This post was updated Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m.

A last-chance effort resulted in victory.

For the first time since 2021, No. 15 UCLA men’s golf won an event – taking first at The Preserve Golf Club Collegiate in Carmel, California, on Monday and Tuesday. In their final event of the fall season, the Bruins recorded a 23-under-par score to lead second-place San Diego State by 10 strokes.

Three Bruins finished in the top 10 individually, with senior Pablo Ereño tying for second, senior Omar Morales tying for sixth and freshman Baylor Larrabee ending at ninth.

Morales and Ereño posted sub-70s in the first round, giving the Bruins a one-stroke lead. In the second round, which was carried over to the next day because of fading daylight, San Diego State shot five strokes better than UCLA – giving the Aztecs a single-stroke lead.

Coach Armen Kirakossian said that given uncertain scores due to the last few holes remaining to be played Tuesday, his advice to the team Monday night was simple.

“Our message to the guys was, ‘Play your game. Play hard till the last putt drops. We never know what’s going on out there,’” Kirakossian said. “That’s what they did.”

On a chilly Tuesday morning, the Bruins finally found a rhythm, shooting a tournament-best 277 that extended their lead over the course of the day to virtually unchallengeable.

The score was led by Ereño’s 6-under 66. The rest of the scores were tight across the board, with the highest of the group being Larrabee’s even 72. Junior Kyle An and sophomore Luke Powell chipped in 70 and 71, respectively. All five players finished in the top 25.

“It was awesome because everybody contributed,” Kirakossian said. “Each player on the team had a vital moment in the tournament, a big round that we needed, a good play at the right moment. And so that makes it even more special, because they all get to celebrate.”

Ereño added that his quick start, which put him several strokes ahead of par by the sixth hole, gave him confidence that his game was where it needed to be.

“We all knew that we were out there as a team, and so we were all trying to make birdies and cheer each other on,” Ereño said. “We were playing for something bigger than ourselves.”

The win marked the conclusion of a fall season full of close chances, as the team led several events at certain points before falling behind toward the end.

Ereño recalled one such disappointing finish at the Fighting Irish Classic, in which the Bruins fell from third to seventh in the last round.

“We all played really bad in the last round. I remember both coaches saying that if we want to be at the top one day, we had to be at the bottom,” Ereño said.

Following a close second place at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational earlier this month, the coaches’ prediction came true.

Come January, the Bruins will be back in competition, and both Ereño and Kirakossian emphasized the importance of offseason training.

“In golf, you need to celebrate the win and enjoy it,” Kirakossian said. “It’s also a game where you’re never satisfied.”

Ereño said he’d spend his winter working in the gym and practicing on and around the greens, improving his short game.

With the Bruins’ third-year head coach booking his first win as the program’s leader, Kirakossian said the win has a deeper meaning for the team.

“Winning in golf is so difficult,” Kirakossian said. “To be able to do it now feels amazing, and I’m so proud of our guys. It’s a really special moment.”