A New No. 1 in Men's Golf
Texas Wins in South Florida, Utah wins in Georgia. 13 Events Added in Latest Update.
The Texas Longhorns are the new No. 1 team in the country in The Differential following a 13-shot victory at the Valspar Intercollegiate over No. 4 Arizona State. The Longhorns' victory in South Florida marks their third win of the spring, moving them from No. 6 at the end of the fall to No. 1. Auburn, which claimed the top spot after a win in Las Vegas in early March, is now No. 2 in The Differential after finishing 5th at the Valspar.
For the season, Texas has a head-to-head (H-t-H) record of 104-10-0 in stroke play events. Colorado, ranked No. 30, also has just 10 losses with an H-t-H record of 108-10-2. With 13 events added in this edition of The Weekly Differential, let’s break down some of the biggest movements.
The Valspar
The Arkansas Razorbacks have capitalized on their two strongest events of the spring. A 10th-place finish was enough to move them up six spots to No. 57. Arkansas now holds a 49-44-0 record in stroke play events this season. Two other notable movers include:
Duke – The Blue Devils climb four spots to No. 15 after a 6th-place finish.
Wake Forest – A 15th-place finish drops Wake four spots to No. 44.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have made the most of their two strongest events of the spring.
The Schenkel
Utah secured its fourth tournament victory of the season with a one-shot win over No. 11 Florida. The Utes are now ranked No. 13.
Georgia Southern – Taking advantage of the home course is crucial for teams aiming for an at-large postseason berth. Georgia Southern was 25 shots better than its season average and moves from No. 109 to No. 98.
Kentucky – The Wildcats jump to No. 78 after a 4th-place finish. They now hold a 53-54-4 record in stroke play events.
Indiana – A 7th-place finish in Georgia drops the Hoosiers five spots to No. 75.
Utah collects a fourth tournament victory of the season with a one shot win over No. 11, Florida. The Utes are now ranked No. 13.
Hootie Intercollegiate
South Carolina and Purdue shared the team title at Bulls Bay, creating an interesting shake-up in the rankings. South Carolina drops five spots to No. 20, while Purdue climbs three spots to No. 42. Why? South Carolina was just over five shots worse than expected, while Purdue was just under five shots better.
Furman – The Paladins re-enter the cut line at No. 62 after a 3rd-place finish.
NC State – The Wolfpack finish 11th and drop to No. 65.
UC San Diego Invitational
Entering the week at No. 62, the New Mexico State Aggies took care of business at Torrey Pines with a win but still dropped four spots in The Differential because they didn’t cover the spread by a wide enough margin against a lower-ranked field. Stay tuned for the points prediction on this one…
The Duck
Oregon defended its home turf with a one-shot victory over an impressive Wyoming squad. Oregon remains at No. 36, while Wyoming moves up six spots to No. 99.
Saint Mary’s – The Gaels finished 5th in Eugene and move up six spots, landing squarely on the bubble, which we believe, at this moment, is No. 67.
Cincinnati – The Bearcats climbed four spots in the final round to finish 6th but still dropped four spots in the latest rankings to No. 59.
The Bridgestone Collegiate|
Tohoku Fukushi traveled to the United States and won with a score of 23-under-par, but the Santa Clara Broncos, who finished at -17—12 shots clear of No. 33 BYU—will likely see the biggest impact in NCAA postseason selection discussions. With their runner-up finish, the Broncos move up three spots to No. 50.
Michigan State – The Spartans finished 6th in Napa and are now ranked No. 70, down four spots.
NCAA Golf Points and Ranking Prediction
The Valspar
Texas, 108.08 ⬆️1 to No. 1
Arkansas, 53.5 ⬆️5 to No. 58
The Schenkel
Utah, 63.71 remain at No. 12
Florida, 62.25 remain at No. 11
The Hootie
South Carolina / Purdue, 50 both remain in current ranking
Furman, 46.24 ⬆️1 to No. 66
The Bridgestone Collegiate
Santa Clara, 51.94 ⬆️4 to No. 53
Michigan State, 30.16 ⬇️4 to No. 65
The Duck
Oregon, 50.21, remain the same
Colorado State / Wyoming, 49.04 - CSU ⬆️1 to No. 44
St. Mary’s, 46.24 ⬆️3 to No. 69
Cincinnati, 36.8 ⬇️2 to No. 64
UC San Diego Invitational
New Mexico State, 33.8⬇️2 to No. 66
*It’s getting messy in the 60-66 range with the points…not even The Differential is sure we are keeping track of the predictions correctly this evening :)