William & Mary men’s golf will compete in the postseason for the first time since 2002 as it travels to Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, for the 2026 Golfweek National Golf Invitational, according to a May 20 announcement. The event is scheduled from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24 and will feature ten teams.
The National Golf Invitational (NGI), known as the NIT of collegiate golf, is returning for its fourth year at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Last season’s NGI was won by Ohio State. This year’s tournament includes an exemption to a PGA Tour event; the individual winner will earn a spot at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship set for October 22-26 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda.
William & Mary’s lineup consists of Preston Burton, Talon Dingledine, Eli Felty, Matthew Monastero and Grady Williams. The team recently finished sixth at the CAA Championships with a score of five-over-par 869. The Tribe recorded its best single-round score at the CAA Championships with a five-under-par 283 in the final round. Freshman Talon Dingledine led as CAA Runner-up with a nine-under-par total of 207—the best score by any Tribe player at conference championships—and closed out with a six-under-par round of 66.
Dingledine became William & Mary’s first men’s golfer named CAA Rookie of the Year when awards were announced on May 13. He was also selected to the All-CAA Second Team and is noted as being “the first Tribe player to earn All-CAA honors since Matthew Feinstein in 2023 and the first W&M rookie.” As a team this season, William & Mary won two events: Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate in March and ODU/OBX Intercollegiate during fall—marking only their sixth multi-win season ever and their first since 2004-05.
The team’s season stroke average stands at nearly two shots better than its school record. Three student-athletes—Dingledine (72.03), Burton (72.83), and Felty (73.19)—rank among program leaders for single-season scoring averages.
Looking ahead to NGI competition against Augusta, Grand Canyon, Mercer, Missouri, Nevada, North Alabama, Rhode Island, Tennessee Tech and Wyoming; William & Mary aims to build on recent achievements.
