CARLSBAD, Calif. (theACC.com) – For the first time in program history, Virginia has advanced to the match-play final of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship set for Wednesday, May 28, at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
Entering match play as the No. 7 seed, the Cavaliers upset defending national champion and No. 2 seed Auburn, 3-2, in the quarterfinals, and later eliminated another SEC foe in No. 3 seed Florida, 3-0, to advance to the championship round. UVA will square off with fourth-seeded Oklahoma State on Wednesday, with Golf Channel coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Tee times are scheduled to begin at 5:25 p.m. ET in 10-minute intervals.
This marks the third straight year an Atlantic Coast Conference team has reached the final, following Georgia Tech in 2023 and Florida State in 2024. Despite advancing to its third-straight title match, the ACC is seeking its first men’s golf national championship since Clemson in 2003, and first in the match-play era. During the span, current ACC members California (2004) and Stanford (2007 and 2019) have combined for three national championships.
Junior Ben James led the Cavaliers as the only player with two victories on the day. James, who entered the week ranked No. 12 in the Scoreboard individual rankings, opened the day with a 2&1 win over Auburn’s Carson Bacha and later clinched the semifinal victory with a 1UP win over Florida’s Luke Poulter. Paul Chang and Bryan Lee tallied victories in the quarterfinals and saw their matches go unfinished in the semifinals. Maxi Pruegger, who began the week as the substitute, and Josh Duangmanee posted wins in the semifinals.
NCAA Match-Play Quarterfinal Results
#7 Virginia 3, #2 Auburn 2
Cayden Pope (AUB) def. Maxi Puregger (UVA), 1UP
Jackson Koivun (AUB) def. Josh Duangmanee (UVA), 3&2
Ben James (UVA) def. Carson Bacha (AUB), 2&1
Paul Chang (UVA) def. Brendan Valdes (AUB), 5&3
Bryan Lee (UVA) def. Josiah Gilbert (AUB), 4&3
NCAA Match-Play Semifinal Results
#7 Virginia 3, #3 Florida 0
Maxi Pruegger (UVA) def. Matthew Kress (FLA), 4&3
Josh Duangmanee (UVA) def. Jack Turner (FLA), 2UP
Ben James (UVA) def. Luke Poulter (FLA), 1UP
Paul Chang (UVA) vs. Zack Swanwick (FLA), unfinished
Bryan Lee (UVA) vs. Ian Gilligan (FLA), unfinished
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