Alabama
NCAA Regionals
Jennings Wins NCAA Marana Regional Individual Championship
5/20/2026 7:49:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Crimson Tide narrowly missed qualifying for Nationals by one stroke despite William Jennings earning his third victory of the year
MARANA, Ariz. - William Jennings became the fourth Alabama's men's golfer in program history to win an NCAA Regional championship as he carded a 15-under par 201 to claim individual honors at the Marana Regional on Wednesday afternoon. As a team, the Crimson Tide fell just one shot shy of earning a team qualifying bid to nationals, closing in sixth place overall at 23-under par 841 (286-278-277). Jennings, who entered as the No. 8-ranked golfer in the nation, is the first UA golfer since 2013 (Scott Stohmeyer) to earn the honor as he finished in a four-way tie for first with Oklahoma State's Eric Lee along with Arizona teammates Zach Pollo and Filip Jakubcik.
Jennings, who entered the event as the No. 8-ranked golfer in the nation, is the first UA golfer since 2013 (Scott Stohmeyer) to earn the honor as he finished in a four-way tie for first with Oklahoma State's Eric Lee along with Arizona teammates Zach Pollo and Filip Jakubcik.
As the regional's top finisher with a non-advancing team, Jennings will move on to the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California from May 29-June 3.
Head Coach Jay Seawell Comments
On the way the season ended…
"This is what the NCAA Championships are supposed to be about. We knew it was going to be tough because there were a lot of good teams. Our guys really fought their tails off and I am proud of the effort that they gave us out there. We had a chance all the way until the final hole, but one shot is one shot and that's all that matters. It hurts right now – I'm hurting for the guys. I know the amount of work that they put in and how much they wanted to compete for and bring home another national title, but we fell short of that goal. We also hurt for our seniors – Jonathan Griz and Connor Brown – and are thankful for the work they've put in and how they represented themselves and our program. There's a lot of guys hurting but I am very proud of the way we finished and how hard they fought until the final hole. I do think some bright spots will eventually come from this dark day. We have a good solid nucleus returning but today it just hurts. I am extremely proud of this team and what they've given to our program this year."
On William Jennings…
"I am so pleased for William to win the individual title. We had a nice private conversation after the round, just him and I, and to go from where he was a year ago to where he is now is just incredible. He is one of the top players in college golf and is a great story of how hard work and perseverance can pay off. I am also proud of Brycen and the way he played today. I'm looking forward to taking William to NCAAs where he will compete as an individual to try and win a national title – something no men's golfer has ever done at Alabama and now he has a chance to do that."
Round Three Highlights
- William Jennings earned his third individual title of the season, which is tied for second-most in program history behind Justin Thomas' four victories in 2012
- After Jennings opening regional play with a 5-under 67, he followed that with a 7-under 65 Tuesday and a 3-under 69 on Wednesday
- His 16 total birdies tied for seventh-most in the field while he also ranked sixth in par 4 scoring (-6, 3.80) and fifth on par 5 holes (-8, 4.33)
- Jennings joins Scott Strohmeyer (2013), Justin Thomas (2012) and Hunter Hamrick (2009) as Crimson Tide golfers that won an NCAA Regional individual title
- Brycen Jones also had an impressive performance on the week, as he tied for 11th overall with a 54-hole total of 10-under par 206 (72-67-67)
- Jones finished third in the field in par 4 scoring (-7. 3.77) and fourth on par 3s (-2, 2.83)
- Jonathan Griz (70-75-72) and Nick Gross (77-71-69) finished tied for 38th overall
- Connor Brown rounded out the starting five as he tied for 61st overall at 10-over 226 (77-75-74)
Team Highlights
- Regional host and No. 3 seed Arizona (-49) cruised to the Marana Regional title with a 14-stroke victory over top seed Oklahoma State (-35)
- No. 2 seed LSU (-30) finished third with No. 5 seed Duke (-24) and No. 8 seed Arkansas State (-24) finishing just one stroke ahead of the Crimson Tide for the final qualifying spot for NCAA Nationals entering the third and final round
