CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina senior Max Bengtsson and sophomore Drew Sykes were selected to compete in the 2026 NCAA Men's Golf Athens Regional on Wednesday.
The NCAA Regional will be held May 18-20 at the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Ga, hosted by the University of Georgia. This marks the first time the Chanticleers have had an individual earn a selection to an NCAA Regional since Seth Taylor in 2023, and the first time multiple players have earned selections since 2015. Coastal advanced to the NCAA Regionals as a team last season.
Thirteen teams and 10 individuals not on those teams were selected for each of three regionals, while the other three regionals will feature 14 teams and five individuals not on those teams. The top five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals.
Other regional sites are Bryan, Texas (Texas A&M); Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State); Corvallis, Oregon (Oregon State); Marana, Arizona (Arizona); Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest).
Bengtsson has had a career year with two wins, including capturing medalist honors at the Sun Belt Conference Championship. He tied the program record for the lowest single round in school history with a 63 in the second round of the Michael A. Marino Classic on March 18. He posted three top-10 finishes and shot par or better in 22 of 30 rounds.
Sykes recorded a pair of top-10 finishes, capped by a runner-up finish at the Sun Belt Conference Championship last week with a season-low score of 8-under 208. He posted the lowest adjusted scoring average on the team at 70.1, shooting par or better in 23 rounds.
Both players competed for Coastal Carolina at the 2025 Bremerton Regional.
ATHENS REGIONAL
Athens, Ga. • UGA Golf Course
May 18-20
Hosted by the University of Georgia
TEAMS
1. Auburn
2. Illinois
3. Vanderbilt
4. BYU
5. Georgia
6. Louisville
7. Kansas
8. Northwestern
9. College of Charleston
10. Rice
11. Southern Miss
12. Harvard
13. Howard
INDIVIDUALS
1. Malan Potgieter, Louisiana
2. Hugo Thyr, South Alabama
3. Max Bengtsson, Coastal Carolina
4. Drew Sykes, Coastal Carolina
5. Erki Olin, UAB
6. Matthew Lefevre, Stetson
7. Andrew Ferworn, North Alabama
8. Shaun Cook, Kennesaw State
9. Rasmus Ditzinger, Fairfield
10. Vicente Rodriguez, Alabama A&M
