CORVALLIS, Ore. – San Diego men's golf lit up the scoreboard with birdies Wednesday in the final round of the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Trysting Tree Golf Club to be tied for fifth at 9-under and force a playoff with Liberty University. 

In the playoff with the Flames, who won the Conference USA title, the Toreros prevailed with clutch birdies from Ian Maspat and Cooper Humphreys to advance to the NCAA National Championship for the sixth time in program history and the second straight season. 

A couple of bogeys from Ian Maspat and Reed Arnaldo on the 18th hole put USD in a tie for fifth with Liberty at -9 to force the playoff. 

USD, which started the day at even par and in ninth place, got momentum on the back nine before the 18th hole by firing 11 birdies. All four scoring Toreros – Maspat, Arnaldo, Humphreys and Reid Piron – made birdies on the drivable par-4 11th, which reaches 346 yards. 

At one point, San Diego's birdies put them in a tie for third with Arkansas. 

Humphreys ultimately shot 1-under 70 in his final round. After two birdies and two bogeys on holes 8-11, he answered back with a birdie on the par-5 16th. 

Piron recorded seven pars before a bogey on the par-4 eight. But he flipped a switch down the stretch, shooting 5-under par the rest of the way. The freshman logged three straight birdies after the bogey before making back-to-back birdies on the par-4 15th and the par-5 16th to close with a 4-under 67. 

He rose 29 spots to move inside the top 30 after shooting 4-over over the first two days to get back to even par. 

Maspat, who made a hole-in-one to highlight San Diego's second round, went the first 17 holes without a bogey for a 3-under 68. The All-WCC First Team selection made a birdie on the par-4 second for a 1-under 34 on the front nine. 

After a birdie on the 11th, Maspat was the only Torero to birdie the par-3 13th, the same hole he got his ace. He then got one more final birdie on the par-5 16th before a bogey on the closing hole. 

Maspat rose 24 spots to join Piron in a tie for 26th at even par. 

Arnaldo opened his final round even par through the first seven holes after an opening hole birdie and a bogey on the second. He got into the red numbers, joining Humphreys as the only two Toreros to birdie the eighth. He continued that momentum with birdie on the 11th and another on the par-4 14th before two closing bogeys to finish at 1-under 70 for the round. 

You Seong Choi, who was the team's leading player entering the final round, posted a 2-over 73, despite making a birdie on the second. That would ultimately be his only birdie of the day and he made three bogeys and 14 pars the rest of the way. 

Choi and Arnaldo finished as USD's leading scorers at 2-under par and tied for 21st. 

UP NEXT
By winning the playoff, San Diego's 2026 season continues at the NCAA Championships, which will take place from Friday May 29 through Wednesday, June 3 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. 

NOTABLE

• San Diego has now secured an NCAA National Championship berth in six seasons (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2020-21, 2024-25, and 2025-26)