Toreros Make Sunday Cut, Advance to Fourth Round at NCAA Championship

Maspat tied for seventh, USD tied for 12th after three days at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa

CARLSBAD, Calif. — A 54-hole cut loomed on Sunday in the third round of the 2026 NCAA Championship to determine the 15 teams that would advance to Monday morning's stroke play finale.

But after shooting 1-over 289 as a team at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, San Diego moved on to the fourth round by placing tied for 12th at 2-over 866 with LSU, Tennessee and Stanford to make the cut on the number.

It marks just the third time in program history that San Diego has made the cut as a team at the NCAA Championships, and the first time since the Tim Mickleson-coached Toreros did so in 2010

Ian Maspat, who was named to the 2026 NCAA Division I Ping All-West Region Team on Saturday, led the way for the Toreros, firing a 2-under 70 in his third round to get back to 6-under for the tournament and finished 54 holes in a tie for seventh.

He is the first Torero to make the top 10 at a NCAA Championship after 54 holes since Alex Ching, who finished tied for second in 2010.

The Toreros, who started Sunday on the back nine, got birdies from Maspat on the first three odd-numbered holes of the day, including his first on the short, par-4 11th. Despite a bogey on the par-4 17th, he began his front nine with a birdie on the par-4 first and recorded his fifth birdie of the day on the par-4 fourth.

Both Cooper Humphreys and Reed Arnaldo finished even par in Sunday's third round. Humphreys notched eight pars and a bogey on his first nine holes before beginning his final nine holes with a birdie on the par-4 first for the second straight day.

Ultimately, Maspat and Humphreys clinched two of the only five birdies in the third round, one day after Humphreys was the only player in the 153-man field to record a three on the first hole.

Humphreys then birdied the par-5 fifth before suffering a double bogey on the par-5 sixth.

Arnaldo shot an even par 36 on his opening nine holes after an early bogey on the 11th before bouncing back with a birdie on the 15th. Then on his second nine, he fell to one over on Sunday with a bogey on the par-3 third before getting that stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 sixth.

Despite a bogey for the freshman on the par-3 eighth, both Arnaldo and Humphreys made clutch birdies on the par-4 ninth to help San Diego make the 54-hole cut. With the even par rounds, Humphreys finished tied for 51st at 1-over par and Arnaldo finished tied for 74th at 4-over par.

You Seong Choi was San Diego's fourth scoring golfer. He had two birdies within his first four holes, including a birdie on the opening hole, the par-5 10th. Although he birdied the 13th, it was sandwiched in between a double bogey and a bogey.

He then made nine straight pars from the 18th hole to the eighth hole before finishing with a closing bogey to finish at 3-over for the round and 9-over for the tournament.

Reid Piron, who co-led San Diego in scoring Saturday, struggled Sunday, shooting 5-over 41 on the back nine. However on his front nine, he birdied the par-5 second before settling for a final hole bogey to finish tied for 105th.

UP NEXT
San Diego gets set for the fourth and final round of stroke play at the NCAA Championships Monday at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. The top eight teams, plus the individual champion, advance to match play. San Diego has come up close to making match play, including in 2010 when the Toreros tied for eighth in stroke play, but lost in a three-team playoff to reach the match play.

If the Toreros want to qualify for their first match play in program history, they will have to overtake the Volunteers, Cardinal and Tigers. In addition, the duo of Virginia and Florida enter Monday one stroke ahead of the Toreros. Oklahoma is in ninth place at even par and Duke sits in eighth place at 1-under after 54 holes.

Here are the tee times for tomorrow (Monday) as the Toreros tee off from the first hole with golfers from Tennessee and Stanford. (All times Pacific)