Santa Clara men’s golf climbed three spots in the final round on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to finish their final tournament of the fall season tied for third at 14-under par. It was the Broncos’ fourth top-three finish of the season.
The Broncos entered the final round tied for sixth at 10-under par after completing the first two rounds on Monday. Newcomer Jared Abercrombie ’28 led Santa Clara through the first 36 holes, shooting rounds of 68 and 70 to finish at 6-under par and tied for seventh. Senior J.P. Odland ’27 and junior Emil Nielsen ’28 also started the tournament strong, finishing the day under par at 3-under and 1-under, respectively.
Odland and Nielsen led the Broncos’ strong final push, each shooting 3-under to finish tied at 6-under par.
Odland recorded five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on holes No. 8 and 9, to counter his two bogeys for the day. This was Odland’s third top-10 finish of the season and 14th of his collegiate career.
Nielsen extended his streak to five consecutive top-five finishes, rounding out a strong fall season. He recorded four birdies and an eagle on hole No. 8 to offset a bogey and double bogey on hole No. 4.
Abercrombie rounded out Santa Clara’s top individual performances, shooting 2-over to finish tied for 13th.
The Broncos finished seven shots behind second-place No. 33 BYU and nine shots behind tournament winner Oregon.
Despite the comeback, Odland said the team was not entirely satisfied with their overall performance. Santa Clara was also without freshman Ryan Xie ’30, who’s currently competing in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
“After the tournament was over, we were a little bit shocked that we climbed the leaderboard,” Odland said. “I don’t think everyone was super pleased with their play, especially after the first 36 holes. We thought that we significantly underperformed relative to what we’re capable of.”
However, Odland said the team’s ability to finish near the top despite not having their best overall performance and competing without Xie showed the true depth of their roster.
“I think what defines great teams is ‘how bad is your bad,’” Odland said.
Head coach Andrew Larkin noted that the team’s depth had been one of their biggest strengths this fall season, with multiple players contributing across the five tournaments they’ve competed in. The Broncos currently average 281.33 strokes per round, putting the program on pace to break its single-season scoring average record.
Reflecting on the performance at the Preserve, Larkin credited the team’s experience competing on difficult courses throughout the fall for their ability to navigate the final round. He also noted that Odland and Nielsen’s final day performances helped the team climb the leaderboard.
Going into the offseason, Larkin said that the Broncos will focus on improving their consistency, specifically limiting bogeys and reducing mistakes around the greens. The team will also prioritize strength training, distance control and wedge play in preparation for the spring season.
“The goal certainly is to contend for a WCC title,” Larkin said. “I think we’ll have an opportunity to win more golf tournaments.”
Odland is approaching the winter as an opportunity to work on his short game and prepare for his final spring season as a Bronco. He hopes to compete for WCC Player of the Year and return with his team to the NCAA Championship.
Santa Clara will kick off its spring season with the National Invitational Tournament on February 1-2 in Tucson, Arizona.