Golf

Fayetteville State Out Front Following Opening Round of CIAA Men’s Golf Championship

MEBANE, N.C. — Fayetteville State set the early pace at the 2026 CIAA Men’s Golf Championship, posting a five-under-par team score to take the lead after the opening round of the three-day event at Mill Spring Golf Course in Mebane, North Carolina.

The Broncos carded a -5 in round one, building a three-shot cushion over Winston-Salem State (-2). Virginia State and Virginia Union sit tied for third at even par, while Bluefield State (-1) rounds out the top five heading into round two.

Fayetteville State’s charge was fueled by a strong collective effort and the individual medalist lead from Patrico Ramirez, who posted the lowest round of the day with a 3-under-par 71 to lead the individual standings. Teammate Sutton Dreier followed closely, firing a 2-under 72 to sit second overall, giving the Broncos the top two spots on the leaderboard after 18 holes.

Winston-Salem State remains firmly in contention after turning in a solid opening round at two-under. Tanner Frye led the Rams individually with a 1-under 72, placing him third, while Godfrey Nsubuga added a 74 (+1) to help keep Winston-Salem State within striking distance of the lead.

Virginia State and Virginia Union shared third place on the team leaderboard, each finishing round one at even par. The Trojans were paced by Samuel Kozisek and Roan Sidhu, who each carded even-par 72s, while Virginia Union’s Juan Solano matched that score to anchor the Panthers’ opening round.

Bluefield State sits fifth at 1-under, highlighted by steady rounds from Eman Lim and Ben Lyons, both finishing at 2-over 74. Livingstone is sixth at +20, followed by Bowie State (+41) and Johnson C. Smith (+42) as teams look to make up ground over the final two rounds.

The individual leaderboard remains tightly packed behind Ramirez, with seven players within three shots of the lead. Fayetteville State placed four golfers inside the top 15, underscoring its depth as the championship moves forward.

Round two of the CIAA Men’s Golf Championship continues today at Mill Spring Golf Course, with teams aiming to position themselves for a strong finish in the final round on Tuesday.