BOULDER CITY, NV. – USC Beaufort freshman standout Octavio Laurent claimed the 2026 Division II Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award for earning medalist honors following the NCAA Division II National Championship. Laurent also claimed the 2026 NCAA Division II Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by StrackaLine.
The PBC Freshman of the Year closed out the opening round of the NCAA tournament tied for 19th with a score of 2-under par. He then jumped 17 spots into a tie for second place following a strong second round where he recorded seven birdies and ten pars. Laurent opened round three with three birdies in his first six holes, and kept his foot on the gas for the remainder of the day, recording nine birdies including three in a row on holes fifteen through seventeen to close out the round at 9-under par. He ended the touranment at 17-under par, with a four stroke lead over second place.
Laurent led the field with 22 birdies on the week, 17 of which came in the tournament’s final 39 holes. He had separate bogey-free streaks of 21 and 18 during the three rounds en route to earning PING First Team All-America honors.
This is Laurent’s first collegiate victory. He is USCB’s first Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award recipient and just the fourth PBC player to receive the award, and the second consecutive PBC player to do so, joining North Georgia's Hunter Smith who claimed the honor in 2025.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Laurent was named the recipient of the 2026 NCAA Division II Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by StrackaLine. Laurent becomes the first PBC player to receive this award in 30 years since Columbus State's Jon Drewery in 1996.
The Bordeaux, France native compiled 10 top-20 finishes this season, including eight inside the top 10 and five top-fives. Ranked eighth via Scoreboard Powered by Clippd, Laurent carded 23 rounds of par or better and 10 rounds in the 60s in 2025-26, including a pair of 66s at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional on May 9 and the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship on May 19. On Wednesday, Laurent posted a program-low 63 with nine birdies and no bogeys that made him the 2026 NCAA Division II Individual National Champion by four strokes with a program-record 17-under 199 (70-66-63).
Laurent closed out the season on a seven-tournament top-20 finish streak and a 71.23 season scoring average, second-best in program history behind Erik Rengardt’s 71.05 in 2024-25. Laurent was named Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Co-Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and First Team All-PBC as well as earning PING All-Southeast Region and PING First Team All-America honors. For winning the 2026 NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championship, Laurent also earns the 2026 NCAA Division II Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award, becoming the first USCB golfer to win the award at any level.
Sacha Corlouer of Georgia Southwestern, Mattia D’Errico of Wingate, Gabriel Hull of Emmanuel (GA), and William Partner of Columbus State joined Laurent on the GCAA All-Freshman Team.
Previous Recipients
2025 - Brandon Skidmore, Wingate
2024 - Wyatt Provence, West Texas A&M
2023 - Alejandro de Castro, Anderson (SC)
2022 - Josep Serra, Nova Southeastern
2021 - Oliver Lewis-Perkins, Lee
2020 - Beck Burnette, Lee
2019 - Joel Sylven, UMSL
2018 - Alberto Castagnara, Saint Leo
2017 - Felix Kvarnstrom, Lynn
2016 - Hugo Bernard, Saint Leo
2015 - John Coultas, Florida Southern
2014 - Colin Prater, Colorado Mesa
2013 - Adam Svensson, Barry
2012 - Oscar Lengdèn, Nova Southeastern
2011 - Ricardo Gouveia, Lynn
2010 - Alex Carpenter, Abilene Christian
2009 - Jake Greer, North Alabama
2008 - Jude Eustaquio, Florida Southern
2007 - Hugues Joannes, Abilene Christian
2006 - Chris Killmer, CSU Bakersfield
2005 - Andy Moren, Stanislaus State
2004 - Andrea Signor, West Florida
2003 - Tim Feenstra, Western Washington
2002 - Ryan King, Cameron
2001 - Shaun Mahaffey, Cameron
2000 - Kevin Klebe, CSU Bakersfield
1999 - Chad Tate, Ferris State
1998 - Steve Jodlowski, Central Oklahoma
1997 - Tommy Moore, High Point
1996 - Jon Drewery, Columbus State
1995 - Nick Sabol, Catawba
1994 - Jamie Stanley, USCA
1993 - Marcus Cain, Abilene Christian
1992 - Martin Lonardi, Columbus State
About StrackaLine
Since 2007, StrackaLine has been the trusted Greens Guides and Yardage Book supplier to the touring professionals, collegiate teams, and all levels of amateur golf. StrackaLine’s USGA compliant greens guides offer a level of detail and accuracy not available anywhere else for the most precise green reading. The yardage books include complete tee-to-green measurements for every hole. StrackaLine is committed to elevating the overall level of play and lowering scores for golfers all around the world.