University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia punches ticket to NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California
May 20, 2026 | General
ATHENS, Ga. – The Georgia men's golf team finished fifth overall in the Athens Regional to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championships. The Bulldogs shot 19-under par, just one shot ahead of College of Charleston, in a nail-biting finish.
FAST FACTS:
· In his first and only competitive round at his home course, senior Carter Loflin finished at 5-under par to tie for 14th. His par on the 18th sealed the fifth-place finish for Georgia and a trip to the NCAA Championships.
· Sophomore James Earle shot 3-under par to finish tied for 25th and had the best round of the day for the Bulldogs.
· Sophomore Matt Moloney used three birdies to finish at 4-under par, in a tie for 20th. And junior Grayson Wood finished 3-under par to tie for 25th.
· Freshman JD Culbreth bounced back after a tough start to his back nine, using three birdies in a row to finish at 1-under par and a tie for 34th.
· Vanderbilt topped the field at the regional, finishing at 28-under par. Louisville was close behind at 26-under par, while Auburn rounded out the top three at 22-under par.
· This marks the 24th time the Bulldogs have advanced to the National Championship under coach Haack, who is in final season at the helm.
QUOTES:
Head Coach Chris Haack
On what the team will take away from this week, going into the National Championship next week...
"The thing we try to preach to these guys all the time is one shot can make a huge difference. Today proved it. One shot was the difference. That's why you keep fighting, keep grinding. Just never give up because you never know what's going to happen."
On how special it was to wrap up his time as head coach in Athens with the Athens Regional...
"It was pretty special, especially being here in front of the home crowd and family and all the families of the players. I hadn't gotten emotional all year this year, but I got a little emotional coming up to the last whole. Just thinking about it and hoping this wasn't the end and that I could live for another week to play again."
Senior Carter Loflin
On the close rounds...
"You do not want to look at the boards because they do not really do any good. You just have to go and do your best and hope that it pans out. We got into a playoff for match play at the SEC and didn't make it through, but we got through by a shot today, which is pretty cool. The week is really tough. It's cool playing at your home course, but it also comes with some expectation, and I thought everybody handled it beautifully. We proved a lot to ourselves this week, which is a great thing. I'm really happy for everybody."
On takeaways going into NCAAs...
"You have to come out with good stuff or else your season's over. That is a lot to sleep with every single night during the week. More than anything that we can do hard things, and there is not really any tasks that are insurmountable. We proved a lot to ourselves."
Next Up
The Bulldogs will travel to Carlsbad, California, to compete for an NCAA Championship from May 29th to June 3rd.
