No. 12 North Georgia Sits in Seventh After Day One at Argonaut Invitational

The Nighthawks look to make a move on the final day of the tournament.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 12:41pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college golf tournament, with sharp, overlapping planes of green fairways, blue skies, and brown sand traps, capturing the dynamic action of the event.North Georgia's golfers battle for position on the final day of the Argonaut Invitational, their performance fractured into a cubist landscape.Pensacola Today

The No. 12 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team sits in seventh place at 1-over-par 552 after two rounds of the Argonaut Invitational, hosted by West Florida on Monday. The Nighthawks posted a 293 in the opening round and were well under par in the second round before play was suspended due to darkness.

Why it matters

This tournament is an important early-season event for the No. 12 ranked North Georgia men's golf team, as they look to build momentum and establish themselves as a contender in the highly competitive Division II golf landscape.

The details

Hunter Smith led the way for North Georgia, opening with a 2-under 70 before surging in the second round. Smith stood at 4-under through 16 holes in round two, positioning himself near the top of the individual leaderboard. Colby Bennett carded an even-par 72 in the first round and was 2-over through 17 holes in the second. Rhett Smith turned in a 1-over 73 to open play and followed with a strong 3-under performance through 16 holes in round two. Garrett Horton recorded a 6-over 78 in the first round and was 6-over through 16 holes in the second, while Grant Langford rebounded from an opening-round 83 with a 1-over showing through 16 holes in round two.

  • The tournament began on Monday, March 31, 2026.
  • The second round will conclude on Tuesday, April 1, 2026, followed by the third and final round.

The players

University of North Georgia

The No. 12 ranked men's golf team competing in the Argonaut Invitational.

Hunter Smith

The top performer for North Georgia, opening with a 2-under 70 and surging to 4-under through 16 holes in the second round.

Colby Bennett

North Georgia golfer who carded an even-par 72 in the first round and was 2-over through 17 holes in the second.

Rhett Smith

North Georgia golfer who turned in a 1-over 73 to open play and followed with a strong 3-under performance through 16 holes in round two.

Garrett Horton

North Georgia golfer who recorded a 6-over 78 in the first round and was 6-over through 16 holes in the second.

Grant Langford

North Georgia golfer who rebounded from an opening-round 83 with a 1-over showing through 16 holes in round two.

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What’s next

The second round will conclude on Tuesday, followed by the third and final round of the Argonaut Invitational.

The takeaway

North Georgia's men's golf team is in a solid position after the first day of the Argonaut Invitational, with several golfers putting together strong performances. The Nighthawks will look to make a move on the final day and potentially climb the leaderboard.