Performance golf team reclaim national championship title

The University of St Andrews Performance Golf Team has been crowned British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) national matchplay champions for the third time in four years.

The BUCS National semi-finals and finals were hosted on Thursday 24 April at the prestigious Woodhall Spa National Golf Centre in Lincolnshire after six intense rounds of matchplay competition.

The Mixed First Team reached their fourth national final in a row following a dramatic semi-final win over Exeter University, the winners of the Premier League South Conference. The morning’s foursomes match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams finishing level at 2-2. This set the stage for an exciting afternoon, with eight singles matches to be played and everything still to play for.

In true 2025 fashion, the match was a thrilling rollercoaster, filled with dramatic twists and turns. It came down to the very last putt of the last match, with the score tied. It was here that newly crowned R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit winner, Judy Mi Woo Joo, stepped up for the team in a sudden-death playoff. In a tense and gripping conclusion, Judy triumphed on the second playoff hole, sealing the victory. The playoff itself was far from straightforward, with Judy having to hole a tricky 5-foot left-to-right putt to extend the contest, showing incredible composure under pressure.

The 36-hole final the next day was played over four foursomes matches followed by eight singles encounters in the afternoon. The St Andrews team faced familiar opponents from the University of Stirling with whom they had contested the final in the last three years – St Andrews claiming victory in 2022 and 2023 and looking to avenge their loss to their Scottish rivals in last year’s final.

The foursomes in the morning were eventful, but St Andrews took a strong 3-1 lead going into the afternoon singles with wins from Judd Sundelson/Theo Anderson Gannon (1 up), Charlie Reynolds/Ellie Monk (4&3) and Joshua Kwon/Ollie George (2&1).

With an advantage going into the afternoon, the St Andrews team knew that Stirling would not go down without a fight. The expected Stirling rally came, but the St Andrews team stepped up and played at an incredibly high level, displaying resilience and skill to fend off their rivals and ultimately secure a 7-5 victory and claim the national championship.

University of St Andrews Director of Golf, Ian Muir, said: “This year has been nothing short of extraordinary for University of St Andrews golf. In addition to our team victory, we also celebrated a historic achievement by winning both the male and female Student Tour Series Order of Merits for the first time. The team has been in excellent form throughout the 2024/25 season, with eight individual wins across both semesters. It’s been a year of triumph, teamwork, and exceptional golf.”