Coastal Carolina senior Max Bengtsson won individual medalist honors and helped lead the Chanticleers men’s golf team to a runner-up finish at the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Golf Championship, according to an April 30 announcement.
The result is significant for Coastal Carolina, as Bengtsson became only the second golfer in program history to claim the Sun Belt individual title. The team’s performance also secured them the No. 1 seed entering match play after leading stroke play with a total score of 14-under par.
Bengtsson finished at 11-under par for the tournament, posting rounds of 70, 66, and 69. He was tied for the lead entering the final round before shooting a three-under-par on Thursday to clinch his victory. The Chanticleers earned their top seed by carding rounds of 282, 285, and 283 across three days.
In match play semifinals, Coastal Carolina defeated South Alabama with a score of four matches to one. Wins came from Lucas Arntsen (3&2), Jack Lee (5&4), Drew Sykes (6&5), and Bengtsson (4UP). However, in the championship match against Arkansas State, Coastal fell by a margin of four matches to one; Harrison James provided their only point with a win by four holes.
Drew Sykes also had a strong showing individually for Coastal Carolina by finishing second at eight-under par. Other team members included Jack Lee (tied for twenty-sixth at four-over), Lucas Arnsten (tied for thirty-first at five-over), and Owen Kim (forty-seventh at ten-over).
The Chanticleers now await their postseason placement which will be announced during the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships Selection Show on May 6 on Golf Channel.
