JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University men’s golf team has qualified for the 2024 NCAA D2 National Championships Regional Play, May 9-11, in Gainsville, Georgia. This marks the first time for the men’s golf program to qualify as a team for the national tournament since joining the NCAA back in 2023-13. In program history, Union men’s golf has advanced to 11 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships and 2 NCCAA National Championships.
Union head coach Andy Rushing said, “We’ve accomplished a goal that has been in our sights for a few years, and especially this year. There are more goals still to go this year with this team and I do not think we’ve played our best golf yet.”
Union junior JJ Zimmer qualifies for the 2022 and 2023 NCAA D2 National Championships Regional Play as an individual.
Union played in eight events this regular season, finishing in the top-3 five times, including two first-place finishes. Union won the Blue Moon BBQ Invitational and the Matt Dyes Invitational. Union enters the regional tournament as the No. 7 team in the South Region Rankings, No. 30 in the D2 National Stats Rankings, and receiving votes in the latest Collegiate Golf Coaches’ Poll.
Union is coming off a third-place finish in the Gulf South Conference Championships. The third-place finish matches the highest GSC finish for the men’s golf team since joining the league in 2012-13. It was in 2013 when Union previously finished third at the GSC Championships, its first year, but was not eligible for NCAA play during the membership transition. Ironically, Andy Rushing was the head coach for both the 2013 team and the 2024 team. Rushing coach men’s golf from 2006-15 before retiring. He returned as head coach this season. Rushing led his program to the NAIA National Championships three times, 2010, 2011, and 2012, the last three years as members of the NAIA. His teams also advanced to two NCCAA National Championships, finishing runner-up in the fall of 2012 and eighth place in the fall of 2013.
Union and the other nine members of the South region will join 10 schools from the Southeast region in the 20-team South/Southeast Regional Tournament. The event will be played at the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainsville, Georgia. The 3-round event will take place May 9-11 (Thursday-Saturday) and will feature one round each day. The top five teams from each of the four regional tournaments will advance to the NCAA D2 Men’s Golf Championships Final Site, May 21-25 in Winter Garden, Florida.
