Coastal Carolina took a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the 2026 Sun Belt Men’s Golf Championship at Annandale Golf Club, according to an April 27 announcement.
The championship began with Coastal Carolina finishing at 6-under-par 282, placing them ahead of Arkansas State, which ended the day at 4-under-par 284. Southern Miss was third with an even-par score of 288. South Alabama followed in fourth place at 1-over-par 289, and James Madison rounded out the top five at 2-over-par 290.
Sophomore Drew Sykes and seniors Max Bengtsson and Owen Kim each recorded a score of two-under-par (70) for Coastal Carolina, tying them for fourth place individually. Kim made six birdies during his round, including four over his final seven holes. Bengtsson overcame an early setback—being two-over through five holes—by playing bogey-free golf for the remainder of his round with four birdies and nine pars. Sykes finished with fourteen pars, three birdies, and just one bogey.
Junior Jack Lee and freshman Lucas Arntsen contributed to Coastal Carolina’s strong start by finishing in a tie for sixteenth place at even-par (72). Arkansas State’s Jake Wallis led all players individually with a four-under (68), while Benjamin Fernandez from Southern Miss and Sakke Siltala from Texas State trailed by one stroke.
Competition is set to continue Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, when Coastal Carolina will be grouped alongside Arkansas State and Southern Miss.
