The beginning of spring season was challenging for the UC Davis men’s golf team, but the Aggies showed significant resolve in how they closed out the year. Despite a No. 10 and No. 11 finish in the first and second tournaments, respectively, the Aggies were able to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they had a strong showing in the Regionals.
UC Davis men’s golf has often had difficulty finishing tournaments, a problem that persisted in the Big West Tournament. In four straight tournaments between March and April, the Aggies dropped at least three spots in the leaderboards between the first and last rounds. During the Big West Championships, the Aggies nabbed first place after the second day, but ceded the spot to UC Irvine by one stroke.
Still, the Aggies had produced enough during the regular season that they received an at-large bid to play in the NCAA Regionals in Bremerton, Wash. The team played fantastically on the first day, with the Aggies at No. 7 and junior Luke Vivolo at No. 8 individually. After slipping into ninth place on the second day, UC Davis was simply unable to capture enough magic to sneak into the top five and their season ended.
Despite not making it into the NCAA Finals, the season was extremely productive for the Aggies. The team ended the year ranked No. 61 nationally, according to Golf Week, while Vivolo is currently No. 127 individually. UC Davis will also benefit next year from junior Ben Corfee returning from a redshirt year. Despite an up-and-down season, UC Davis men’s golf is The Aggie’s Team of the Quarter because they have made a name for themselves nationally.
