PALM BEACH HARBOR, FLA -- The University of North Georgia Nighthawks shot their lowest round of the tournament and finished in fifth place following the conclusion of three rounds of stroke play at the NCAA National Championships at PGA National on Wednesday. With that finish, the Nighthawks return to the match play portion of the event which begins on Thursday morning.
The #5 seed, UNG will meet #4 Florida Southern in their match. The top eight teams advanced to match play in an elimination-style bracket. The winner of the UNG/FSC match will play the winner of the Missouri S&T/Wingate match on Thursday afternoon in the semifinals with the winner advancing to the national championship match on Friday. UNG reached the final round in 2024.
Columbus State finished 11th in the team standings and did not advance to match play.
UNG's Hunter Smith claimed the 2025 Division II Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award for earning medalist honors following the NCAA Division II National Championship.
Smith (71-67-72, -6) went from T11 to T1 after Tuesday’s four-birdie, 11-par 67 that included an eagle on the 488-yard, par-5 18th hole. The junior from Athens, Ga., used 13 pars, two birdies, and two bogeys to create a final-round 72 Wednesday, holding off eight golfers who finished within two shots to capture the program’s first NCAA Division II Individual National Championship.
The win was Smith’s first as a collegiate golfer and elevates him to a 2025 NCAA Division II PING First Team All-American. He becomes the fourth PBC men's golfer to win medalist honors at the national championships, the first since 2008.
Ethan Day and Hughes Threlkeld finished in a tie for 26th place. Day finished the tournament 72-74-72 for a +2 218 while Threlkeld was 72-77-69 with six birdies and three bogeys in his round on Wednesday. Colby Bennett finished in a tie for 40th 74-74-73 +5 while Jack Vajda was 75-81-75 +15.
Pete Stansell led Columbus State with a 26th-place finish with scores of 72-71-75 +3. Bernard Meyer and Martin Gruendemann were tied for 34th at +4 219 while Russell Makepeace was tied for 67th and Frederick Chappell 71st.
Georgia Southwestern's Felipe Gomez, playing as an individual, finished tied for 56th with rounds of 75-74-75 +8.
North Georgia will tee off on Thursday starting at 8:20 am.