Men’s golf heads to its first-ever NCAA semifinal


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After eliminating No. 2 Texas in the quarterfinals, the No. 13 men’s golf team has advanced to its first ever NCAA championship semifinals.

The trio of junior Bobby Gojuangco, sophomore Rico Hoey and freshman Sean Crocker combined for a 3-0 victory to lift the Trojans past the Longhorns and on to the semifinals. Gojuangco won 4 and 2, Hoey won 2 and 1 and Crocker won his final three holes to seal the victory.

The last time the Trojans reached the NCAA Championships match play bracket was in 2009 when they suffered a loss to Michigan in the quarterfinal match.

Gojuangco kicked things off for the Trojans but fell behind early. He tied the match on the third hole, however, and never forfeited his lead. A birdie on the seventh hole clinched Gojuangco’s win.

Hoey led his match for the duration but was never able to widen his lead by more than two holes. Hoey first took his lead with a birdie on the 18th hole and hung on to win the match for the Trojans.

Crocker’s victory seemed improbable, as he fell behind by three after 12 holes. He won two on the fourth hole and won holes eight and nine to tie it up. Finishing with a par on the 10th hole, Crocker overtook his Longhorn opponent to win the match.

If the Trojans advance past Illinois in the semifinals, they will head to the NCAA Championships on June 3 in Bradenton, Florida.