2026 CAA Men’s Golf Championship Returns to Dataw Island, Action Begins Sunday
Dylan Smith
WEB RELEASE | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
LIVE STATS (CLIPP’D) | PAIRINGS/TEE TIMES
ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (April 25, 2026) – The 2026 CAA Men’s Golf Championship returns to Dataw Island Golf Club for a 54-hole tournament that commences on Sunday in South Carolina.
Ten CAA members will battle for team and individual titles in the Palmetto State on the par-72, 6,764-yard course with straight starts off the first hole on Sunday and Monday at 8:30 a.m., followed by a split tee start at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. This year’s installment of the Men’s Golf Championship will mark the fifth appearance at Dataw Island over the last six years.
Live scoring, tee times, pairings, results and interviews will be available at http://caasports.com/MGolf.
Elon will look to defend its conference title in 2026 after a thrilling finish to secure its first CAA crown at Union League in 2025. The Phoenix needed a playoff hole to claim last year's crown, replaying the 18th hole and utilizing eagles from Garrett Risner and Jack Wieler. The latter will return to the conference championship as one of three golfers from last year’s championship squad. The Phoenix is ranked No. 77 nationally, according to Clipp’d.
The CAA Men’s Golf Championship will also see two programs enter the competition ranked inside the Clipp’d NCAA Division I Top 50 nationally with No. 43 UNCW and No. 47 Charleston. Prior to last year, the two programs had combined to secure the previous 13 conference titles.
The Seahawks will turn to a plethora of veterans, including a top-10 finisher in last year’s championship, Gray Mitchum. The graduate student leads the CAA with a pair of individual titles this season. Mitchum sits fourth overall in the field, sandwiched in between his fellow Seahawks, John Logan (3rd in CAA) and Preston Worch (5th in CAA). UNCW will look to secure its first conference title since 2023.
The Cougars’ roster carries the No. 1 and No. 2 golfers in the CAA with Miles Eubanks and Nevill Ruiter, both of whom have secured an individual win this season. Eubanks is the only student-athlete in the field ranked inside the Clipp’d Top 100, sitting at No. 91. Ruiter will look to crack the top 10 this season after tying for 11th in 2025. The Cougars will look to capture their fourth CAA Championship in the last six seasons.
UNCW, Charleston and Elon will be paired together for the opening round, with the first group set to tee off at 11:30 a.m. from the first hole.
Campbell enters the field looking to build on its recent success after rostering the 2025 individual champion, Henric Bjelke. Though the reigning champion had graduated, the Camels return four starters from last season, including fourth-place finisher Benjamin Killngstad, who broke even in two of his three rounds in 2025.
William & Mary will look to claim its first golf championship since 1985 as they join Campbell and the 2025 CAA runner-up Drexel in the tee groups. The three programs will begin play from hole one at 10:30 a.m.
North Carolina A&T and Towson will pair up for the opening round and begin their quest for a conference crown at 9:30 a.m. The Tigers will look to capture their first title since 2011, while the Aggies will try and secure their first CAA men’s golf crown since joining the conference.
Monmouth and Hofstra will open the entire tournament from the first hole on Sunday as the twosomes will start action at 8:30 p.m. The two programs are also on a mission to claim their first men’s golf championship.
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