NDSU surges in front at Summit Men’s Golf Championship

MESA, Ariz. (Summit League) — Led by senior Gabe Benson’s 66 (-5), North Dakota State vaulted into the lead after two rounds of play at the 2026 Summit League Men’s Golf Championship Monday. Benson led all golfers with six birdies on day two and moved into a share of the indivudual lead, while staking the Bison to a six-stroke advantage in the chase for a team title.

NDSU, who will be seeking its first men’s team title since 2018, entered the day two strokes off the pace of first-round leader South Dakota but were able to move past the Coyotes thanks to carding the only under-par team score of the day at 283 (-1). The Bison’s 36-hole total is 569 (+1), which is six clear of Denver, who manuevered into second play after carding a 287 (+3). The Pioneers (575; +7) were led once again by Jet Hernandez, who managed to stay in a share of the individual lead after posting a 73 (+1).

Benson and Hernandez are joined by a pair of Coyotes in first place as Jack Holtz and Parker Etzel also hold 36-hole total of 140 (-2). Holtz fired his second straight 70 (-1), while Etzel birdied three of his last five to escape round two with a 72 (+1) after posting a 68 (-3) in the opening loop at the Longbow Golf Club. South Dakota will still be in the final groupings for Tuesday’s closing round along with NDSU and Denver. The Coyotes will enter the final round in third place (576: +8), seven strokes shy of the Bison.

St. Thomas (579; +11) moved into solo fourth after posting a 290 (+6), while Kansas City and Oral Roberts (587; +19) share fifth going into Tuesday.

The Tommies’ Owen Rexing and Omaha’s Ethan Smith round out the top five in the hunt for medalist honors.  Rexing leads the field with 11 birdies through two rounds, sitting at 141 (-1) along with Smith, who posted a 69 (-2), which was the second best round of the day in the 45-player field.

The final round of the 2026 Summit League Men’s Golf Championship tees off tomorrow at 7 a.m. MST with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

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