Men’s Golf Finishes Tied for 12th at Big Ten Championships

Donor names adorn an O at the entrance of the new Peter and Jan Jacobsen Oregon Golf Teach Facility at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

The Ducks struggled to climb the leaderboard at Pumpkin Ridge, but Aiden Krafft closed with a strong final round to lead Oregon individually.

The Oregon men’s golf team entered the Big Ten Championships looking to extend one of the program’s most consistent postseason runs, but the Ducks were unable to generate enough momentum over three rounds at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland.

Oregon finished tied for 12th in the 18-team field at 22-over par after rounds of 290, 286 and 286. The Ducks improved after a difficult opening round, but the leaderboard moved away from them Saturday as UCLA took command of the tournament and eventually claimed the conference title at 8-under par.

Aiden Krafft delivered Oregon’s best individual finish, closing with a 1-under 69 on Sunday to tie for 23rd. The senior extended his streak of top-30 finishes to seven, including all six events this spring.

Round One: Ducks Battle Back After Rough Front Nine

Oregon opened the tournament Friday with a 10-over 290, leaving the Ducks ninth after the first round. The course played tougher than expected after holes 4 and 14 were changed from par 5s to par 4s before play began, and Oregon struggled to find early traction.

The Ducks made the turn at 10 over after giving away nine strokes from holes 4 through 7. Hole 7 proved especially damaging, with all four counting scorers making bogey.

Oregon steadied itself on the back nine, playing the final nine holes at even par and nearly doubling its birdie total from the front. That late response kept the Ducks within reach of the middle of the field, though they still sat well behind first-round leader Illinois, which opened at 1-under.

Casper Nerpin and Sebastian Desoisa led Oregon on Friday with matching 2-over 72s, putting both in a tie for 26th. Desoisa had the stronger finish of the two, recovering from a 3-over front nine with three birdies on the back to play that side at 1 under.

Jeffrey Kwak and Krafft each shot 3-over 73 to round out Oregon’s counting scores. Both played the back nine at even par after early trouble, helping Oregon avoid a larger opening-round deficit.

Round Two: Ducks Improve, But Stay Stuck in the Pack

Oregon shaved four strokes off its opening score Saturday with a 6-over 286, but the Ducks remained in the middle of the field and slipped into a tie for 10th at 16 over through two rounds.

The second round brought cold, wet conditions that felt right at home in the Pacific Northwest, but Oregon still could not make a meaningful move. A double bogey on hole 2 and a triple bogey on hole 6 made the front nine difficult again, and the Ducks spent much of the round trying to recover.

Ramil Saelim gave Oregon its best performance of the day, shooting even par to jump 18 spots on the individual leaderboard. The sophomore posted matching 35s on the front and back nine, recording two birdies and two bogeys on each side. His only real frustration came late, as both of his back-nine bogeys came on 17 and 18.

Desoisa followed with a 2-over 72. He closed the front nine with consecutive bogeys, then settled in on the back and answered a late bogey with a birdie on the final hole.

Kwak and Krafft also shot 2 over in the second round, leaving both at 5 over for the tournament and tied for 43rd. Kwak finished with a birdie on 18, while Krafft recorded two birdies over his final three holes to salvage his round.

While Oregon improved, UCLA made the decisive move of the tournament. The Bruins fired a 10-under round Saturday to build an 11-stroke lead entering the final day, with Washington and Illinois trailing behind.

Round Three: Krafft Surges as Oregon Finishes Tied for 12th

The Ducks closed the tournament Sunday with another 6-over 286, finishing tied for 12th at 22 over. It was not the finish Oregon wanted, especially after six consecutive top-five conference tournament finishes, but Krafft’s final round gave the Ducks a strong individual highlight.

Krafft carded a 1-under 69, his eighth round in the 60s this season. He made three birdies during a four-hole stretch and stayed steady enough the rest of the way to climb into a tie for 23rd, Oregon’s best finish of the weekend.

Oregon began the final round on the back nine and again found more success there. Krafft and Saelim combined for six birdies on that side, with Saelim shooting a 2-under 33 and Krafft making the turn at 1-under 34.

The front nine was less forgiving. Saelim could not keep his momentum going, finishing without another birdie while adding three bogeys and a double bogey. Krafft, however, continued to hold his round together and added two more birdies to finish under par.

Nerpin also closed his tournament on a positive note. The senior played his final 16 holes without a bogey and finished 1-under on the front nine with a birdie. Kwak shot a 3-over 73 in the final round and finished the tournament at 8 over.

UCLA won the Big Ten title at 8-under 832, securing its second consecutive conference championship. Illinois made a Sunday push with a 4-under final round but finished second, while UCLA freshman Josh Kim claimed the individual title at 8-under 202.

For Oregon, the weekend was defined by flashes of recovery but not enough sustained scoring to contend. The Ducks improved after Friday’s opening round and found individual bright spots from Krafft, Saelim, Desoisa and Nerpin, but the early mistakes and lack of a low team round kept them from extending their run of top-five conference finishes.

Up Next

The 2026 NCAA men’s golf selection show is set for Wednesday, May 6 at 11 a.m. PT on Golf Channel.

Ducks on the Leaderboard:
T-12. Oregon — 290-286-286— 862 (+22) 
T-23. Aiden Krafft — 73-72-69— 214 (+4) 
T-34. Casper Nerpin — 72-73-73 — 216 (+6) 
T-47. Jeffrey Kwak — 73-72-73 — 218 (+8) 
T-53. Ramil Saelim — 76-70-73 — 219 (+9) 
T-58. Sebastian Desoisa — 72-72-77 — 221 (+11)