NORMAN, OK --- The USC Aiken men's golf team is ranked #1 and a total of five Peach Belt Conference programs are ranked in the top 25 in the Pre-Spring Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll. The Pacers received 11 first-place votes in the poll and 480 total points to take the top spot while Columbus State is 6th, North Georgia 15th, Georgia Southwestern 17th and Young Harris 22nd.
Flagler, Lander, Clayton State and Georgia College also received votes in the poll, putting all 9 PBC programs in the listing.
USC Aiken won both of their outings in the fall, taking the title at the 11-team Camden Collegiate by eight strokes and then firing 27-under-par at the 11-team UNG Fall Invitational to win by seven. The Pacers lead the PBC with a 282.2 team stroke average. Junior Björn Rosengren took the title at the Camden Collegiate while sophomore Leo Johansson was second at Camden and tied for eighth at UNG. Both of those players along with freshman Gage Weeks and junior Nic Poole, are all in the top 10 in the PBC in scoring average.
Columbus State will be the first team out of the blocks this spring as they play the Matlock Collegiate Classic starting Feb. 8. Five other teams take the course on Feb. 15 at the Sprink Kickoff Collegiate.
| Rank |
University (First Place Votes) |
Points |
Previous Rank |
| 1 |
South Carolina-Aiken (11) |
480 |
5 |
| 2 |
Lincoln Memorial (1) |
400 |
7 |
| 3 |
Barry (4) |
352 |
2 |
| 4 |
Lee |
342 |
9 |
| 5 |
Indianapolis (1) |
306 |
NR |
| 6 |
Columbus State |
304 |
4 |
| 7 |
Lynn (1) |
288 |
3 |
| 8 |
Findlay |
272 |
15 |
| 9 |
Colorado State-Pueblo |
270 |
21 |
| 10 |
West Florida (1) |
240 |
8 |
| 11 |
Arkansas Tech |
204 |
6 |
| 12 |
Colorado School of Mines |
182 |
19 |
| T-13 |
Florida Southern |
180 |
25 |
| T-13 |
Delta State |
180 |
13 |
| 15 |
North Georgia |
156 |
NR |
| 16 |
Saint Leo |
154 |
14 |
| 17 |
Georgia Southwestern State (1) |
153 |
1 |
| T-18 |
Dallas Baptist |
144 |
NR |
| T-18 |
Newberry |
144 |
NR |
| T-20 |
Oklahoma Christian |
135 |
11 |
| T-20 |
Limestone |
135 |
NR |
| 22 |
Young Harris College |
130 |
NR |
| 23 |
Central Missouri |
110 |
17 |
| 24 |
St. Marys (TX) |
96 |
10 |
| 25 |
Missouri - St. Louis |
91 |
NR |
Others Receiving Votes:
Flagler, 64; Colorado Mesa Univ., 63; Florida Tech, 60; Midwestern State, 49; Anderson (SC), 48; Valdosta State, 48; Rollins, 42; Simon Fraser, 40; Chico State, 36; Queens Univ. of Charlotte, 36; Western New Mexico, 36; Carson-Newman, 30; Hillsdale, 30; Nova Southeastern, 25; Colorado-Colorado Springs, 24; Central Oklahoma, 21; Tampa, 21; Cal State-Monterey Bay, 20;
Lander, 20; Sonoma State, 20; Henderson State, 16; Washburn, 16; Wayne State (MI), 14;
Clayton State, 12; Montevallo, 12; Northeastern State, 12; Western Washington, 12; Trevecca Nazarene, 11; Missouri Western State, 10; Dixie State, 8; Grand Valley State, 8; St. Edwards, 8; Texas A&M Commerce, 8; Maryville Univ., 6; Palm Beach Atlantic, 6; Southwestern Oklahoma State, 6; CSU East Bay, 5; South Dakota School of Mines & Tech, 5; Christian Brothers, 4; Westminster College (UT), 4; Barton College, 3; West Georgia, 3; Cameron, 2;
Georgia College, 2; Mount Olive, 2; Virginia Union, 2; California Univ. of Pennsylvania, 1; Saint Martins Univ., 1; Tiffin, 1; Wingate, 1.