NC State Men’s Golf Falls Short at ACC Championships, Finishes 11th
The NC State men’s golf team concluded their run at the ACC Championships this week with an 11th place finish, missing the crucial match-play cutoff after intense competition at Shark’s Tooth Golf Club in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Facing a stacked field that included five teams ranked in the top 25 nationally and 12 teams in the top 50, the Wolfpack delivered a strong opening but faded as the tournament progressed. After round one, NC State stood in a promising sixth place at one-over-par, signaling potential to make the match-play stage. However, subsequent rounds saw the team slip steadily down the leaderboard.
Top Performers Struggle as Pack Falls Behind
Senior Evan Woosley-Reed was a standout performer for the Wolfpack, delivering a stunning four-under-par final round that lifted him to a tie for 22nd place individually at two strokes over par. Redshirt-senior Markus Varjun matched that 22nd place finish after an impressive eagle on the 13th hole during round one, rebounding from a rough start in earlier fall outings.
Despite these bright spots, other key players struggled to maintain consistency. Sophomore Xander Goboy, who had shown flashes of dominance this spring, faltered dramatically, dropping from 10th place after a solid opening round to a 62nd-place finish due to a disappointing second and third round.
Redshirt sophomore Rylan Shim also faced challenges, sinking to 41st place after a round three featuring five bogeys and one double bogey. Close behind, sophomore transfer Pearce Lewin finished 33rd, ending the tournament at one-over par. Lewin, a recent transfer from the University of Tennessee—a fellow team missing the match-play cut in their conference championship—has yet to break through fully for the Pack.
Next Steps: NCAA Regional Selections Await
With conference championships behind them, NC State now turns its focus to the 2026 NCAA Championship regional fields, which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show airing live on the Golf Channel at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 6. The Wolfpack, hungry to prove their mettle, will look to secure a favorable regional placement to continue their postseason journey.
This finish underscores the intense competition in the ACC and nationally, highlighting both the highs and lows for NC State’s roster in a pressure-packed environment. The performance by Woosley-Reed and Varjun offers promise, but the Pack must regroup and sharpen all facets of their play to advance further in the NCAA postseason window.
Alaska and US golf fans watching from home will want to stay tuned as the Wolfpack prepares for the next critical chapter in this fast-moving 2026 golf season.
