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Chattanooga Finishes 2026 SoCon Title Chase at Solina Golf Club
Mocs Win First Crown Since 2013, UNCG’s Hernandez Fires Course Record 65
WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Chattanooga finished the job Wednesday, winning its first SoCon men’s golf title since 2013 and UNC Greensboro’s Kelvin Hernandez fired a course-record 65 to win medalist honors at Solina Golf Club,
The Mocs completed a dominant run, leading each round, and outpaced hard-charging Furman and Mercer by eight strokes to win its seventh Southern Conference team championship in men’s golf and the league’s automatic berth to the 2026 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. Consistent play from Evan Rogers, who was the lone golfer in the field to finish under par in each of the three rounds, and the rest of the Mocs’ lineup kept the lead all day. Chattanooga had 15 birdies and two eagles on Wednesday.
Rogers shot 68-70-69 for the tournament, carding 12 birdies and an eagle to finish third individually. Cam Braidech (66-74-73) and Ward Harris (71-73-69) tied for fifth in the final standings.
Hernandez, who was the SoCon’s Golfer of the Week twice in February, lived up to his billing all week – and was terrific on Wednesday. The Caguas, Puerto Rico, native sank five birdie putts, one eagle putt, and played par golf on 11 holes for his course record – nipping the previous mark of 66 tied several times during this tournament.
Hernandez earned an individual bid to the NCAA Championship, edging Mercer’s Henry Robards by one stroke. Robards shot back-to-back rounds of 66 to pull into contention. Rogers finished two strokes out of the lead with his steady performance. Furman’s Harris Barth finished fourth, followed by a four-way tie for fifth between the Chattanooga duo of Braidech and Harris, Western Carolina’s Tyler Jones and Jace Butcher.
Wednesday’s start was delayed until 10:30 am due to early morning rain in the area.
Teams
|
POS |
Team |
Total |
To Par |
RD 1 |
To Par |
RD 2 |
To Par |
RD 3 |
To Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Chattanooga |
847 |
-5 |
275 |
-9 |
290 |
+6 |
282 |
-2 |
|
2 |
Furman |
855 |
+3 |
285 |
+1 |
291 |
+7 |
279 |
-5 |
|
3 |
Mercer |
857 |
+5 |
288 |
+4 |
290 |
+6 |
279 |
-5 |
|
4 |
UNCG |
861 |
+9 |
289 |
+5 |
290 |
+6 |
282 |
-2 |
|
5 |
East Tennessee State |
867 |
+15 |
282 |
-2 |
299 |
+15 |
286 |
+2 |
|
6 |
Western Carolina |
868 |
+16 |
280 |
-4 |
297 |
+13 |
291 |
+7 |
|
7 |
Wofford |
879 |
+27 |
294 |
+10 |
292 |
+8 |
293 |
+9 |
|
8 |
Samford |
884 |
+32 |
283 |
-1 |
305 |
+21 |
296 |
+12 |
Top 40 Players
|
POS |
Player |
Team |
Total |
To Par |
RD 1 |
To Par |
RD 2 |
To Par |
RD 3 |
To Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Kelvin Hernandez |
UNCG |
204 |
-9 |
67 |
-4 |
72 |
+1 |
65 |
-6 |
|
2 |
Henry Robards |
Mercer |
205 |
-8 |
73 |
+2 |
66 |
-5 |
66 |
-5 |
|
3 |
Evan Rogers |
Chattanooga |
207 |
-6 |
68 |
-3 |
70 |
-1 |
69 |
-2 |
|
4 |
Harris Barth |
Furman |
212 |
-1 |
74 |
+3 |
71 |
E |
67 |
-4 |
|
T5 |
Camden Braidech |
Chattanooga |
213 |
E |
66 |
-5 |
74 |
+3 |
73 |
+2 |
|
T5 |
Jace Butcher |
Western Carolina |
213 |
E |
68 |
-3 |
75 |
+4 |
70 |
-1 |
|
T5 |
Tyler Jones |
Western Carolina |
213 |
E |
72 |
+1 |
69 |
-2 |
72 |
+1 |
|
T5 |
Ward Harris |
Chattanooga |
213 |
E |
71 |
E |
73 |
+2 |
69 |
-2 |
|
9 |
Dax Isbell |
UNCG |
214 |
+1 |
73 |
+2 |
72 |
+1 |
69 |
-2 |
|
T10 |
Yannick Malik |
East Tennessee State |
215 |
+2 |
71 |
E |
71 |
E |
73 |
+2 |
|
T10 |
Gavin Isbell |
Samford |
215 |
+2 |
68 |
-3 |
73 |
+2 |
74 |
+3 |
|
T12 |
Ben Jordan |
Wofford |
216 |
+3 |
68 |
-3 |
74 |
+3 |
74 |
+3 |
|
T12 |
Gavin Tiernan |
East Tennessee State |
216 |
+3 |
70 |
-1 |
75 |
+4 |
71 |
E |
|
T12 |
Clark Akers |
Furman |
216 |
+3 |
70 |
-1 |
75 |
+4 |
71 |
E |
|
T15 |
Jake Lewis |
UNCG |
217 |
+4 |
72 |
+1 |
72 |
+1 |
73 |
+2 |
|
T15 |
Nathan Trodd |
Mercer |
217 |
+4 |
66 |
-5 |
71 |
E |
80 |
+9 |
|
T15 |
Ethan Whitaker |
Chattanooga |
217 |
+4 |
70 |
-1 |
76 |
+5 |
71 |
E |
|
18 |
Veigar Heidarsson |
East Tennessee State |
218 |
+5 |
73 |
+2 |
76 |
+5 |
69 |
-2 |
|
T19 |
Richard Saunders |
East Tennessee State |
219 |
+6 |
69 |
-2 |
77 |
+6 |
73 |
+2 |
|
T19 |
Ludvig Josefsson |
Furman |
219 |
+6 |
70 |
-1 |
78 |
+7 |
71 |
E |
|
T21 |
Campbell Sciortino |
Samford |
220 |
+7 |
68 |
-3 |
77 |
+6 |
75 |
+4 |
|
T21 |
Zach Frazer |
Furman |
220 |
+7 |
77 |
+6 |
73 |
+2 |
70 |
-1 |
|
T21 |
Andrew Korytoski |
Western Carolina |
220 |
+7 |
69 |
-2 |
80 |
+9 |
71 |
E |
|
T24 |
Will Brown |
Wofford |
221 |
+8 |
73 |
+2 |
76 |
+5 |
72 |
+1 |
|
T24 |
Griffin Law |
Chattanooga |
221 |
+8 |
74 |
+3 |
73 |
+2 |
74 |
+3 |
|
T24 |
Will Jones |
Wofford |
221 |
+8 |
76 |
+5 |
70 |
-1 |
75 |
+4 |
|
T27 |
Cole Hanson |
Mercer |
222 |
+9 |
72 |
+1 |
80 |
+9 |
70 |
-1 |
|
T27 |
David Oliver IV |
Furman |
222 |
+9 |
71 |
E |
72 |
+1 |
79 |
+8 |
|
29 |
Ivan Ninkovic |
Western Carolina |
223 |
+10 |
71 |
E |
74 |
+3 |
78 |
+7 |
|
30 |
Oliver Blackadder |
East Tennessee State |
224 |
+11 |
72 |
+1 |
77 |
+6 |
75 |
+4 |
|
T31 |
Andrew Neal |
Wofford |
225 |
+12 |
77 |
+6 |
74 |
+3 |
74 |
+3 |
|
T31 |
Glover Amick |
Wofford |
225 |
+12 |
78 |
+7 |
74 |
+3 |
73 |
+2 |
|
T33 |
BJ Boyce |
UNCG |
226 |
+13 |
77 |
+6 |
74 |
+3 |
75 |
+4 |
|
T33 |
JoseMaria Gutierrez Gonzales |
Mercer |
226 |
+13 |
77 |
+6 |
75 |
+4 |
74 |
+3 |
|
T33 |
Phillips Swift |
Mercer |
226 |
+13 |
79 |
+8 |
78 |
+7 |
69 |
-2 |
|
36 |
Blake Gayles |
Samford |
227 |
+14 |
72 |
+1 |
74 |
+3 |
81 |
+10 |
|
37 |
Jack Mikesell |
Samford |
229 |
+16 |
75 |
+4 |
82 |
+11 |
72 |
+1 |
|
38 |
Josh Lendach |
Western Carolina |
243 |
+30 |
80 |
+9 |
79 |
+8 |
84 |
+13 |
|
39 |
Will Guidry |
UNCG |
80 |
N/A |
80 |
+9 |
0 |
N/A |
||
|
40 |
Liam Percy |
UNCG |
154 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
76 |
+5 |
78 |
+7 |