Summer is over, the calendar has turned to September and college golf is back. That means it’s time to rank the teams heading into the season.
The chase to win the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship is on. Next spring, the championships will be held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, the second year of a three-year contract.
Last year, Auburn captured its first national championship in school history, knocking off Florida State 3-2 in the match-play final to win the title. With plenty of players back, including the reigning player of the year, the Tigers find themselves in a familiar spot to begin the season.
Here’s a look at Golfweek’s 2024-25 men’s college golf preseason rankings.
The Auburn Tigers pose with the national champion trophy after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the championship match during the Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 29, 2024 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The defending national champions take the top spot, and for good reason. Auburn returns consensus national Player of the Year Jackson Koivun, Brendan Valdes, Carson Bacha, Josiah Gilbert and Ryan Eshleman. Add in incoming freshman Billy Davis, the Tigers will again be one of college golf’s best.
Jose Luis Ballester poses with the Havemeyer trophy after winning the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)
Last season was a disappointing finish for the Sun Devils, a top-seed at regionals that didn’t advance to NCAAs. This year, however, Arizona State has two of the best players in the country in U.S. Amateur champion Josele Ballester and PGA Tour University’s No. 1 Player for the Class of 2025 Preston Summerhays. Those two can do big things and lead ASU back into the national title conversation.
Gordon Sargent plays his second shot on the 11th hole during the round of 64 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)
Gordon Sargent has a PGA Tour card in his future, but first, the 2022 NCAA individual champion has one more season of college golf. Along with Jackson Van Paris and Wells Williams, the Commodores may not have the depth of last year’s roster, but their top three can compete with any team on any day across the…
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