UA men advance to NCAA Championships

NWA Media/ANTHONY REYES Arkansas freshman Nicolas Echavarria lines up his putt on the fifth green during the opening round of the NCAA men’s Regional Golf Tournament Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the Blessing Golf Club in Fayetteville.

— The Arkansas men's golf team advanced to the NCAA Championships by finishing second at the NCAA Columbia Regional Saturday afternoon.

Kolton Crawford's 5-under 67 led the Razorbacks to a final round score of 277. The Razorbacks were 28-under on the weekend, finishing five shots behind No. 2 Oklahoma State.

Crawford was Arkansas' top finisher. He shot an 8-under at the Regional, which was good for fifth place. Sebastian Cappelen and Nicolas Echavarria each shot 7-under, which tied for sixth place.

Taylor Moore's 6-under rounded out Arkansas' scoring.

The Razorbacks finished just ahead of a pair of SEC foes. Missouri was one shot behind Arkansas in third place, while No. 14 LSU tied Iowa State for fourth place and the final two spots in the NCAA Championships.

It will be Arkansas' fourth appearance in the NCAA Championships in six years.

The NCAA Championships will be played in Hutchinson, Kan.