History Teed Up: Southern Miss Men's Golf 'Lays Foundation' with First NCAA Regional Bid

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss men's golf team has spent this season stacking high-quality performances, climbing leaderboards, and now, it has led to something bigger. On Wednesday, that consistency finally paid off in historic fashion, as the Golden Eagles will officially compete in the NCAA Championships, which will begin on May 29.

For the first time in program history, the Golden Eagles were selected to an NCAA Regional, officially teeing up their postseason breakthrough as an 11-seed. They will be heading to the Athens Regional, where they’ll be grouped with Auburn (1), Illinois (2), Vanderbilt (3), BYU (4), Georgia (5), Louisville (6), Kansas (7), Northwestern (8), College of Charleston (9), Rice (10), Harvard (12) and Howard (13).

This also marks the second consecutive year that a Southern Miss golf team has reached the regional stage, as the women's team made it last season. This is a major sign that the golf standard in Hattiesburg is rising across the board.

“I have always said it was only a matter of time for Southern Miss to be a postseason program," USM Men's Golf head coach Eddie Brescher tells Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI. "That time has come, and I am so proud of our team. Our support system in Hattiesburg is top-notch. Those who have supported us for years are now seeing returns on those investments. We are honored to be the first team to represent Southern Miss in the postseason. But we know the foundation was laid today.”

This regional bid comes on the heels of a strong spring run, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Sun Belt Championship and a body of work that features a 121-30-0 overall record and seven Top-3 finishes. The competition will be tough in the Athens Regional, but Coach Brescher and his guys are ready for that challenge.

"We welcome the challenge of the field we will face at regionals," Coach Brescher said. "The way we practice and train, and our regular-season schedule, should prepare us best for that challenge. Nothing in life worth achieving is easy, and we understand that.”

There’s no doubt about it, the Golden Eagles worked hard for this achievement, living near the top of the leaderboards for the majority of the season. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more coverage of Southern Miss Athletics throughout this week.

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