SARASOTA, Fla. – The American Conference Men’s Golf Championship will be held at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Florida, from April 27-29. Teams will compete in three 18-hole rounds, with live coverage of the final round streaming on ESPN+.
Split tee times for the opening round on April 27 is set to begin with No. 4 seed Memphis, No. 5 seed North Texas and No. 6 seed UAB teeing off of the first hole between 8:30-9:14 a.m. (ET), while No. 10 Wichita State and No. 11 Temple will begin on tee 10. No. 1 seed Charlotte, No. 2 seed South Florida and No. 3 seed Rice will begin on tee one between 9:25-10:09 a.m. (ET), while No. 7 Florida Atlantic, No. 8 UTSA and No. 9 East Carolina will begin their tournament on hole 10. Teams will be re-paired based on cumulative score for both rounds two and three with split tee times for both ensuing rounds.
AMERICAN MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO FAMILIAR SETTING
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.
CHARLOTTE LOOKS TO DEFEND TITLE
Charlotte enters as the defending champion after capturing its first American Conference title in 2025. The 49ers aim 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.
WHERE TEAMS FROM THE AMERICAN STAND IN THE LATEST CLIPPD RANKINGS
Charlotte enters the championship as the highest-ranked team in the conference according to the April 22 Clippd rankings, coming in at No. 22 nationally. South Florida holds the No. 2 seed and is ranked No. 55, followed by Rice (No. 68), Memphis (No. 70), North Texas (No. 92), and UAB (No. 100), all within the Top 100.
Individually, South Florida’s Wilhelm Ryding leads the field at No. 59, while Memphis’ Yixiang Wang is ranked No. 88. Charlotte teammates Justin Matthews (No. 89) and Frazer Jones (No. 90) are also among the nation’s top players, along with Rice’s Lukas Boandl at No. 96.