FORT SMITH, Arkansas – Two-time reigning champion Henderson State opened the first round of the 2025 Great American Conference Men’s Golf Championships from Hardscrabble Country Club by carding a collective 1-over par 281 to finish Monday two shots clear of Arkansas Tech. Southern Nazarene’s Van Niekerk posted a 3-under 67 to lead the individual competition by two shots.

All five Reddies finished the day inside the top 20. Ethan Wilkins and Maxime Lam registered matching 1-under 69s to share second place. Wilkins picked up five birdies in his round. Lam netted four. Philipp Pakosch added a 1-over 73 to end in a tie for seventh. Jacob Knowlton placed in a tie for 12th and Cooper Williams ended in 16th.

Van Niekerk’s 67 represented his lowest round of the season by six shots. He made four birdies and added an eagle on the par-5 11th hole. As a team, the Crimson Storm ended in seventh.

Tech’s four counting golfers – Landon Lawson, Jacob Peetoom, Shaun Jones and Tobey Kim – finished amongst the top 15. Lawson joined Wilkins and Lam at 1-under. After a 1-over front nine, he made three birdies on the back nine. Peetoom collected four birdies as part of an even par round. Jones and Kim – the GAC Freshman of the Year – registered 2-over 74s.

Harding placed third, 11 shots behind the Reddies. Christian Lindgreen posted an even par round and Finlay Cummings added a 1-over 71. GAC Player of the Year Jose Peralta struggled on back nine en route to an opening round 10-over 80.

Southern Arkansas finished Monday in fourth. Logan McDonald’s opening round of 1-over 71 featured three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. Arkansas-Monticello and Southwestern Oklahoma State followed fifth and sixth, respectively. Owen Page paced the Weevils with a 2-over 74. The Bulldogs’ Lukas Hendricks finished as part of a five-way tie for seventh at 1-over par.

Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southeastern Oklahoma State rounded out the school leaderboard. The Savage Storm’s Nicholas Martini opened with three consecutive birdies, He added two more on the back nine and he registered a 1-over 71 to join the logjam in seventh place..

Tuesday’s second round tees off at 8 a.m. Play begins off the 10th hole with Southern Nazarene, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southeastern Oklahoma State in the first groups. Van Niekerk tees off at 8:32 a.m. Groups featuring Arkansas Tech and Harding start at 9:28 a.m.

 

WWW.GREATAMERICANCONFERENCE.COM

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