UCLA Men's Golf to Take on Auburn in NCAA Title Match

Release from UCLA:
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The UCLA men’s golf team registered back-to-back match play wins over No. 2-seed Texas (quarterfinals) and No. 6-seed Arizona (semifinals) on Tuesday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.

The 30-team championship field narrowed down to eight teams on Monday evening, with the Bruins advancing out of a narrow four-team tiebreak to earn one of the final eight spots in the event.

UCLA golf players — CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: Josh Kim and Tyler Loree of the UCLA Bruins celebrate after teammate Alex Papayoanou wins the semifinals match against the Arizona Wildcats during the Division I Men’s Golf Championship held at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 02, 2026 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by Tanner Pearson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

With the eight teams shifting into a bracket format (referred to as “match play”), UCLA overcame multiple deficits to defeat Texas on Tuesday morning. The Bruins continued to push through in the afternoon, taking down Arizona (3.5-1.5) in the semifinal showdown. UCLA’s Josh Kim, Tyler Loree and Alex Papayoanou each won their matches to help the Bruins advance to the match-play national title contest on Wednesday. Baylor Larrabee was tied in his match when Papayoanou won on hole 17, by a 2&1 margin.

“It’s been a while since UCLA’s been in this position,” UCLA head coach Armen Kirakossian said after the semifinal match. “So to be back and having a chance on a national stage like this is just an amazing opportunity. This is why we practice and what we play for, to get to moments like this, you don’t know if you will, it takes a lot to go your way. It’s going our way right now, so we’ll hope for tomorrow. Honestly, just grateful for tomorrow, to have the opportunity to compete for the national championship.”

No. 7-seed UCLA will take on No. 1-seed Auburn on Wednesday at 2:25 p.m. (PT) in Carlsbad. Since the NCAA adopted the current match-play format in the NCAA Tournament in 2009, UCLA has never advanced past the quarterfinal stage – the Bruins reached the quarterfinals in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, and lost each time.

The Bruins are looking to secure their third NCAA men’s golf championship, having won the title in 1988 and 2008. Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Armen Kirakossian, UCLA advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2024 before moving through to the NCAA Championship field in 2025 and 2026. Likewise, UCLA won the Big Ten Championship in 2025 and 2026 in its first two seasons in the 18-team league.

Wednesday’s national title contest will be televised by Golf Channel starting at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET). Live streams are available by visiting the Golf Channel’s website (link here) or through the Golf Channel app.