Men's Golf Finishes Third at NJCAA South District Championship
OXFORD, AL – Calhoun men's golf competed in the NJCAA South District Championship Tournament April 19–21 at Cider Ridge Golf Club, finishing third overall after 54 holes of competition.
The Warhawks turned in a three-round team score that placed them just two strokes shy of a runner-up finish and 11 strokes behind tournament champion Shelton State, with Wallace-Dothan securing second place. Despite narrowly missing an automatic qualifying spot, Calhoun remained in contention throughout the event and showed resilience across the three-day tournament.
Calhoun opened play on Sunday with a solid team performance, shooting +19 in round one. Freshman AJ Bradford led the charge with an impressive +1 (73), carding par or better on 15 of 18 holes to set the tone early for the Warhawks.
Round two on Monday proved to be the most challenging stretch for Calhoun, as the team posted a +33 score. Despite the struggles, sophomore Jayce Hutchens paced the Warhawks individually with a +6 (78), helping limit the damage heading into the final round.
Facing ground to make up on Tuesday, Calhoun responded with a strong finish, shooting +20 as a team to secure third place. Hutchens once again led the effort, improving to a +4 (76) in the final round. The highlight of the day came from Jesse Kilgore, who delivered a standout moment with an eagle on the 548-yard par-5 ninth hole—providing a spark during the Warhawks' late push up the leaderboard.
Jackson Yeager, Reece Hardiman and Sammy Holmes rounded out the team for the Warhawks.
Head coach Richard Morgan credited his team's resilience, particularly after a difficult second round. "We obviously wanted to finish in the top two and lock in the automatic qualifier, but I think the body of work we've put together this season still puts us in a strong position," Morgan said. "I'm proud of the way the guys responded in that final round. After a tough Monday, they came back, competed, and gave themselves a chance."
With the district tournament complete, Calhoun now turns its attention to the NJCAA National Championship selection process. The Warhawks will await a potential at-large bid, which would send them to Indiana in May to compete on the national stage.
