An eight-shot deficit could not stop the Bruins from climbing to the top.
No. 13 UCLA men’s golf claimed victory at the Big Ten championship tournament Sunday at Baltimore Country Club, capturing its first conference title since 2006. Senior Omar Morales also claimed the individual victory, shooting a 7-under 203 across three rounds. He became the first Bruin to medal at the conference tournament since alumni Daniel Im in 2006.
A 2-over 842 score hoisted the Bruins to the win, skirting second-place No. 14 Illinois by a single stroke and sealing an automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA tournament.
But UCLA’s path to the top was anything but straightforward. Entering Sunday’s final round, the Bruins trailed the Fighting Illini by eight shots. A dramatic change in weather, with winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour, signaled the final round’s transformation.
“There were extremely difficult conditions,” said coach Armen Kirakossian. “The greens got very firm. The pin locations were tough. The wind was strong. The guys played so good to put themselves in a position to win after being back.”
Leading the final round charge was Morales, capping off his third collegiate medaling performance with an even-par 70 on Sunday.
“I just tried to stay within myself and hit one good shot at a time,” Morales said. “I didn’t even look at the leaderboard.”
Senior Pablo Ereño, who finished tied for 12th at 2-over 212, was another key contributor to the victory. Ereño was honored after the final round with the Big Ten’s Les Bolstad Award, recognizing him for maintaining the lowest seasonlong stroke average at 69.8.
Ereño said the team’s resilience under pressure was key to the comeback.
“We all knew bogeys were going to happen in that wind, but nobody stressed out,” Ereño said. “We hung tough, made pars, made birdies and shot a really good score.”
Across the rest of the roster, junior Kyle An posted a top-25 finish at 6-over 216, while freshman Baylor Larrabee shot 12-over 222. Sophomore Luke Powell, competing in the final two rounds after stepping in as a substitute, posted a 2-over 142 across 36 holes.
Sunday’s rally marked an exclamation point on a regular season, where the Bruins steadily built momentum and captured their second tournament victory in a month with the conference win.
Kirakossian said the team’s growth all season has set the stage for postseason success.
“We’re continuous golfers – always working, always improving,” Kirakossian said. “Now we will refocus and prepare. Hopefully, we get the chance to compete at nationals in Carlsbad.”
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