MADISON, Miss. (4/21/25) – Led by individual leader Thomas Schmidt, the Arkansas State men’s golf team has all five players inside the top 30 and leads the Sun Belt Conference Championship after 18 holes at Annandale Golf Club.

Due to severe weather in the area, play was suspended with 19 of 70 players still on course finishing up the first round. A-State was among six teams to complete the round before severe weather arrived in the area. Resumption of the first round is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. with the second round to follow.

Schmidt carded a first-round 8-under par 64 for a program record at a conference championship. After a bogey on the second, Schmidt birdied six of the next eight to head to the 11th hole at 5-under par. Following a bogey on 11, Schmidt had birdies on 15 and 17 before an eagle on the last to close out the 8-under 64 and program best in a conference championship. Schmidt’s 64 tops Zan Luka Stirn (2019), Luke Naglic (2019) and Andrew Huseman (2016) who each shot 66 on the par-71 Raven Golf Club and David Faught’s 66 at The Springhouse in 1994. Schmidt holds a two-stroke advantage over Daniel Cheng of James Madison on the individual leaderboard.

Coming off his first career medalist honors, Jack Maxey turned in a 2-under par 70 and stands seventh individually. Maxey was 4-under par on the front nine and shook off bogeys on 10 and 12 to close out the 2-under par round. Jake Lile and Jake Wallis are scored tied for 18th at even-par 72 while Chris Somerfield was 1-over par 73 and scored in a tie for 29th.

A-State totaled 10-under par 278 on the opening round and leads James Madison by six strokes with the Dukes playing their final three holes of the first round. Coastal Carolina (-3), Troy (-2), Louisiana (-2) and Georgia Southern (E) completed the first round. The Red Wolves first-round 278 is a program best in a conference championship on a par-72 course and second overall to A-State’s 10-under par 274 on the par-71 Raven Golf Course back in 2019.

2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship
First Round Results (Play Suspended with 19 of 70 Players on Course)
1 Arkansas State 278 (-10)
1 Thomas Schmidt 64 (-8)
7 Jack Maxey 70 (-2)
19 Jake Lile 72 (E)
19 Jake Wallis 72 (E)
29 Chris Somerfield 73 (+1)