Filip Jakubcik chasing Arizona’s first individual NCAA men’s golf title

Arizona senior Filip Jakubcik’s night before the fourth and final round of the NCAA Division I men’s golf championship consisted of a book to read, a friend to call and a girlfriend with whom to spend time. 

There were no rituals to follow – just a simple schedule before another round of golf with his teammates. Even so, that round on Monday morning at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California could be the most important round of his life.

Following a strong first three rounds in which he shot 68, 66 and 72, Jakubcik finds himself tied for second place with Alabama’s William Jennings, both sitting at 10-under-par. They trail Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout by one stroke.

“I’ll go eat dinner with the team and then go to bed fairly early,” Jakubcik said Sunday. “I’m not superstitious and there’s not a single thing I do every day before a round that keeps me from playing good or helps me play good.”

Jakubcik credits his touch around the green for his early-weekend success.

“I would say, honestly, putting,” Jakubcik said. “It’s usually more ball striking, and putting can be very good this week, so that definitely helps.”

In the 92-year history of Arizona golf, no Wildcat has won the individual championship. The program did see success in 1992 when it won its only team championship with a group that featured 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk.

Arizona State’s Phil Mickelson won the individual championship that same year.

Thirty-four years later, Jakubcik would love to help deliver the second team championship for Arizona, which sat in a tie for fourth place at 8-under, 14 strokes behind Auburn and 11 behind Texas. He’d also like to win one on his own. 

His teammate and roommate of four years, Zach Pollo, believes that Jakubcik can get the job done.

“He’s been great all four years,” Pollo said. “We’ve roomed together for all four of them and we push each other really well. I think it’s just showing up, you know, interactions, always being out there practicing. I think that we just instill that in the other guys.”

Jakubcik said neither he nor Pollo is the rah-rah type.

“I’m pretty soft-spoken, and he’s even more so, so I wouldn’t say we’re talking too much together,” Jakubcik said. “But he’s a great guy. I’ve had a lot of fun with him throughout those four years, and he works just as hard as I do — that makes a great roommate, great teammate, and a great friend.”

Coach Matt Walton said his upperclassmen – especially Jakubcik and Pollo – have led by example.

“It’s player-driven for sure,” Walton said. “For coaches, it’s a matter of just keeping the blueprint there and allowing the players to navigate within that blueprint. They hold each other accountable just as much as we do.”

For Jakubcik and Pollo, this is their second time participating in the NCAA championships. After falling short in 2024, they are comfortable with the course and know what to expect.

“Knowing where to hit it and where not to hit it – that happens with more experience,” Pollo said. “The more you play a course, you just know the ins and outs.”

Jakubcik agreed.

“Just knowing certain locations I’ve already played on, I have an idea how the course looks even from the tee,” he said.

The goal is to win, but the senior leaders said they take a “process over results” mentality.

“Obviously we want to win and it’s easy for us to want to win,” Pollo said. “So you almost have to try to not want to win when you’re out there and just focus on one shot at a time and take the outcome.”

Jakubcik said he will take that in-the-moment mindset into the final round.

“I’m not trying to have any expectations whatsoever,” he said. “Just play my game and whatever happens (Monday) happens. I can’t really control the outcome. All I can control is how I approach (Monday), and I’ll do my best to be OK with whatever happens.”

“It would be pretty special, being able to get into the final stroke play round, maybe go even further. Either way, it’s special to us already. Our freshmen are great, and I hope the program’s going to continue being great.”Jakubcik was scheduled to tee off at 12:09 p.m. alongside Stout and UCLA’s Baylor Larrabee. Golf Channel will start its live broadcast at 2:30 p.m. PST. Follow the live stats on https://scoreboard.clippd.com/home.

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