CARLSBAD, Calif. – Freshman Jorge Martin Sampedro is set to represent The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's golf team in the biggest stage of the year when he tees it up at the NCAA Championships starting on Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. 
 
Sampedro is set to tee off at 10:42 (CT) off the first tee. Sampedro is the first representative of UTRGV to compete in a NCAA National Championship since David Steffan did so in 1978. 
 
Format
Sampedro is one of six individuals, along with Liberty's Michael Lugiano, Alabama's William Jennings, Kentucky's Jacob Lang, Louisiana's Malan Potgieter, and Long Beach State's Steen Zeman. 
 
Along with the 30 qualifying teams, the individuals will play 54 holes with 18 holes played on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Following the 54 holes, the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the final 18 holes on Monday for a chance to be crowned NCAA Champion. 
 
The Course
Sampedro will be playing the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, which will play 7,528 yards long and is a par 72. 
 
The Omni has hosted PGA Tour events and are known for their championship heritage. The Omni is set to host the NCAA Championships through 2028. 
 
How to Follow Along
Fans can follow along through live scoring at GoUTRGV.com/MGolfLiveScoring and can watch coverage through BabyGrande.com at GoUTRGV.com/MGolfLiveStream. Coverage through BabyGrande.com will run from 2:30-9:30 p.m. (CT) Friday through Sunday with Monday's coverage running from 12:30-3:30 p.m. (CT).
 
The final 18 holes will be shown on the Golf Channel.
 
Preparing for the Big Stage
It's been a quick turnaround for Sampedro since returning from the Bryan Regional. The gameplan hasn't changed as he continued his routine in the week leading up to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 
 
"We all know this is the most important tournament of the year, but I am trying to do the same as I do for all the tournaments," Sampedro said. "So far, I am playing good and trying to do the same and play as good as I can."
 
The Omni requires some pinpoint accuracy because misses will make the course play a little tougher, so part of the focus this week for Sampedro has been knowing his yardages. 
 
"This golf course is going to play firm and fast," Director of Golf Houston Moore said. "Right now, Jorge is dialing in his carry numbers with his clubs. Making sure he knows how far those balls are flying so we can hit those spots on the green because it's very precise out there."
 
Family Connection 
Jorge Martin Sampedro isn't the only Sampedro at the NCAA Championship as his sister Paula is a member of the Stanford Cardinals, who won the National Championship on Wednesday. 
 
Sampedro arrived at the Omni on Wednesday just in time to watch his sister win her match against USC before being crowned NCAA Champions.
 
Sampedro has learned a lot from his sister and credits her for him playing golf. 
 
"I talk to her a lot," Sampedro said. "Right now, she is playing at the National Championship and she shared some tips. It's going to help me a lot. When I was little, I used to play soccer, and my sister was the one that was playing golf. She started to share that feeling and love of the game with me. She is my role model in golf and as a person as well. It's a pleasure for me to learn from her."
 
How He Got There
Sampedro punched his ticket to the NCAA Tournament after being the top individual not on a qualifying team at the Bryan Regional. 
 
Sampedro finished in 10^th with a three-round score of 208 with rounds of 69, 70, and 69. 
 
He kept a clean scorecard all week as he recorded nine birdies and just one bogey as he finished ahead of 12 golfers inside the top-100 in the Scoreboard rankings, including No. 7 William Sides of SMU.
 
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