CARMEL, Calif. – The UCLA men’s golf team set its season on a new track Tuesday at the Preserve Golf Club Collegiate, surging in the final of three rounds to a 10-shot win over San Diego State and 11 other squads at Preserve Golf Club.
The Bruins entered the final round trailing San Diego State by a shot after the opening 36-hole day Monday. UCLA combined to shoot 11 under in the final round, good for a 23-under 841 total at the hilly Tom Fazio-designed layout at the expansive Santa Lucia Preserve on the Monterey Peninsula. Cal Poly was the host team.
The victory followed on the heels of a second-place finish at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational last week. That result followed fifth-place and seventh-place finishes to start the season. UCLA coach Armen Kirakossian said Tuesday that his squad had played well enough in each event, except for struggles to finish.
“Honestly, I think it was just a learning thing,” Kirakossian said. “In Georgia, we actually played a great final round and just got beat by a great Duke team that day.
“We felt like we kind of got over the hump of, you know, of getting a lead and then actually performing. Then today, I think the guys probably felt very comfortable. And they just went on and had a great final round.”
Senior Pablo Ereno (68-74-66–208) led the Bruins on the individual leaderboard, finishing one shot behind Colorado State’s Jay Pabin (69-69-69–207). UCLA senior Omar Morales (68-73-70–211) finished tied for sixth individually, and Baylor Larrabee (70-70-72–212) finished ninth.
The high finishes have added meaning for Morales and Ereno, who are in position on the PGA Tour University standings to earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Morales was in fifth place before the Preserve tournament, meaning he was in position to earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the remainder of that tour’s 2025 season after the NCAA Championship in May, and also the right to skip to the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School for the next season, among other benefits. The PGA Tour U standings will be updated Wednesday.
Ereno was in 12th place on those standings heading into the Preserve tournament, which would give him status in May for the remainder of the North America Swing of PGA Tour Americas and an exemption into second stage of PGA Tour Q-School. If the strong finish Tuesday moves him into the top 10, he would be in position to earn conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the remainder of the 2025 season after May, exempt status for the 2025 North America Swing of PGA Tour Americas and an exemption into second stage of PGA Tour Q-School.
Kirakossian said his players embrace such opportunities, but for now his squad is thrilled with its first win of the fall season.
“I always remind the guys that you just have got to stay hungry, that where you want to be needs to continue to be in in the future, that you’re pushing every single day to improve,” the Bruins coach said. “That doesn’t mean that we won’t celebrate this one on the way home. It’s a cool way to finish the fall, for sure.
“The unique part is that everyone’s contributing, yet everyone still has stuff that they probably want to work on for the spring.”