Liberty University secured the 2026 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship title on April 30, following two victories in match play at Texarkana Country Club.
The win is significant as it marks Liberty’s second Conference USA championship in three years and its ninth NCAA Division I conference title. With this victory, Liberty earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional tournament.
In the semifinal round, Liberty defeated New Mexico State with a score of 4-1. Senior Ike Joy led with a decisive win over Max Chan, while freshman Silas Haarer and sophomore Michael Lugiano also contributed key victories. Josh Ryan was ahead in his match when the team clinched advancement.
During the afternoon championship session, Liberty faced UTEP, which had previously dominated stroke play. The teams have met before in recent championships; Liberty won against UTEP for the title in 2024, but UTEP prevailed over Liberty during semifinals in 2025. This year’s final saw momentum shift after nine holes, with Liberty leading or tied across all matches. Lugiano again delivered an early point by defeating Dylan Teeter. Haarer followed by securing his match on hole sixteen with a birdie putt. Joy clinched the overall team victory by winning his third consecutive birdie on hole seventeen against Alexandre Godin.
With this result, Liberty advances to NCAA Regional play for the ninth time in ten seasons and fifteenth time overall as a program. The selection show for regionals will be broadcast May 6 on Golf Channel at 2 p.m., and regional competition is scheduled for May 18-20 across six sites.
