OU Golf: Oklahoma in Third at NCAA Championships, Makes First Cut

The Sooners slid a spot in the team standings as Auburn surged into the lead, but match play still lies ahead.
Oklahoma golf coach Ryan Hybl
Oklahoma golf coach Ryan Hybl | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

BY OU Media Relations

CARLSBAD, CA – Despite a tough back nine in gusty conditions at the par-72 North Course at Omni La Costa on Sunday, No. 6 Oklahoma sits in third place and 15 shots above Monday’s eight-team cut to match play at the NCAA Championships.

The Sooners (3, -3) entered the day in second but dropped one spot after top-ranked Auburn surged past both OU and Arizona State to take the 54-hole lead. The top eight teams after Monday’s final round will advance to match play, which begins Tuesday and concludes Wednesday with a national champion crowned.

"We certainly weren't our best today, but we're in a really good spot heading into tomorrow's round," head coach Ryan Hybl said. "It's such a long week out here, and we played well enough on Friday and Saturday to put ourselves in a position to lock up a match play spot tomorrow. Clark (Van Gaalen) was great again today and is proving that he can play with some of the top guys in the nation, so it'll be fun to see him compete tomorrow. Overall, we feel good about where we're at and look forward to another day together tomorrow."

Led by true freshman Clark Van Gaalen, who is tied for fourth at 5-under, Hybl’s team will look to make match play for the seventh time since 2016, the most in the country during that span. OU last appeared in match play in 2022 after qualifying every year from 2016-22.

Van Gaalen (4, -5) was the only Sooner under par on Sunday, using an eagle on the par-4 15th to get back to 1-under for the round, where he stayed through the finish. He’ll try to chase down Ole Miss’ Michael La Sasso, who leads at 11-under, and become OU’s first individual champion since Jimmy Vickers in 1952. The Turlock, Calif., native would be the seventh Sooner of the Hybl era (2009–present) to post a top-15 national finish.

Ryder Cowan and Drew Goodman are tied for 18th at even par. Cowan carded an even-par 72 Sunday, while Goodman shot 75 (+3). Both birdied the 18th to help the Sooners reclaim third place.

Jase Summy (T47, +4) and PJ Maybank III (T83, +8) each posted a 77 (+5) in round three.

The championship is being held at La Costa for the second consecutive season. Last year, Oklahoma entered the final round alone in 13th place at 25-over par, meaning the Sooners are 28 strokes better in 2025 than last year. OU’s 54-hole score of 861 (-3)

Tee times for Monday will be announced following to completion of the afternoon wave later on Sunday night. 

Golf Channel will carry live coverage from 5–9 p.m. CT. Scoring is available on Scoreboard by Clippd. 

NCAA Championships (54 holes)

1. No. 1 Auburn (-10)
2. No. 5 Arizona State (-6)
3. No. 6 Oklahoma (-3)
4. No. 7 Florida (-1)
t-5. No. 2 Oklahoma State (+5)
t-5. No. 4 Texas (+5)
7. No. 9 Florida State (+9)
t-8. No. 24 Texas Tech (+12)
t-8. No. 3 Ole Miss (+12)
t-8. No. 11 Texas A&M (+12)
11. No. 10 Virginia (+13)
12. No. 19 BYU (+14)
t-13. No. 21 Pepperdine (+15)
t-13. No. 16 Vanderbilt (+15)
15. No. 26 Georgia Tech (+17)


Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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