Preview: #18 Vols Ready for NCAA Championships

Friday, May 29

Carlsbad, Calif.

University of Tennessee

NCAA Championships - Round 1

May 28, 2026 | Men's Golf

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For the third consecutive season, the No. 18 Tennessee men's golf team has advanced to the biggest stage of college golf, which begins on Friday at the NCAA Championships.

Tennessee is one of just 11 teams to qualify for the national championships every year they have been contested at the famed Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, with the venue hosting for the third straight year in 2026. The par-72 7,528-yard course designed by Gil Hanse and located in Carlsbad, California, has hosted 37 PGA Tour events with fields featuring the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and Gary Player.

The tournament features a unique format, beginning with three rounds of stroke play from Friday, May 29, through Sunday, May 31. Following the conclusion of the opening 54 holes, the top 15 teams and the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will advance to a fourth stroke play round on Monday, June 1. Following the fourth and final round of stroke play, an individual national champion will be crowned, and the top eight teams will advance to the match play quarterfinals in the quest for a team national title.

Similar to the format of the SEC Championships, the match play quarterfinals and semifinals are set to be completed on the same day: Tuesday, June 2. The NCAA Championships will conclude with the match play final on Wednesday, June 3, where one team will be crowned national champions.

Live scoring throughout the entire event will be available through Scoreboard. The opening three rounds of stroke play will be streamed live by Babygrande Golf, which can be accessed by creating a free account. The fourth round of stroke play and the entirety of the match play portion of the tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel under the following schedule:

Monday, June 1 – 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Pacific time (5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern time)
Tuesday, June 2 – 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific time (1 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time)
Tuesday, June 2 – 3 to 7 p.m. Pacific time (6 to 10 p.m. Eastern time)
Wednesday, June 3 – 3 to 7 p.m. Pacific time (6 to 10 p.m. Eastern time)

The Vols used a dramatic third round comeback at the Bryan Regional to punch a third straight ticket to Omni La Costa. With Tennessee outside of the top five by nearly ten strokes late in round two and early in round three, advancing looked unlikely. Seniors Josh Hill and Lance Simpson refused to quit, firing rounds of 4-under-par and 5-under-par, respectively, to drive a massive comeback and extend the Vols' season. Beyond securing a third straight NCAA Championships appearance, a successful 2025-26 season has also seen Tennessee win two tournaments and three Vols claim medalist honors.

Tennessee will be making its 22^nd NCAA Championships appearance in program history in 2026. Last year at Omni La Costa, the Vols tied for 20^th place, shooting 30-over-par. As an individual, Simpson was the lone Vol to advance to round four, where he posted a top 40 finish. Tennessee's best finish at the NCAA Championships came in 1980, when the Vols closed the season with a sixth-place finish at the national championships.

Tennessee Lineup
Lance Simpson
A Second Team All-SEC selection, Simpson has been a statistical leader for Tennessee all season. The redshirt senior boasts team highs in scoring average (70.12) and rounds of par or better (22). Simpson tied for 11^th place at the Bryan Regional behind a 5-under-par 67 in round three.

Josh Hill
Another senior for the Vols, Hill earns the second spot in Tennessee's lineup after a career outing at the Bryan Regional. The Dubai, United Arab Emirates, native posted three consecutive rounds of 68 or better to close the tournament at 14-under-par and claim a third-place finish. His 6-under-par 66 in the second round matched a career-best single round score.

Chase Kyes
A key to Tennessee's success as a freshman, Kyes is set to make his NCAA Championships debut. Kyes has impressed with 18 rounds of par or better in his opening season with the Vols, including two rounds of par or better at the Bryan Regional that were key to advancing.

Jackson Herrington
After a solid showing at the 2026 Masters tournament, where Herrington tied for low amateur honors, the sophomore will look to return to form this week for the Vols. Herrington has totaled 15 rounds of par or better and two top ten finishes for Tennessee this season.

Bruce Murphy
Murphy rounds out a lineup that remains unchanged from the Bryan Regional, which the redshirt junior closed with a 1-under-par 71 in round three to help Tennessee advance. Murphy has earned three top ten individual finishes this spring, including an impressive victory at the Coach Sykes Individual.

Christian Pardue (Sub)
Just like the Bryan Regional, Pardue remains a substitute option for Tennessee. In five events this season, Pardue has earned three top ten finishes behind nine rounds of par or better.

Teams
Arizona
Arizona State
Arkansas
Arkansas State
Auburn
Brigham Young
Chattanooga
Duke
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
LSU
Louisville
Memphis
Mississippi State
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Ole Miss
Pepperdine
Purdue
San Diego
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
UCLA
USC
Vanderbilt
Virginia

Individuals
Malan Potgieter, Louisiana
Jorge Martin Sampedro, UTRGV
Steen Zeman, Long Beach State
Michael Lugiano, Liberty
William Jennings, Alabama
Jacob Lang, Kentucky