Men’s Golf Hangs on to Make Cut at 2022 NCAA Championships

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – It was a historic Sunday afternoon for Ole Miss men’s golf, as the Rebels accomplished what no other team had done since 1985 by making the cut at the 2022 NCAA Championships. For just the second time in program history, the Rebels advance to the final round of stroke play as one of the nation’s top-15 teams.

Starting the day packed into a midfield where teams ranked sixth through 19th were separated by just eight total strokes, the Rebels needed to go low on day three against windy conditions in Arizona in order to advance. Only the top 15 teams and top nine individuals on non-advancing teams survived the Sunday cut.

The Rebels battled and found themselves needing every stroke they could get in a tightly contested push to qualify for day four by multiple teams. Late birdies by Jack Gnam and Kye Meeks on the team’s final hole of the day proved to be difference makers, as the Rebels slowly crawled their way up the leaderboard throughout the afternoon session before eventually beating out SEC foe Texas A&M for the final spot by just two strokes. 

“I’m incredibly proud of this group for battling like they have the last three days,” said head coach Chris Malloy. “We haven’t had our best stuff but they continue to give 100 percent. We dug ourselves a little bit into a hole headed into tomorrow, but we have a chance and that’s all that we can ask for. I believe we have a special round in us.”

Ole Miss now sets its sights on surviving yet another cut, as only the top eight programs will advance to the NCAA Match Play Quarterfinals on Tuesday. The Rebels currently sit 11 strokes back from eighth place Arkansas.

Senior Jackson Suber continues to lead the way individually for the Rebels heading into the final day of the NCAA Individual Championship, with Suber’s third round score of 76 (+6) helping the two-time All-American settle into a tie for 25th. With 11 birdies over his three rounds in Scottsdale, Suber now ranks fourth in the field in total birdies on the weekend heading into Monday.

The Tampa, Florida, native eyes the program’s third top 20 individual finish ever at the NCAAs on Monday, with Braden Thornberry (1st – 2017)…