Colorado State University Athletics
Rams Ready for Fourth Consecutive NCAA Regional
4/30/2025 1:31:00 PM | Men's Golf
Team lands in Bremerton as No. 9 seed
There have been changes at the top, but the destination goals have stood firm.
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For a fourth consecutive season, Colorado State's men's golf program has qualified for the NCAA Regional round, this year landing in Bremerton, Wash., seeded ninth out of the 14 teams in the field. Texas is the top seed for the event which runs May 12-14. It is the longest run of regional play for the team since the program qualified six successive years from 2007-12.
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First-year coach Jack Kennedy understood the assignment – and the expectations – when he took the helm over the summer.
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"As we talked about on the first day, we just wanted to get these guys the best opportunity to be successful," Kennedy said after the team watched their selection from the President's suite at Canvas Stadium on Wednesday. "I needed to show them I had their best interest at heart no matter what we were trying to do all season. This was our goal from day one. We needed to play solid all year in 11 tournaments, and this is the reward you get.
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"All credit to the guys. They bought in to what we were trying to coach them up with, but really, all the credit goes to them. Their talent level is off the charts, their work level is off the charts, and they're just a fun group to be around."
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The campaign began with three tournament wins to start the season, all in the state of Colorado. There were to other top-three finishes in the spring, which culminated when the Rams placed fourth at the Mountain West Championships.
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The team's two captains, Christoph Bleier and Jay Pabin, have now reached regionals every year of their career, which is a definite mark of accomplishment. They are not the same players they were in the first regional in Texas, nor are the younger players on the team.
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"It is pretty cool to make it all four years. Regionals is obviously a great tournament, a lot of great players play there," Bleier said. "It's a tournament where we can really show our talents.
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"It's exciting the path we took the four years."
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The destination isn't bad in their eyes, either. The top five teams in the field will advance to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, Calif., May 23-28. The last time the program made the field was just two seasons ago, and the team enters regionals feeling a return is a realistic target.
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The course they will play – Gold Mountain – is one most of the team has seen before and so has their coach. The Mountain West Championships were held there in 2022, and the Rams played an invitational there last season. Kennedy, while at San Francisco, knows the course well because it was the site for the West Coast championships.
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"I think this was by far our best regional site. We have Christop who's played there, myself, Matthew (Wilkinson) and Jake (Rodgers)," Pabin said. "Jake is from the area and really wanted to go there, and I think in the back of our minds, we thought it was the best set up. I think in our minds we got what we wanted."
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Kennedy, the program's third mentor in four years, said you can't put a premium on experience, and from just about every angle, the Rams will carry some into the tournament. The past regionals they've played, A knowledge of the course, as well as a familiarity with some of the field.
Â
Pabin said the past three trips to regionals will definitely help with preparation, but each day's success will come back to what they know to do and being able to do it at the top of their game. At the end of those three rounds, Kennedy said his team is the only one which should factor in their overall view.
Â
"We're confident. You want to find that fine balance of confidence and cockiness and walk that fine line. The teams in the top six and seven, we've beaten them this year," he said. "There's no reason we can't do it on a neutral site. It doesn't matter the teams that are in it; we have to take care of our business, play our games, keep the ball in front of us and play simple, solid golf and things will take care of themselves."
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For a fourth consecutive season, Colorado State's men's golf program has qualified for the NCAA Regional round, this year landing in Bremerton, Wash., seeded ninth out of the 14 teams in the field. Texas is the top seed for the event which runs May 12-14. It is the longest run of regional play for the team since the program qualified six successive years from 2007-12.
Â
First-year coach Jack Kennedy understood the assignment – and the expectations – when he took the helm over the summer.
Â
"As we talked about on the first day, we just wanted to get these guys the best opportunity to be successful," Kennedy said after the team watched their selection from the President's suite at Canvas Stadium on Wednesday. "I needed to show them I had their best interest at heart no matter what we were trying to do all season. This was our goal from day one. We needed to play solid all year in 11 tournaments, and this is the reward you get.
Â
"All credit to the guys. They bought in to what we were trying to coach them up with, but really, all the credit goes to them. Their talent level is off the charts, their work level is off the charts, and they're just a fun group to be around."
Â
The campaign began with three tournament wins to start the season, all in the state of Colorado. There were to other top-three finishes in the spring, which culminated when the Rams placed fourth at the Mountain West Championships.
Â
The team's two captains, Christoph Bleier and Jay Pabin, have now reached regionals every year of their career, which is a definite mark of accomplishment. They are not the same players they were in the first regional in Texas, nor are the younger players on the team.
Â
"It is pretty cool to make it all four years. Regionals is obviously a great tournament, a lot of great players play there," Bleier said. "It's a tournament where we can really show our talents.
Â
"It's exciting the path we took the four years."
Â
The destination isn't bad in their eyes, either. The top five teams in the field will advance to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, Calif., May 23-28. The last time the program made the field was just two seasons ago, and the team enters regionals feeling a return is a realistic target.
Â
The course they will play – Gold Mountain – is one most of the team has seen before and so has their coach. The Mountain West Championships were held there in 2022, and the Rams played an invitational there last season. Kennedy, while at San Francisco, knows the course well because it was the site for the West Coast championships.
Â
"I think this was by far our best regional site. We have Christop who's played there, myself, Matthew (Wilkinson) and Jake (Rodgers)," Pabin said. "Jake is from the area and really wanted to go there, and I think in the back of our minds, we thought it was the best set up. I think in our minds we got what we wanted."
Â
Kennedy, the program's third mentor in four years, said you can't put a premium on experience, and from just about every angle, the Rams will carry some into the tournament. The past regionals they've played, A knowledge of the course, as well as a familiarity with some of the field.
Â
Pabin said the past three trips to regionals will definitely help with preparation, but each day's success will come back to what they know to do and being able to do it at the top of their game. At the end of those three rounds, Kennedy said his team is the only one which should factor in their overall view.
Â
"We're confident. You want to find that fine balance of confidence and cockiness and walk that fine line. The teams in the top six and seven, we've beaten them this year," he said. "There's no reason we can't do it on a neutral site. It doesn't matter the teams that are in it; we have to take care of our business, play our games, keep the ball in front of us and play simple, solid golf and things will take care of themselves."
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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