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NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Fall 2026 Recap: Oklahoma State Leads Clippd Top 25 as Individual Stars Emerge

By Matthew Goldstein 16 min read
CGN+ graphic promoting the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Fall 2026 Recap, featuring a golf course with a putting green, water hazard and the headline "Fall 2026 Recap."
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Fall 2026 Recap: A look at the top teams, leaders and standout performances from the fall season.
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Oklahoma State finished the fall season ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I men’s golf, followed by Arkansas and Auburn in the November 4 Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings.

The fall featured multiple tournament championships, with Arkansas capturing three stroke play titles and Auburn recording three overall victories. Oklahoma State won the Sahalee Players Championship and Big 12 Match Play Tournament, while Texas secured championship match victories at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup and St Andrews Links Collegiate.

Individual performances also highlighted the fall. Illinois’ Max Herendeen finished No. 1 in the individual Clippd rankings, while New Mexico’s Johnnie Clark recorded three individual victories. Texas’ Daniel Bennett won twice, and Washington’s Finn Koelle captured the Sahalee Players Championship individual title with a hole-in-one on his final hole.

NCAA Division I Men’s Top 25 Team Rankings

Scoreboard Powered by Clippd | November 11, 2026

  1. Oklahoma State
  2. Arkansas
  3. Auburn
  4. Florida
  5. Texas
  6. Texas Tech
  7. Tennessee
  8. Alabama
  9. Illinois
  10. Georgia Tech
  11. New Mexico
  12. Georgia
  13. Texas A&M
  14. Vanderbilt
  15. North Carolina
  16. Arizona State
  17. Notre Dame
  18. Washington
  19. Clemson
  20. East Tennessee State
  21. Wake Forest
  22. Santa Clara
  23. BYU
  24. South Carolina
  25. TCU

Oklahoma State Leads National Rankings

Oklahoma State finished the fall ranked No. 1 nationally with 86.17 average weighted points, a 273.27 adjusted scoring average and a 35-12-2 record.

The Cowboys opened their season by winning the Sahalee Players Championship, held September 12–13, finishing at four under par. Oklahoma State was the only team under par and finished 28 strokes ahead of runner-up Florida.

The Cowboys followed with fifth place at the Fighting Illini Invitational at 27 under par and seventh at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at 18 over par.

Oklahoma State captured the Big 12 Match Play Tournament, held October 12–14, before closing the fall with a runner-up finish at the East Lake Cup. The Cowboys placed second in stroke play at 11 under par and reached the match play championship, where they fell to Auburn.

Fall championships: Sahalee Players Championship and Big 12 Match Play Tournament.

Source: Oklahoma State Men’s Golf Schedule

Arkansas Captures Three Stroke Play Championships

Arkansas finished No. 2 nationally with 84.22 average weighted points, a 273.16 adjusted scoring average and a 45-1-2 record.

The Razorbacks opened their season by winning the Vuori Invitational, held September 14–15, finishing at even par.

Arkansas followed with second place at the Bryan Bros Collegiate at 18 under par before winning the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, held October 3–5, at six under par.

The Razorbacks closed their fall by sharing the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational championship with Illinois and South Carolina, finishing at four over par.

Arkansas recorded three victories and finished no worse than second in its four fall tournaments.

Fall championships: Vuori Invitational, Blessings Collegiate Invitational and Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational (shared).

Source: Arkansas Clippd Results

Auburn Wins Three Fall Championships

Auburn finished No. 3 nationally with 82.06 average weighted points, a 273.45 adjusted scoring average and a 62-2-0 record.

The Tigers opened their season by winning the Inverness Intercollegiate, held September 13–15, finishing at 11 over par in the 18-team field.

Auburn followed with runner-up finishes at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at five over par and Williams Cup at two under par.

At the East Lake Cup, Auburn finished first in stroke play at 13 under par before winning two match play contests by identical 4-1 scores to claim the championship.

The Tigers concluded their fall by winning the Steelwood Collegiate, held October 31 through November 1, finishing at 42 under par, two strokes ahead of Georgia Tech.

Fall championships: Inverness Intercollegiate, East Lake Cup match play and Steelwood Collegiate.

Source: Steelwood Collegiate Results

Florida Records Two Tournament Victories

Florida finished No. 4 nationally with 80.19 average weighted points, a 273.77 adjusted scoring average and a 43-5-1 record.

The Gators opened their season with second place at the Sahalee Players Championship, finishing at 24 over par.

Florida followed with fifth place at the Fighting Illini Invitational before winning the Hamptons Intercollegiate, held October 5–6, finishing at six under par.

The Gators captured their second championship at the Williams Cup, held October 18–20, finishing at 19 under par in the 14-team field.

Fall championships: Hamptons Intercollegiate and Williams Cup.

Source: Scoreboard Powered by Clippd

Texas Captures Two Championship Matches

Texas finished No. 5 nationally with 76.70 average weighted points, a 274.35 adjusted scoring average and a 28-5-2 record.

The Longhorns opened with second place at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, finishing at 13 under par.

Texas followed by finishing first in stroke play at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at 25 under par before defeating Texas A&M in the championship match.

After placing fifth at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational, Texas traveled to Scotland for the St Andrews Links Collegiate.

The Longhorns finished first in stroke play at 23 over par before defeating the University of St Andrews, 4.5-1.5, in the championship match.

Fall championships: Jackson T. Stephens Cup and St Andrews Links Collegiate championship matches.

Source: Scoreboard Powered by Clippd

Texas Tech Records Three Top-Four Finishes

Texas Tech finished No. 6 nationally with 75.18 average weighted points, a 274.24 adjusted scoring average and a 40-8-2 record.

The Red Raiders opened with fourth place at the Inverness Intercollegiate, finishing at 14 over par.

Texas Tech followed with third place at the Fighting Illini Invitational, posting 37 under par, and tied for third at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at 12 over par.

The Red Raiders concluded their team competition with a tie for third at the Big 12 Match Play Tournament.

Texas Tech did not capture a fall team championship but finished among the top four in all three stroke play tournaments.

Source: Texas Tech Men’s Golf

Tennessee Captures Two Fall Championships

Tennessee finished No. 7 nationally with 70.06 average weighted points, a 275.36 adjusted scoring average and a 51-8-2 record.

The Volunteers opened their season by winning the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, held August 31 through September 1, finishing at 15 under par.

After placing sixth at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Tennessee captured the Cullan Brown Collegiate, held October 5–6, finishing at 22 under par.

The Volunteers concluded their fall with fourth place at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational, posting five over par, one stroke behind the three teams sharing first.

Fall championships: Visit Knoxville Collegiate and Cullan Brown Collegiate.

Source: Tennessee Clippd Results

Alabama Wins Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational

Alabama finished No. 8 nationally with 69.85 average weighted points, a 275.84 adjusted scoring average and a 40-15-0 record.

The Crimson Tide opened with fifth place at the Folds of Honor Collegiate before finishing fourth at the Fighting Illini Invitational.

Alabama won the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational, held September 28–29, finishing at even par with a three-round total of 840.

The Crimson Tide concluded their fall with ninth place at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational, finishing at 21 over par.

Fall championship: Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

Source: Alabama Men’s Golf Schedule

Illinois Shares Fallen Oak Championship

Illinois finished No. 9 nationally with 69.18 average weighted points, a 275.66 adjusted scoring average and a 41-9-2 record.

The Fighting Illini opened with fourth place at the Sahalee Players Championship, finishing at 27 over par.

Illinois followed with second place at the Fighting Illini Invitational, posting 38 under par, before placing sixth at the Fighting Irish Classic.

The Fighting Illini concluded their fall by sharing the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational championship with Arkansas and South Carolina, finishing at four over par.

Fall championship: Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational (shared).

Source: Illinois Men’s Golf Schedule

Georgia Tech Wins Two Championships

Georgia Tech finished No. 10 nationally with 64.62 average weighted points, a 276.44 adjusted scoring average and a 49-19-0 record.

The Yellow Jackets opened by winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate, held September 7–9, finishing at 18 under par.

Georgia Tech followed with eighth place at the Fighting Illini Invitational and 12th at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The Yellow Jackets captured the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, held October 16–18, finishing at 16 under par.

Georgia Tech closed its season with second place at the Steelwood Collegiate, finishing at 40 under par, two strokes behind Auburn.

Fall championships: Folds of Honor Collegiate and Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational.

New Mexico Captures Canadian Collegiate Invitational

New Mexico finished No. 11 nationally with 63.95 average weighted points, a 276.90 adjusted scoring average and a 39-4-0 record.

The Lobos opened with second place at the Pan Pacific University Golf Super League Tournament, finishing at 28 under par.

New Mexico captured the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, held September 13–15, finishing at five under par.

The Lobos followed with second place at the William H. Tucker Invitational, competed in the NB3 College Matchplay and concluded their fall with second place at The Clerico.

New Mexico recorded three runner-up finishes alongside its Canadian Collegiate Invitational victory. Clippd lists two overall wins, although only one stroke play tournament championship is identifiable from the supplied event results.

Confirmed stroke play championship: Canadian Collegiate Invitational.

Source: New Mexico Clippd Results

Georgia Wins Gopher Invitational and Ka’anapali Classic

Georgia finished No. 12 nationally with 63.48 average weighted points, a 276.68 adjusted scoring average and a 58-18-2 record.

The Bulldogs opened with sixth place at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate before winning the 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational, held September 20–21, finishing at nine under par.

Georgia followed with eighth place at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational and seventh at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational.

The Bulldogs closed the fall by winning the Ka’anapali Classic, held October 25–27, finishing at 23 under par in the 20-team field.

Fall championships: 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational and Ka’anapali Classic.

Source: Georgia Men’s Golf Schedule

Texas A&M Wins Abilene Christian Intercollegiate

Texas A&M finished No. 13 nationally with 60.52 average weighted points, a 277.29 adjusted scoring average and a 38-17-0 record.

The Aggies opened with second place in stroke play at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup before falling to Texas in the championship match.

Texas A&M followed with 13th place at the Fighting Illini Invitational and second at the Fighting Irish Classic.

The Aggies captured the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate, held October 19–21, finishing at 24 under par.

Texas A&M concluded its fall with third place at the Steelwood Collegiate, posting 30 under par.

Fall championship: Abilene Christian Intercollegiate.

Source: Texas A&M Clippd Results

Vanderbilt Records Four Top-Six Finishes

Vanderbilt finished No. 14 nationally with 58.94 average weighted points, a 277.61 adjusted scoring average and a 41-17-3 record.

The Commodores opened with fifth place at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, finishing at eight under par.

Vanderbilt followed with sixth place at the Inverness Intercollegiate and fifth at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The Commodores concluded their fall with fifth place at the Williams Cup.

Vanderbilt did not capture a tournament championship but finished sixth or better in all four events.

Source: Vanderbilt Clippd Results

North Carolina Records Two Top-Three Finishes

North Carolina finished No. 15 nationally with 58.48 average weighted points, a 277.74 adjusted scoring average and a 48-17-3 record.

The Tar Heels opened with third place at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, finishing at nine under par.

North Carolina followed with sixth place at the Sahalee Players Championship and tied for third at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The Tar Heels concluded their fall with fourth place at the Fighting Irish Classic and sixth at the Williams Cup.

North Carolina did not record a fall championship but finished sixth or better in all five tournaments.

Source: North Carolina Clippd Results

Arizona State Wins Fighting Illini Invitational

Arizona State finished No. 16 nationally with 58.24 average weighted points, a 278.79 adjusted scoring average and a 32-23-2 record.

The Sun Devils opened with sixth place at the Sahalee Players Championship before winning the Fighting Illini Invitational, held September 18–20, finishing at 40 under par.

Arizona State followed with 16th place at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The Sun Devils recorded three victories and one tie in their listed matches at the Big 12 Match Play Tournament before closing the fall with fourth place at the Williams Cup.

Fall championship: Fighting Illini Invitational.

Source: Arizona State Clippd Results

Notre Dame Records Four Top-Three Finishes

Notre Dame finished No. 17 nationally with 57.07 average weighted points, a 278.34 adjusted scoring average and a 45-18-1 record.

The Fighting Irish opened with second place at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, finishing at 13 under par.

Notre Dame followed with second place at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, third at the Windon Memorial and third at the Fighting Irish Classic.

The Fighting Irish concluded their fall with 13th place at the Williams Cup.

Notre Dame did not capture a fall championship but recorded four top-three finishes in five tournaments.

Source: Notre Dame Clippd Results

Washington Wins Saint Mary’s Invitational

Washington finished No. 18 nationally with 57.04 average weighted points, a 278.13 adjusted scoring average and a 42-4-0 record.

The Huskies opened with third place at the Sahalee Players Championship and second at the Windon Memorial.

Washington followed with third place in stroke play at the St Andrews Links Collegiate and recorded a 5-1 victory in its subsequent medal match.

The Huskies closed the fall by winning the Saint Mary’s Invitational, held October 19–21, finishing at 26 under par in the 18-team field.

Fall championship: Saint Mary’s Invitational.

Source: Washington Clippd Results

Clemson Finishes Second at Ka’anapali Classic

Clemson finished No. 19 nationally with 56.64 average weighted points, a 278.24 adjusted scoring average and a 46-21-0 record.

The Tigers opened with 13th place at the Inverness Intercollegiate before finishing fourth at the Bryan Bros Collegiate.

Clemson recorded two match victories and one loss at the Barbara Nicklaus Cup.

The Tigers followed with fifth place at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational before closing their fall with second place at the Ka’anapali Classic, finishing at 22 under par, one stroke behind Georgia.

Clemson did not record a fall team championship.

Source: Clemson Clippd Results

East Tennessee State Wins Two Championships

East Tennessee State finished No. 20 nationally with 55.11 average weighted points, a 279.35 adjusted scoring average and a 59-14-1 record.

The Buccaneers opened with second place at the Inverness Intercollegiate, finishing at 12 over par.

ETSU won the Highlands Invitational, held September 21–22, finishing at 21 under par.

The Buccaneers followed with another championship at the Trinity Forest Invitational, held October 4–6, posting 32 under par.

ETSU closed its fall with fourth place at the Bank of Tennessee and 11th at the Ka’anapali Classic.

Fall championships: Highlands Invitational and Trinity Forest Invitational.

Source: ETSU Men’s Golf Schedule

Wake Forest Records Two Top-Three Finishes

Wake Forest finished No. 21 nationally with 54.88 average weighted points, a 278.92 adjusted scoring average and a 32-21-0 record.

The Demon Deacons opened with 15th place at the Inverness Intercollegiate before finishing second at the Highlands Invitational, posting 20 under par.

Wake Forest followed with third place at the Hamptons Intercollegiate and fifth at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational.

The Demon Deacons did not record a fall championship but earned two top-three finishes.

Source: Wake Forest Clippd Results

Santa Clara Wins Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate

Santa Clara finished No. 22 nationally with 53.86 average weighted points, a 278.69 adjusted scoring average and a 53-9-2 record.

The Broncos opened by winning the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate, held September 7–8, finishing at 50 under par.

Santa Clara followed with third place at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational and fifth at the William H. Tucker Invitational.

The Broncos closed their season with second place at the Saint Mary’s Invitational and third at The Preserve Golf Club Collegiate.

Fall championship: Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate.

Source: Santa Clara Clippd Results

BYU Records Two Top-Three Finishes

BYU finished No. 23 nationally with 53.80 average weighted points, a 278.74 adjusted scoring average and a 31-6-2 record.

The Cougars opened with fourth place at the Vuori Invitational, finishing at 12 over par.

BYU followed with third place at the William H. Tucker Invitational, posting 21 under par.

The Cougars recorded two victories and two ties at the Big 12 Match Play Tournament.

BYU concluded its fall with second place at The Preserve Golf Club Collegiate, finishing at 21 under par.

The Cougars did not capture a fall team championship.

Source: BYU Clippd Results

South Carolina Wins Two Fall Championships

South Carolina finished No. 24 nationally with 53.46 average weighted points, a 279.16 adjusted scoring average and a 42-16-2 record.

The Gamecocks opened with 12th place at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate before winning the JT Poston Invitational, held September 13–15, finishing at 31 under par.

South Carolina followed with sixth place at the Bryan Bros Collegiate.

The Gamecocks concluded their season by sharing the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational championship with Arkansas and Illinois, finishing at four over par.

Fall championships: JT Poston Invitational and Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational (shared).

Source: South Carolina Men’s Golf Schedule

TCU Records Three Top-Three Finishes

TCU finished No. 25 nationally with 53.33 average weighted points, a 278.40 adjusted scoring average and a 39-16-2 record.

The Horned Frogs opened with third place at the Pan Pacific University Golf Super League Tournament, finishing at 21 under par.

TCU followed with second place at the Bearcat Invitational and 11th at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The Horned Frogs recorded two losses and two ties at the Big 12 Match Play Tournament.

TCU closed the fall with third place at the Ka’anapali Classic, posting 16 under par.

TCU did not record a fall team championship but earned three top-three finishes.

Source: TCU Clippd Results

Top Individual Performers of Fall 2026

The individual Clippd rankings featured standout performances from several programs, with Illinois’ Max Herendeen holding the No. 1 position entering the winter break.

Max Herendeen, Illinois

Herendeen finished No. 1 nationally with 103.55 average weighted points.

The Illinois standout recorded one individual victory and three top-three finishes across four tournaments and 12 rounds.

Herendeen’s performance contributed to Illinois’ No. 9 team ranking and its shared Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational championship.

Preston Stout, Oklahoma State

Stout finished No. 2 nationally with 101.93 average weighted points.

The Oklahoma State golfer recorded one individual victory and two top-three finishes across seven listed events and 16 rounds.

Stout was part of an Oklahoma State program that finished No. 1 nationally and captured the Sahalee Players Championship and Big 12 Match Play Tournament.

Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma

Cowan finished No. 3 nationally with 99.14 average weighted points.

The Oklahoma standout won the 2nd Swing Gopher Invitational, recording a tournament victory during his fall campaign.

Cowan recorded one victory across four tournaments and 12 rounds.

Finn Koelle, Washington

Koelle finished No. 4 nationally with 94.46 average weighted points.

The Washington senior captured the Sahalee Players Championship individual title with a hole-in-one on his final hole.

Koelle recorded one individual victory across five listed events and 12 rounds.

Adam Bresnu, Texas Tech

Bresnu finished No. 5 nationally with 93.58 average weighted points.

The Texas Tech golfer recorded one individual victory and one top-three finish across five listed events and 13 rounds.

Daniel Bennett, Texas

Bennett finished No. 6 nationally with 90.18 average weighted points.

The Texas golfer recorded two individual tournament victories and three top-three finishes across five listed events and 12 rounds.

Bennett was among the leading individual winners of the fall and contributed to a Texas program that captured two championship matches.

Johnnie Clark, New Mexico

Clark finished No. 7 nationally with 89.36 average weighted points.

The New Mexico senior recorded three individual victories and four top-three finishes across five listed events and 15 rounds.

Clark’s three tournament victories came in three different countries. He also finished second in his remaining stroke play appearance, making him one of the fall’s leading individual performers.

Ben Gregg, Texas Tech

Gregg finished No. 8 nationally with 88.08 average weighted points.

The Texas Tech golfer recorded one individual victory and two top-three finishes across five listed events and 13 rounds.

William Jennings, Alabama

Jennings finished No. 9 nationally with 85.15 average weighted points.

The Alabama golfer recorded one top-three finish across three tournaments and nine rounds.

Gabriel Palacios, Utah

Palacios rounded out the individual Top 10 with 84.09 average weighted points.

The Utah golfer recorded one individual victory and one top-three finish across seven listed events and 17 rounds.

Additional Individual Tournament Winners and Standouts

Several golfers ranked outside the individual Top 10 also recorded victories during the fall.

Texas’ Matthew Comegys finished No. 11 nationally with 82.05 average weighted points, one victory and two top-three finishes.

UNCG’s BJ Boyce ranked No. 13 with 80.65 average weighted points, one victory and three top-three finishes.

Georgia Tech’s Albert Hansson finished No. 15 nationally with 80.37 average weighted points and won the Steelwood Collegiate individual championship at 20 under par.

Santa Clara’s Emil Nielsen ranked No. 16 with 79.22 average weighted points, one victory and three top-three finishes.

Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert and Logan Reilly finished No. 22 and No. 23 nationally, respectively, with one individual victory apiece.

LSU’s Daniel Hayes ranked No. 24 with one victory, while Memphis’ Yixiang Wang rounded out the Top 25 with one victory and two top-three finishes.

Fall 2026 Championship Summary

Arkansas led the November 4 team Top 25 with three stroke play championships, winning the Vuori Invitational, Blessings Collegiate Invitational and sharing the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational title.

Auburn also recorded three overall championships, winning the Inverness Intercollegiate, East Lake Cup match play title and Steelwood Collegiate.

Florida, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Georgia, East Tennessee State and South Carolina each won two stroke play tournaments.

Oklahoma State captured one stroke play championship and the Big 12 Match Play Tournament, while Texas won championship matches at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup and St Andrews Links Collegiate.

Alabama, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Washington and Santa Clara each recorded at least one confirmed stroke play team championship.

Individually, Johnnie Clark led the listed Top 25 with three victories, followed by Daniel Bennett with two. Max Herendeen, Preston Stout and Ryder Cowan occupied the top three positions in the individual national rankings.

Looking Ahead to Spring 2027

Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Auburn enter the winter break holding the top three positions in the November 4 Clippd rankings.

Florida and Texas round out the top five, followed by Texas Tech, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois and Georgia Tech.

The spring season will provide additional opportunities for these programs and individual standouts before conference championships, NCAA Regionals and the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.

Rankings and results: Scoreboard Powered by Clippd

Additional individual coverage: Golf Channel’s NCAA Men’s Golf Fall Awards

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