In 2022, Arizona was just happy to get into the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships, since it hadn’t made it that far in more than a decade. Two years later, the Wildcats were one bad round from making match play for the first time in program history.
When the 2026 nationals begin Friday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., the UA won’t just be one of 30 teams vying for a title. It will be one of the top contenders.
“We’ve had a really good spring, definitely this is the best team that
we’ve had since I’ve been here, for sure,” senior Zach Pollo said last week, after Arizona dominated the Marana Regional. “We’re all playing pretty good right now.”
The UA shot 49-under par over three rounds at The Gallery Golf Club, one shot off the school record. That elevated its national ranking to 12th, up six spots from before regionals, and that came after taking second at the Big 12 Championships in late April.
But it’s a fresh slate on Friday with the first of at least three rounds of stroke play. After Sunday’s third round the field will get cut to 15 teams, then after 18 more holes an individual champion will be crowned and the top eight teams advance to match play.
In 2024 the UA was tied for the lead after the first round and tied for 9th entering the final round but had an awful day, shooting 20-over and finishing last among the remaining teams.
“We were right there in the last day, and we did not have a good day, and we were still close to making top eight,” said Pollo, who along with teammate Filip Jakubcik were sophomores on the 2024 squad. “I just remember how just fun the experience was, and how doable it really is to get into that top eight in match play.”
Jakubcik, who along with Pollo tied for the regional title last week at -15, shot 6-over in 2024 at La Costa, which had just re-opened after a major renovation.
“It was freshly renewed, and it was pretty damn hard and firm,” Jakubcik said of the course. “I hope it’s gonna be a little softer this year.”
Even if the UA doesn’t reach match play, getting in the top 10 would also be a major accomplishment. The program last achieved that feat in 2004 when it placed third, the last of nine top-10 finishes under legendary coach Rick LaRose including the 1992 NCAA title.
