Liberty golfer headed to NCAA Men’s Golf Championship after regional victory
May 21, 2026 : By Liberty Athletics
Liberty Golf’s Michael Lugiano is heading to the NCAA Men’s Golf National Championship next week following his first-place finish at the NCAA Corvallis Regional on Wednesday.
Lugiano birdied three of his final four holes, including 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18 (par 4, 454 yards), which tied the Flames for fifth place with No. 42 San Diego and forced a playoff for the fifth and final team heading to the national championship.
The two teams sent players to playoff holes No. 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18 with the lowest combined team score claiming the playoff win.
Following a deadlock after the first playoff hole, San Diego secured the national championship berth with a two-stroke victory and kept the Flames from making their fifth trip to national in program history.
Lugiano convincingly won the NCAA Corvallis Regional with a 12-under par 201 (68-66-67). He finished three shots clear of Oklahoma’s Jase Summy (9-under par 204/70-67-67), the No. 16-ranked golfer in the country, and his teammate Clark Van Gaalen (9-under par 204/68-66-70).
The victory was the second of the sophomore’s collegiate career as he was also a winner at the Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate on February 2, 2025 (Georgia Southern Golf Course – Statesboro, Ga.).
With the individual victory, Lugiano’s season will continue at the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf National Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., starting on May 29.
As a team, Liberty finished its 15th NCAA Regional appearance in program history with a 9-under par 843 (282-280-281) following three trips around the Trysting Tree Golf Club (par 71, 7,391 yards).
Along with Lugiano’s strong finish, the Flames forced the playoff opportunity with birdies by seniors Brett Reid (No. 15 and No. 16) and Ike Joy (No. 16).
The playoff loss brings to a close the collegiate careers of Reid, Joy, and Josh Ryan, players who helped the Flames win two of the three last CUSA Men’s Golf Championships (2024 and 2026) and pushed the Flames to their last three NCAA Regional appearances (2023, 2024, and 2026).
With his win, Lugiano becomes the first Conference USA golfer to capture an individual medal at an NCAA Regional since 2013.
Read more about Liberty Golf at LibertyFlames.com.
