at Briar’s Creek by four strokes over the field, the second collegiate title of his career. He led nearly the entire way while also leading the Deacs to the team title, the first of the season for the Deacs. He has been a steady presence in the lineup for the Deacs this spring finishing in the top 25 in every event he has played in. Additionally, his 71.48 stroke average ranks second on the team entering NCAA Regional play.
In the 2023 ACC Championship, he finished tied for 16th in stroke play and provided the clinching point in the semifinal match play win over No. 16 Virginia.
Last season, he helped the team to a title at the 2021 Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational, tying for 35th on the individual leaderboard. He was helped by a 66 (-4) in the second round of the tournament. He was one of three Demon Deacons to compete at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase. In the ACC semifinal, Power provided the second point in the win over North Carolina.
Kennon had an impressive showing at the 2021 Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational. He was par or below in all three rounds of the tournament, finishing the week tied for ninth and nine-under par, the first career top-10 finish. Kennon picked up his second top-10 finish of the season at the Valspar Collegiate with the help of his best round of his young career. He finished eighth, firing a final round 64 (-7), moving up 20 spots on the final day of competition.
The sophomore was one of one of three Demon Deacons to be sub par for all three rounds at the 2022 NCAA Regionals, recording a 68-69-69 to place tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard at 4-under-par. He is coming off a tied for 30th finish at the Southwestern, ending the tournament as the second-highest Demon Deacon.
He has had five top-20 finishes in his last six starts this spring, tying for 12th at the Battle for Briar’s Creek, finishing 17th at the Wake Forest Invitational, tying for 17th finish at the Calusa Cup, tying for fourth at the Battle of the Run and tying for 11th at the ACC Championship.
In match play at the 2023 ACC Championship, Kennon provided a point for the Deacs in both the semifinal and championship match.
In his collegiate debut at the Maui Jim Individual, McLauchlan finished tied for sixth on the leaderboard. He was helped by turning in a debut round of 64 (-8) that was bogey free and included six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 ninth. He was tied for the lead after the opening round.
This was the first of four top-10 finishes during his freshman season, posting his best tournament of the season at the Old Town Collegiate where he was 5-under-par and fourth in the field. McLauchlan claimed his best finish of the spring, tying for fourth at the Calusa Cup, finishing as the Deacs’ highest finisher. McLauchlan continued his stellar freshman season at the ACC Championship where he provided a point in the semifinal victory over Virginia, helping the Deacs advance to their second consecutive championship match.
Before coming to Wake Forest, he participated in the 2022 U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, N.J and is also the reigning Jones Cup Junior Invitational champion.
Owens plays in the lineup for the Demon Deacons for the seventh time in his freshman year. He currently has the third-lowest stroke average on the team, 72.04.
As a junior, he ranked as high as No. 9 nationally in the AJGA standings. In March, he qualified for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented on the Korn Ferry Tour as a Monday qualifier. Additionally, he reached the Round of 32 at the 2022 North and South Amateur Championship and is the reigning LHSAA Individual Champion.
Owens, who recorded the lowest debut round in program history, finished as the Deacs top player in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, tying for 13th individually. He has two top-20 finishes during his freshman season. In match play of the ACC Championship, Owens claimed a point in both the semifinal and final matches.
WAKE FOREST ALTERNATE
As a freshman, Meisel competed in five events including a pair of events in the lineup, playing in the lineup at the Colonial Collegiate and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate. He finished tied for 16th in Georgia while also placing in the top 25 four times during the season with his highest finish coming at the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational where he placed 14th at 5-under-par.
This season Meisel holds a stroke average of 72.59 stroke average. In the Old Town Club Collegiate Invitational, he finished seventh at 4-under-par. He is coming off the Southwestern Invitational where he finished 30th with the help of a 3-under-par final round which tied for the lowest in the field in the final round with Michael Brennan.
Meisel was one of three players to also take part in the exclusive Genesis Collegiate Showcase in mid-February. He helped his group win the team championship at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase, marking the first time Wake Forest has claimed the team title at the event.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS AT NCAA REGIONAL (14)
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2023 Norman Men’s Golf Regional Seeds
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Seed
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School
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GolfStat Rank
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1
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Texas Tech
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5
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2
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Oklahoma
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9
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3
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Alabama
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17
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4
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Ole Miss
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20
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5
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Wake Forest
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29
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6
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Duke
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32
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7
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LSU
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41
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8
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North Florida
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44
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9
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Colorado
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52
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10
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Kansas
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56
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11
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UNC-Wilmington
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77
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12
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Louisiana
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133
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13
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Princeton
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183
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14
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Arkansas-Pine Bluff
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270
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COURSE INFORMATION
NCAA Regional
Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club – Norman, Okla. – Par 72 – 7,452 yards
The rich heritage of the grounds of the Jimmie Austin Golf Club at The University of Oklahoma dates back to the early 1940’s, when the land was home to a U.S. Navy recreational facility. Situated on what was once called the Navy Air Technical Training Center, NATTC or more simply “South Base”, the facility served as an annex to the Norman Naval Air Station located north of town at what is now Max Westheimer Airport. In 1949, in coordination with the Navy and with the leadership of OU President George Lynn Cross, construction began on the OU Golf Course. At that time, famous golf course architect and native Oklahoman Perry Maxwell was commissioned to build the project, and in January 1951 the course opened for play.
LIVE SCORING
NCAA Regional
TEE TIMES
Monday, April 15 – First Round – Play begins at 9:30 a.m. ET with Wake Forest teeing off of No. 10
Tuesday, April 16 – Second Round – Play begins at 9:00 a.m. ET
Wednesday, April 17 – Third Round – Play begins at 9:00 a.m. ET
