STOCKTON, Calif. – Vanguard Men's Golf finished the 2026 season at the NCAA DII West Regional at The Reserve at Spanos Park. VU wrestled through the two-day event against a stacked field and left the crowd tied 15th out of the 20 competing teams. The Blue and Gold shot +19, with the third-best team 54-hole tournament score in program history at 883 (293-296-294). The fight for the top six spots was cut off at +4, with #26 Western Washington shooting eight below par, as the No. 1-seeded Vikings took home the Regional title with a total team score of 856. WWU's Conrad Brown also claimed the gold medal with a sharp 206 (-10) score.
The Course: Designed by Andy Raugust, the par-72, 7,132-yard course features a renowned links-style layout that was voted 3x Best of San Joaquin Magazine. With Mt. Diablo as a backdrop, The Reserve showcases strategically-placed bunkers and fast-breaking, well-protected greens that put a premium on shotmaking. Four sets of tees on each hole help balance the course's difficulty, offering a unique and extraordinarily picturesque golf experience for players of all levels.
What Happened? Tyler Williams had a season-best performance, shooting one under par (215) to lead the Lions and lock in a tie for a top-10 spot. He racked his best round on day one, placing six of his eventual 13 birdies at the Regional in his first run through the course to stamp a 70-stroke tally. Despite three early birdies in round two, the second phase left him one shot above par (73). Williams offered a steadier approach in his final round with 12 pars and three birdies to go even. The junior concluded the Regional as the tournament's leader on par four holes, firing three under par (3.90). He also listed 30 pars and 13 birdies, which was tied ninth at the event.
Alexander Elia was VU's second-best finisher, tying in 32nd with a 218 mark. Round one was a near-even 73-shot haul, after a testy try at the penultimate hole. Elia shaved off three strokes in a lethal round-two performance, matching Williams's 70 shots and dropping five birdies. Round three slightly halted Elia's momentum (75), but he carried on with two more birdies and 12 pars to key in on his position in the top half. His best work came through par-fives, where he finished tied fourth at the tournament, going eight below par (4.33). He also led the Blue and Gold in total pars with 36 (10th overall) and was 22nd with 10 birdies.
Kyle Koski came in 67th with a total score of 223. He opened each of the first rounds with a birdie and was a sharp starter throughout all three rounds, fronting six of his seven birdies over the first nine holes. Koski closed day one at +2 (74) and saw his score increase by three after his second round at Spanos Park (77). Koski pieced together his best showing on the last round, penciling an even score to end the Regional. He parred or birdied on his first 10 holes in a row, and leapt up the ranks with just two miscues down the stretch. Koski tallied 33 pars and seven birdies. He was also 57th on par threes (+3, 3.25) and 66th on par fours (+5, 4.17)
Fisher Ransom took 96th spot with 231 shots, split into rounds of 76-76-79. His first two rounds were nearly identical in both score and flow across the holes. He had 11 pars and two birdies on day one and 12 pars and one birdie in round two. Ransom's last day started as his best, with a par or birdie on eight of the first nine holes. His second span of holes could not quite match his hot start however, as he marked a 79-shot final round. Ransom signed off with 31 pars, which was third-best among Lions and six birdies.
Charles Gulbe and
Paul Howard suited up as substitutes for the Blue and Gold, with Gulbe taking the first stab in round one with an 81 score. The junior locked in eight pars and two birdies. Howard held the mantle in rounds two and three, splitting them between scores of 85 and 75. His 10-shot improvement to conclude the Regional was characterized by four birdies and seven pars.
As a unit, VU was tied ninth in total birdies (42) and 11th in pars with 154.
