BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The College of Coastal Georgia men's golf program makes its return to the national stage this week, teeing it up at the 74th Annual NAIA Men's Golf National Championship, May 12-15 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Ranked No. 7 nationally heading into the championship, the Mariners bring one of the sport's premier individual talents and a roster that has steadily built its résumé throughout a competitive spring season.
TPC Deere Run is a PGA-owned and operated 18-hole golf course situated along the bluffs of the Mississippi River — a championship-caliber venue that will test every team in the 29-team field across four rounds of stroke play, with the top four daily scores counting toward the team total.
THE NO. 1 GOLFER IN THE NAIA
Junior Antonio Juarbe of Jesup, Georgia, enters the national championship as the top-ranked individual player in NAIA golf. Juarbe holds the No. 1 individual spot and has the Mariners positioned seventh in the final coaches' poll. The numbers back it up: his opening-round 67 at the Blue Mountain Spring Classic was the low round of the entire tournament, and he closed at even par to claim the individual title in a 16-team field in March. He has now earned three NAIA All-American nods across his career, including a third-place individual finish at the 2024 national championship as a freshman. Heading into Silvis, Juarbe is unquestionably one of the most dangerous players in the field — and the Mariners' best chance at an individual Red Banner.
A WELL-ROUNDED LINEUP
While Juarbe is the centerpiece, Coastal Georgia has built a legitimate team around him. Sophomore Jake Ackerman has developed into one of the most reliable contributors on the roster, pacing the team at the spring's key events and turning in strong second and third rounds at the Blue Mountain Classic. Griffin Blount has provided consistent volume throughout the season, while Bo Shuler, a junior with national tournament experience, adds a steadying presence. Finley Burke rounds out a lineup that has experience playing in large, competitive fields.
The team's signature moment of the spring came at the Kinderlou Forest Spring Invite in February, where the Mariners won the tournament at 16-over 880 — eight shots clear of second place — in a field that included five ranked programs. That performance, from a squad ranked third at the time, demonstrated the depth Coastal Georgia can bring when it's clicking as a unit.
THE FIELD AND THE PATH TO A RED BANNER
Keiser (Fla.) entered the 2025-26 season as the defending national champion and preseason No. 1, with Georgia Gwinnett at No. 2 and Tennessee Wesleyan at No. 3. The Mariners finished fourth in the Sun Conference Tournament ahead of nationals, competing in a field that included five programs inside the NAIA Top 25. Coastal Georgia has won the national title twice before — in 2009 and 2015 — and understands what it takes to contend at TPC Deere Run, a course the program has visited multiple times in championship play.
With Juarbe leading the way and a team capable of shooting competitive scores on a PGA Tour venue, the Mariners have the firepower to contend for a top-five finish and put pressure on the national leaders through the weekend.
The championship runs Tuesday through Friday at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Live scoring is available through the Clippd Scoreboard.
