Alabama men’s golf has come out on top at the NCAA Norman Regional tournament, advancing to the national championship for only the fifth time in school history. The team combined finished 28 under par and successfully punched its ticket for Scottsdale. 

The Tide’s starting lineup was senior Canon Claycomb, freshman Nick Dunlap, senior Thomas Ponder, freshman Jonathan Griz, junior JP Cave and sophomore Jones Free.  

Round one of the tournament started off strong when Dunlap eagled on the 10th hole with a short 322-yard par 4, putting him in first place. Dunlap was one of the four Alabama golfers who landed in the top 25 headed into the second round, along with Claycomb, Cave and Ponder.  

The team overall sat in third place after day one with a score of 7 under par.   

Alabama was paired with Texas Tech and Oklahoma again as it headed into round two, ending the day in first place overall. The Tide shot 15 under par with very notable player efforts.  

Day two was led by Claycomb, who finished with a 3-under-par 69. He joined Cave, Griz and Dunlap as players who all carded below par. Dunlap and Claycomb advanced to the top 10 on the course headed into day three.   

The Tide led just above Oklahoma, entering third-round play with Texas Tech and Colorado tied for third place.  

Alabama increased its lead against Texas Tech by four strokes during day three, going 24 under par against a 20-under-par score. The team closed their 54 holes at 28 under par. Griz performed the best out of his teammates on day three, collecting six birdies and no bogeys to finish 6 under par. 

This will be the 12th time the Crimson Tide has advanced to nationals under the coaching of Jay Seawell, as the team looks to bring its third national title home since 2014. 

The team is set to compete in Scottsdale, Arizona, May 26-31.