Preston Stout Claims National Title as Oklahoma State Faces NCAA Match Play

The Oklahoma State men’s golf team has advanced to match play as they defend their national title.

Oklahoma State Cowboys logo. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma State Cowboys will play in match play to defend their NCAA Men’s Golf Championships. But Preston Stout stole the show.

The Cowboys junior, who already claimed medalist honors in four other tournaments this season, won the national individual championship at the end of stroke play on Monday at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

His final-round 3-under 69 left him at 14-under par for the event, as he finished one shot ahead of Alabama’s William Jennings. Stout surged into the lead on Sunday after he shot a 7-under 65.

While Stout claimed his latest stroke play title he and the Cowboys ensured they would be around for match play, as they finished the event at 11-under par for the 72 holes of stroke play. The Cowboys finished in a third-place tie with Florida and with Vanderbilt, so their seeding in match play on Tuesday will be determined.

OSU will have to win two matches on Tuesday and another on Wednesday to defend its title. If the Cowboys prevail it will be their 13th national championship in men’s golf.

Oklahoma State After Fourth Round

"Whenever you get to etch your name into our program's history, it's pretty special." 🗣️

Live with the 2026 NCAA Individual National Champion 🎙️

📺 @GolfChannel #GoPokes | @preston_stout8 pic.twitter.com/CloyIVwNgg

— OSU Cowboy Golf (@OSUCowboyGolf) June 2, 2026

Preston Stout — 73-67-65-69— (14-under)

Gaven Lane — 72-72-74-69— (1-over)

Ethan Fang — 76-71-71-72— (2-over)

Eric Lee — 72-67-77-76— (4-over)

Filip Fahlberg-Johnsson — 78-69-79-75— (13-over)

Stout had a brilliant front nine, as he drained four birdies without a bogey to go out in 32. But he took on some water on the back side after he made a fifth birdie for the round at No. 11. He finished with three bogeys and one birdie in his final seven holes to lose a couple of shots and make the race with Jennings for medalist a close one.

Lee had another over-par round after he finished par or better in each of the first two rounds. He was 1-over on the front side on Monday. Then, on the final nine he started with a birdie, followed by three bogeys and a double bogey in the next five holes.

Lane also shot a 3-under for the round and it was his best round of the event, his only one under-par. It started with a bogey on the first hole. After that, he made two birdies on the front nine and three more on the back nine, with a bogey at No. 13, to finish the round.

Fang made three birdies on the front nine to put himself in prime position for what could have been his best round of the event. But he dropped two shots on No. 12 and another shot on No. 14 to give up those birdies and finish at level par.

Fahlberg-Johnsson was 1-under on the front side after two birdies and a bogey but took a step back on the back side. He had two bogeys, a double bogey and finished with a birdie on No. 18.