Duke Advances to NCAA Championship Behind Record Regional Score

Monday, May 18

Marana, Ariz

Duke University

NCAA Regional

Duke Advances to the 2026 NCAA Men's Golf Championship

Duke Advances to NCAA Championship Behind Record Regional Score

5/20/2026 9:00:00 PM | Men's Golf

Final Results (PDF)

MARANA, Ariz. – Three Blue Devils finished among the top 25 individually as Duke secured a berth in the NCAA Men's Golf Championship with a tie for fourth place Wednesday at the Marana Regional at The Gallery Golf Club.

Under first-year head coach Bob Heintz, the Blue Devils posted the best 54-hole NCAA Regional score in program history at 24-under-par (282-280-278=840) to advance to the NCAA Championship as a team for the first time since 2023. Duke will compete at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, May 29-June 3.

Junior Bryan Kim carded a 7-under-par 65 in the final round to establish a Duke NCAA Regional 54-hole record at 11-under-par (72-68-65=205). Kim finished tied for sixth individually.

Senior Ethan Evans fired a final round 3-under-par 69 to finish tied for 22nd at 4-under-par 212, while senior William Love tied for 25th at 3-under-par 213.

Sophomore Ollie Mukherjee finished at even-par 216 to tie for 35th place, and senior Daniel Choi tied for 38th at 1-over-par 217.

Duke tied Arkansas State for fourth place at 24-under-par 840, edging sixth-place Alabama by one stroke for the final advancement position to the NCAA Championship. Host Arizona won the regional at 49-under-par 815, followed by Oklahoma State at 829 and LSU at 834.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Following Monday's opening round, William Love was tied atop the leaderboard with a 7-under-par 65.
Ethan Evans shot 1-under-par 71 and Bryan Kim added an even-par 72 to help Duke finish day one in fifth place.
Ollie Mukherjee highlighted Tuesday's second-round action with a career-low 4-under-par 68.
Kim also fired a 4-under-par 68 Tuesday, recording his 17th round in the 60s this season to break Duke's single-season record.
Evans and Daniel Choi each secured even-par rounds of 72, helping Duke remain in fifth place with a second-round total of 8-under-par 280.
Kim delivered a clutch 7-under-par 65 in Wednesday's final round, while Evans added a 3-under-par 69 and Choi contributed a 1-under-par 71.
After Kim converted a par putt on his final hole, Duke closed the day at 10-under-par 278 and sat above the cut line for advancement. Clemson, however, remained on the course just two strokes behind Duke and Arkansas State.
The Blue Devils congregated around the 18th green and watched the final groups finish with the NCAA Championship berth hanging in the balance.
When Clemson fell short, Duke gathered in celebration after clinching its spot in the NCAA Championship field.

NOTES

Duke advanced to the NCAA Championship as a team for the 22nd time overall and for the second time in the last four seasons.
The Blue Devils secured the program's best NCAA Regional finish since placing second in 2019.
Duke's 24-under-par 840 established a program record for lowest 54-hole score at an NCAA Regional, surpassing the previous mark of 22-under-par by the 2018 team.
Bryan Kim's 11-under-par 205 (72-68-65) established a Duke NCAA Regional 54-hole record, topping the previous mark of 9-under-par by Michael Schachner in 2005.
Three Blue Devils (Kim, Evans, Love) finished among the top 25 individually for the first time at an NCAA Regional since 2019.
Kim and William Love joined Michael Schachner (-8 in 2005) and Jake Shuman (-7 in 2018) as the only Blue Devils to shoot 7 under par or better in a round at an NCAA Regional.
Duke recorded its 25th under-par round of the season Wednesday, extending the program's single-season record. The Blue Devils surpassed the previous mark of 21 under-par rounds, set in 2022-23.
Duke's 10-under-par 278 in Wednesday's final round marked just the fifth time a Blue Devil squad posted a double-digit-under-par score at an NCAA Regional.
Ollie Mukherjee recorded a career-low 4-under-par 68 Tuesday, marking his second career round in the 60s. His previous low was a 2-under-par 69 at the UNCW Seahawk Intercollegiate during his freshman season.
Kim's 4-under-par 68 Tuesday marked his 17th round in the 60s this season, breaking Alex Smalley's previous Duke single-season record of 16 set during the 2018-19 campaign. Kim added a 65 in the final round to extend his record total to 18.
The Gallery Golf Club is located northwest of Tucson and plays to a par of 72 at 7,317 yards.
The 14-team Marana Regional field included five squads ranked among the top 30 in the latest Scoreboard powered by Clippd team rankings: No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 8 LSU, No. 18 Arizona, No. 20 Alabama and No. 29 Duke.

UP NEXT
Duke advances to compete in the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, May 29-June 3.

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