BRADENTON, Fla. – Charlotte Men’s Golf leads the 2026 American Conference Golf Championship through round one at the Ritz-Carlton Members Club fueled by strong individual performances from Seb Cave and Chase Cline.
Charlotte (271, -17) is one stroke ahead of both Memphis and Rice (272, -16) going into round two on Tuesday morning. Cave and Cline (66, -6) are in a five-way tie for second place individually, trailing Cian O’Connor (Memphis) by one stroke. Cline’s round was highlighted by two eagles on holes 4 and 15 while Cave played bogey-free golf with six birdies. Justin Matthews (68, -4) is tied for ninth as well. The Niners were the only team in the first round to have all five players shoot par or better.
Entering as the defending champion after capturing the title in 2025, Charlotte aims to become the first program to repeat as champions since South Florida won four consecutive titles from 2015–18. Last year’s championship marked a historic finish, as Charlotte defeated South Florida in a playoff after both teams finished at 35-under 829. The victory required two sudden-death playoff holes, marking the first playoff in championship history.
This season, Charlotte ranks as the 22nd team in the nation in both the Scoreboard rankings and the Golfweek Coaches’ Poll. The Niners are the third highest ranked mid major in the country behind Pepperdine (#14) and New Mexico (#18).
Cabbage’s squad totaled two top three finishes during the regular season at The Bryan Bros Collegiate, where Charlotte finished just three strokes behind sixth ranked LSU, and finished third in a competitive field at The Hayt in March as the Niners defeated then #1 Virginia, #6 LSU, #15 Alabama, and #17 North Carolina. In October, Charlotte was ranked as high as #16.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Dates: Monday, Apr.27 – Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026
Course: Ritz-Carlton Members Club – Bradenton, Florida
Scoring: clt49e.rs/AmercianChamp
Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,417 yards
The championship returns for a second consecutive year to The Ritz-Carlton Members Club, a par-72 course measuring approximately 7,417 yards. Designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio, the course spans 315 acres of tropical landscape and features dramatic elevation changes and water hazards throughout.
The closing stretch—holes 16 through 18—forms one of the most difficult three-hole sequences in the state. Known as “The Lion’s Den,” it draws comparisons to “The Snake Pit” at Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course and “The Bear Trap” at PGA National Resort Champion Course.
TOP FIVE TEAMS
1st – Charlotte (271, -17)
t-2nd – Memphis (272, -16
t-2nd – Rice (272, -16)
t-4th – South Florida (282, -6)
t-4th – East Carolina (282, -6)
t-4th – UAB (282, -6)
CHARLOTTE SCORECARD
2nd – Seb Cave – (66, -6)
2nd – Chase Cline (66, -6)
9th – Justin Matthews (68, -4)
18th – Frazer Jones (71, -1)
26th – Daniel Boone, Jr. (72, E)
TOP FIVE PLAYERS
1st – Cian O’Connor (Memphis) 65, -7
t-2nd – Seb Cave (Charlotte) 66, -6
t-2nd – Chase Cline (Charlotte) 66, -6
t-2nd – Wilhelm Ryding (South Florida) 66, -6
t-2nd – Reggie Zhu (Rice) 66, -6
t-2nd – Lukas Boandl (Rice) 66, -6
t-7th – Mitchall Maier (North Texas) 67, -5
t-7th – Diego Do Patrocinio Lourenco (Memphis) 67, -5
ROUND TWO TEE TIMES
Daniel Boone, Jr. (9:25 a.m.), Frazer Jones (9:36 a.m.), Justin Matthews (9:47 a.m.), Chase Cline (9:58 a.m.), and Seb Cave (10:09 a.m.) will represent the Niners in round two on Tuesday morning.