CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (SMU) – Will Sides won the individual title for the third time this season with a co-victory at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial. SMU men's golf finished in third as a team.
 
Sides came into the final day one shot off the lead of Paul Chang of hosts Virginia. With Chang birdieing the second hole, Sides found himself two behind but quickly made up the ground and more with three straight birdies on four, five and six. The two made the turn with Chang up by one. They each birdied 10, 11 and 12 to put the score at -15 for Chang and -14 for Sides through 12 but Sides was able to convert a fourth straight birdie to tie the tournament lead. Chang would go on to birdie 15 and Side would birdie 17 to make the score all square at 16-under for the tournament giving Sides a co-title.
 
Sides would bogey just once across 54 holes in the event. The win marked the third of the season and fourth of his career, tying him with Kelly Kraft (4) and trailing only Colt Knost (7) for most titles in Mustang history.  He and Knost (2005-06) are the only Mustangs with three titles in a season. The Tulsa native lowered his season scoring down to 69.59, 0.41 better than the next lowest season by a Mustang. Sides tied the lowest 54-hole score by a Mustang at 13-under and also tied the single season mark of rounds of par or better with his 23rd.
 
As a team, the Mustang were in second place after two rounds but fell into third with a five-under day. Their best round came with a 13-under score in round two. They trailed only two top 25 nationally ranked teams in No. 2 Virginia and No. 25 Florida State.
 
Freshman Ben Steinmann also came into the final day one off the lead, tied with Sides. He shot two-under on the day to move into fourth, his second top five finish after a victory at the Desimone Invitational. Steinmann birdied four out of five holes in the back nine to recover and vault back into the top five. He tied for the tournament lead on the par fives, playing such holes at nine-under par.
 
Christian Clark and Gabe Post each finished at three-under for the tournament in a tie for 40^th place. Clark carded a closing 73 while Post shot a final round 74. Zachary Kingsland finished one shot back in 45^th. He carded a 73 in the final round.
 
Competing as an individual, Mason Lewis shot a final round 73 to end the tournament in 60^th.
 
Next up, the Mustangs head to the ACC Championship in Panama City, Florida. The tournament runs April 23-27. Last year, the Mustangs made the match play quarterfinals at their first ACC Championship.


Career Wins (Since 1985 - Minimum 2)
1.    Colt Knost    7
2.    Will Sides    4
    Kelly Kraft    4
4.    Nathan Petronzio    3
    Bryson Dechambeau    3
    Hank Kuehne    3
    Noah Goodwin    3
8.    Zachary Kingsland    2
    Mac Meissner    2
    Ollie Osborne    2
    James Kwon    2
    Jerome Theunis    2
    Jim Skinner    2
    Franklin Hatchett    2
    Brandon DeStefano    2
    Will Dodson    2
    Noah Goodwin    2

SEASON WINS
1.    Colt Knost                          2005-06    12 (rds)    4 (wins)
2.    Will Sides                           2025-26    10            3
3.    Zachary Kingsland            2024-25    11             2
     Nathan Petronzio                2022-24    11             2
    Bryson DeChambeau           2014-15    10            2
    Kelly Kraft                            2008-09    12            2
    Colt Knost                            2004-05    14            2
    Jerome Theunis                  2001-02     11            2


SINGLE SEASON SCORING
1.    Will Sides, 2025-26    69.59    
2.    Noah Goodwin, 2020-21    70.00    
3.    Mac Meissner, 2019-20    70.44    
4.    Bryson Dechambeau, 2013-14    70.46
5.    Noah Goodwin, 2021-22    70.58
6.    Noah Goodwin, 2019-20    70.60
7.    Bryson Dechambeau, 2014-15    70.61
8.    Zachary Kingsland, 2024-25    70.79
9.     Zachary Kingsland, 2023-24    70.90
10.    Nathan Petronzio, 2022-23    70.91
11.    Justin Thompson, 2019-20    70.93
12.    Will Sides, 2024-25    71.15
13.     Will Sides, 2023-24    71.31
14.    Mac Meissner, 2020-21    71.46
15.    Enrique Dimayuga, 2024-25    71.48    
    Mac Meissner, 2018-19    71.48
17.    Ben Steinmann, 2025-26    71.65
18.    J. Holland Humphries, 2023-24    71.67
19.    Mac Meissner, 2017-18    71.82
20.    Kelly Kraft, 2009-10    71.85
21.    Hank Kuehne, 1997-98    71.92
22.    Chaz Aurilia, 2023-24    72.00
23.    Will Dodson, 2004-05    72.02
24.    Noah Goodwin, 2018-19    72.04
25.    Colt Knost, 2006-07    72.09


 
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1  Virginia  -39
2  Florida State  -26
3  SMU  -23
4  Tennessee  -20
5  Charlotte  -17
6  NC State  -16
7  Maryland  -3
8  Liberty  -2
9  Texas State  +8
10  Virginia Tech  +16
11  Loyola Maryland  +22
12  Toledo  +24
 
SMU LEADERBOARD
T1 Will Sides -16
T4 Ben Steinmann -11
T40 Gabe Post +3
T40 Christian Clark +3
T45 Zachary Kingsland +4
T60 Mason Lewis (IND) +9