Friday, May 24
Carlsbad, Calif.
Texas A&M
at
NCAA Championship
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW; NCAA Championship
May 23, 2024 | Men's Golf
Aggies start trek to national title Friday at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies battle the best in search of their second national title at the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship from Friday to Wednesday.
The championship is being contested at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa for the first time. The North Course is a par-72 track measuring 7,538 yards. All 30 teams embark on stroke play the first three days. The field is cut to 15 teams for Monday's final round of stroke play. The top eight teams advance to the match play bracket with the quarterfinals and semifinals contested Tuesday and the national champion decided Monday.
The individual NCAA champion is crowned based on the four rounds of stroke play. The medalist earns a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open and the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
The Aggies won the national championship in 2009, besting Arkansas in the title bout.
The current NCAA Championship format of stroke play funneling into an eight-team match play bracket started in 2009. In additional to their 2009 title run, the Aggies also participated in the match play portion of the tournament in 2018 and 2019. Ol' Sarge's charges also have top-5 finishes in 1961 (5th) and 1982 (4th) when the tournament was only stroke play.
Texas A&M fields a formidable lineup including All-SEC Second Team selection Phichaksn Maichon who finished tied for second at the NCAA Stanford Regional two weeks ago. Daniel Rodrigues is playing his last tournament with the Aggies and boasts a runner-up performance at the SEC Championship. Michael Heidelbaugh, Jaime Montojo and Aaron Pounds round out the Aggie fivesome. Vishnu Sadagopan travels to Omni La Costa as A&M's alternate.
Eighteen of the teams ranked in the Clippd National Golf Ranking top 25 survived regional play and the field includes seven of the top 10 teams. Texas A&M is one of six SEC teams which endured the grueling regional action, finishing third at the Stanford site. The ACC leads all conferences with seven teams in the field. The Big 12 also boasts six teams at the championship.
Friday's action starts at 6:40 a.m. with the Aggies teeing off from the 10th hole paired with New Mexico and Oklahoma State.
Live scoring is available at Golfstat. The tournament features Golf Channel coverage the final three days.
THE FIELD
THE LINEUP
Team
Daniel Rodrigues – Senior – Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Phichaksn Maichon – Junior – Bangkok, Thailand
Jaime Montojo – Sophomore – Madrid, Spain
Michael Heidelbaugh – Junior – Dallas, Texas
Aaron Pounds – Freshman – The Woodlands, Texas
Alternate
Vishnu Sadagopan – Junior – Pearland, Texas
COURSE
The former Champions Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa underwent a 2023 renovation and was christened the North Course. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner orchestrated the dramatic redesign of the course in preparation for hosting the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Championships. The course changes included a par-5 18th hole playing over 600 yards, a drivable par-4 for the 11th hole and moving the green on the par-3 16th to resemble the iconic No. 12 at Augusta National. The new layout is aimed at increasing the risk-reward decisions for players in both stroke and match play. Opened in 1965, the course hosted the PGA Tour's Mercedes Championship from 1969-98 along with welcoming the WCC-Accenture Match Play Championships on eight occasions. The layout meanders through the placid wetlands of the La Costa Valley highlighting the rolling hills.
WEATHER FORECAST
Accuweather.com
Friday: 69/58, low clouds breaking for some sun, SW 8-10 mph gusting to 21 mph, 25% probability of precipitation.
Saturday: 69/58, low clouds breaking for some sun, SW 8-10 mph gusting to 20 mph, 20% probability of precipitation.
Sunday: 69/55, areas of low clouds, then sun, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 16 mph, 3% probability of precipitation.
Monday: 69/55, sunshine and patchy clouds, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 14 mph, 1% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 68/56, intervals of clouds and sunshine, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 17 mph, 2% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 69/57, times of clouds and sun, WSW 6-8 mph gusting to 14 mph, 2% probability of precipitation.
Weather.com
Friday: 65/58, cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing, SW 10-15 mph, 17% probability of precipitation.
Saturday: 65/58, a few showers in the morning, clouds lingering in the afternoon, SW 10-15 mph, 33% probability of precipitation.
Sunday: 65/56, cloudy skies early, partly cloudy later in the day, WSW 5-10 mph, 9% probability of precipitation.
Monday: 67/57, partly cloudy skies, W 10-15 mph, 6% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 68/57, some clouds in the morning give way to mainly sunny skies, W 10-15 mph, 7% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 69/58, sunshine and clouds mixed, SW 5-10 mph, 6% probability of precipitation.
For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M men's golf, follow the Aggies on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The championship is being contested at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa for the first time. The North Course is a par-72 track measuring 7,538 yards. All 30 teams embark on stroke play the first three days. The field is cut to 15 teams for Monday's final round of stroke play. The top eight teams advance to the match play bracket with the quarterfinals and semifinals contested Tuesday and the national champion decided Monday.
The individual NCAA champion is crowned based on the four rounds of stroke play. The medalist earns a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open and the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
The Aggies won the national championship in 2009, besting Arkansas in the title bout.
The current NCAA Championship format of stroke play funneling into an eight-team match play bracket started in 2009. In additional to their 2009 title run, the Aggies also participated in the match play portion of the tournament in 2018 and 2019. Ol' Sarge's charges also have top-5 finishes in 1961 (5th) and 1982 (4th) when the tournament was only stroke play.
Texas A&M fields a formidable lineup including All-SEC Second Team selection Phichaksn Maichon who finished tied for second at the NCAA Stanford Regional two weeks ago. Daniel Rodrigues is playing his last tournament with the Aggies and boasts a runner-up performance at the SEC Championship. Michael Heidelbaugh, Jaime Montojo and Aaron Pounds round out the Aggie fivesome. Vishnu Sadagopan travels to Omni La Costa as A&M's alternate.
Eighteen of the teams ranked in the Clippd National Golf Ranking top 25 survived regional play and the field includes seven of the top 10 teams. Texas A&M is one of six SEC teams which endured the grueling regional action, finishing third at the Stanford site. The ACC leads all conferences with seven teams in the field. The Big 12 also boasts six teams at the championship.
Friday's action starts at 6:40 a.m. with the Aggies teeing off from the 10th hole paired with New Mexico and Oklahoma State.
Live scoring is available at Golfstat. The tournament features Golf Channel coverage the final three days.
THE FIELD
| Auburn (1) | Illinois (16) | Wake Forest (29) |
| Vanderbilt (2) | Florida (17) | Notre Dame (30) |
| North Carolina (4) | Georgia Tech (18) | Baylor (31) |
| Tennessee (5) | East Tennessee State (19) | Ohio State (32) |
| Florida State (6) | California (20) | North Florida (33) |
| Texas (7) | Texas A&M (21) | Louisiana State (37) |
| Virginia (9) | New Mexico (23) | SMU (41) |
| Texas Tech (11) | Oklahoma State (24) | Clemson (48) |
| Oklahoma (13) | Purdue (27) | West Virginia (51) |
| Arizona (15) | Stanford (28) | Utah (53) |
THE LINEUP
Team
Daniel Rodrigues – Senior – Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- Enters play with seven top 10s in the last 10 tournaments, including four top 5s.
- Tied as runner-up at the SEC Championship scoring 6-under 204 (67-68-69) before going 1-1-0 in match play.
- Ranks 60th in the Clippd College Player Rankings with a 28.48 average weighted points.
- Owns 69.4 adjusted stroke average and 789-184-39 W-L-T on the season.
- PING/GCAA Division I All-America Honorable Mention in 2023.
- Finished t-4th at the 2023 European Amateur Championship in Parnu, Estonia.
- Advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2023 Amateur Championship at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England.
- Won the 2022 Blessings Collegiate with a three-round tally of 11-under 206, earning SEC Golfer of the Week.
- Last time out – finished t-10 at the NCAA Stanford Regional scoring 5-under 205 (67-67-71).
Phichaksn Maichon – Junior – Bangkok, Thailand
- Earned All-SEC Second Team in 2023-24.
- PING/GCAA Division I All-America Honorable Mention and PING All-Central Region in 2023.
- Ranks 13th in the Clippd College Player Rankings with a 44.48 average weighted points.
- Owns 69.0 adjusted stroke average and 839-209-34 W-L-T on the season.
- Claimed the title at the 2024 Louisiana Classics with a tournament record 18-under 198 to win by eight strokes.
- Won the 2023 Huntsville Toyota Bearkat Invitational with an 11-under 205, including a 67 in the final round.
- Finished t-11th at the NCAA Championships and t-14th at the NCAA Salem Regional.
- Capped off string of three consecutive top-three finishes with a third-place showing at the 2023 SEC Championship.
- Last time out – finished runner-up at the NCAA Stanford Regional scoring 11-under 199 (66-65-68).
Jaime Montojo – Sophomore – Madrid, Spain
- Owns a 69.8 adjusted scoring average with a 669-295-34 head-to-head W-L-T in 2023-24.
- Ranks 128th in the Clippd College Player Rankings with a 22.11 average weighted points.
- Claimed his first collegiate victory sharing medalist honors at the 2024 Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club.
- Made DP World Tour debut October at the Estrella Damm Andalucia Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.
- Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week in 2022-23, registering a 71.93 scoring average, including 0.57 vs. par in 28 rounds.
- Played a key role in Spain's 4-3 victory over Denmark to win the 2023 European Amateur Team Championship in Epilanges, Switzerland – winning the clinching match 2&1.
- Made a late charge to finish t-13th at the 2023 European Amateur Championship in Parnu, Estonia.
- Qualified for the match play portion of the 2023 Amateur Championship, bowing out in the round of 64.
- Last time out – finished t-18th at the NCAA Stanford Regional scoring 2-under 208 (71-69-68).
Michael Heidelbaugh – Junior – Dallas, Texas
- Owns a 71.0 adjusted stroke average on the season in 39 rounds.
- Has moved up 222 spots in the clipped ranking since they debuted on January 17.
- Sports a 575-382-51 head-to-head W-L-T in 2023-24.
- Earned a spot on the 2023 SEC Community Service Team.
- Picked up Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar (2022) and GCAA All-America Scholar (2023) the last two years.
- Recorded top 12 finishes at the Badger Invitational and Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate in 2022-23.
- Father - Matthew - played golf at New Mexico State for legendary coach Herb Wimberly.
- Last time out – finished t-28th at the NCAA Stanford Regional scoring even 210 (67-67-76).
Aaron Pounds – Freshman – The Woodlands, Texas
- Twice named an AJGA Rolex Junior All-American and was slotted as No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class.
- Selected the 2021-22 USA Today National High School Boys Golfer of the Year; finalist for the award in 2022-23.
- Ended 2022-23 ranked No. 2 in the PGA High School Golf Association Rankings after topping list in 2021-22.
- Advanced to Round of 32 at the USGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship teamed with Jack Usner in 2022 & 2023.
- Qualified for the 2022 USGA Junior Amateur.
- Sister - Haley Pounds was a two-time All-SEC Second Team soccer player at Texas A&M; Sister - Taylor Pounds is entering her fifth season on the Texas A&M soccer team, having started 69 matches in the first four.
- Last time out – finished t-58th at the NCAA Stanford Regional scoring 9-over 219 (75-69-75).
Alternate
Vishnu Sadagopan – Junior – Pearland, Texas
- Owns a 72.4 adjusted stroke average over 31 rounds for 2023-24.
- Named to the SEC Community Service Team in 2024.
- Claimed PING All-Central Region in 2023.
- Earned GCAA All-America Scholar in 2023 and made the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2022 and '23.
- Participated in the U.S. Amateur in 2022 coming up two strokes shy of match play.
- Posted three top 10 finishes in 2022-23, including earning All-Tournament recognition at the Louisiana Classics with t-4 showing.
- Carded a 71.03 scoring average in 2022-23, including -0.26 vs. par in 31 rounds over 11 tournaments.
- Last time out – finished t-66th at the Aggie Invitational.
COURSE
The former Champions Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa underwent a 2023 renovation and was christened the North Course. Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner orchestrated the dramatic redesign of the course in preparation for hosting the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Championships. The course changes included a par-5 18th hole playing over 600 yards, a drivable par-4 for the 11th hole and moving the green on the par-3 16th to resemble the iconic No. 12 at Augusta National. The new layout is aimed at increasing the risk-reward decisions for players in both stroke and match play. Opened in 1965, the course hosted the PGA Tour's Mercedes Championship from 1969-98 along with welcoming the WCC-Accenture Match Play Championships on eight occasions. The layout meanders through the placid wetlands of the La Costa Valley highlighting the rolling hills.
WEATHER FORECAST
Accuweather.com
Friday: 69/58, low clouds breaking for some sun, SW 8-10 mph gusting to 21 mph, 25% probability of precipitation.
Saturday: 69/58, low clouds breaking for some sun, SW 8-10 mph gusting to 20 mph, 20% probability of precipitation.
Sunday: 69/55, areas of low clouds, then sun, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 16 mph, 3% probability of precipitation.
Monday: 69/55, sunshine and patchy clouds, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 14 mph, 1% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 68/56, intervals of clouds and sunshine, WSW 8-10 mph gusting to 17 mph, 2% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 69/57, times of clouds and sun, WSW 6-8 mph gusting to 14 mph, 2% probability of precipitation.
Weather.com
Friday: 65/58, cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing, SW 10-15 mph, 17% probability of precipitation.
Saturday: 65/58, a few showers in the morning, clouds lingering in the afternoon, SW 10-15 mph, 33% probability of precipitation.
Sunday: 65/56, cloudy skies early, partly cloudy later in the day, WSW 5-10 mph, 9% probability of precipitation.
Monday: 67/57, partly cloudy skies, W 10-15 mph, 6% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 68/57, some clouds in the morning give way to mainly sunny skies, W 10-15 mph, 7% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 69/58, sunshine and clouds mixed, SW 5-10 mph, 6% probability of precipitation.
For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M men's golf, follow the Aggies on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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