Benge leads Huskers at Blessings

Jackson Benge collected his 10th top-25 individual finish as a Husker, taking 25th with a 229 (+13) to lead the Nebraska men's golf team at the Blessings Collegiate in Fayetteville, Ark., on Monday.

Benge, a junior out of Omaha Westside, opened the three-day, 54-hole tournament on the 7,991-yard, par-72 layout at the Blessings Golf Club with back-to-back rounds of two-above-par 74 on Saturday and Sunday. He managed an 81 in Monday's final round. 

Tommy Kelley continued his solid play for the Huskers by tying for 27th as Nebraska's No. 2 finisher at 231 (+15).  The freshman from Omaha Creighton Prep closed his tournament with an even-par 72 Monday, after opening with a 75 (+3) on Saturday. Kelley has been one of Nebraska's top two individual finishers in each of its first four events this season.

Two more Husker freshmen - Zack Erstad and Jaxson Hinze - contributed throughout the tournament. Erstad, a Lincoln East grad, tied for 33rd in the 49-player field with a 233 (+17). He closed strong by matching Kelley with an even-par 72 Monday, after battling his way to rounds of 80 and 81 Saturday and Sunday.

Hinze, a York High School graduate, carded rounds of 78 and 77 Saturday and Sunday, before settling for an 81 on Monday to tie for 43rd at 236 (+20).

Junior Gavin Gerch (Lincoln Southeast) rounded out the Husker lineup by contributing an opening-round 79 (+7) on Sunday. He finished 48th with a score of 246 (+30).

As a team, Nebraska finished eighth in a nine-team field with a three-round total of 927 (306-316-305). 

The hosts from Arkansas won the team title with an 858 (-6), 22 strokes in front of UNC Greensboro (880). 

UNC Greensboro's BJ Boyce took home medalist honors at 211 (-5), two shots ahead of Niilo Maki-Petaja from Arkansas (213, -3).

The Huskers return to action at the Quail Valley Collegiate in Vero Beach, Fla., Oct. 18-19.

Blessings Collegiate
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Blessings Golf Club (Par 72, 7,991 Yards)
Oct. 3-5, 2026

Final Team Results
1. Arkansas - 273-298-287=858 (-6)
2. UNC Greensboro - 289-310-281=880 (+16)
3. North Texas - 286-309-296=891 (+27)
4. Southern Miss - 291-309-304=904 (+40)
5. Kansas State - 296-309-301=906 (+42)
6. Little Rock - 306-306-298=910 (+46)
7. Middle Tennessee - 300-315-307=922 (+58)
8. Nebraska - 306-316-305=927 (+63)
9. Oral Roberts - 307-324-301=932 (+68)

Final Individual Results
1. BJ Boyce, UNC Greensboro - 71-76-64=211 (-5)
2. Niilo Maki-Petaja, Arkansas - 67-75-71=213 (-3)
3. Thomas Curry, Arkansas - 69-73-72=214 (-2)
4. Rayhan Latief, North Texas - 69-75-71=215 (-1)
5. Erich Fortlage, Arkansas - 69-75-72=216 (E)
6. Lev Grinberg, Arkansas - 68-75-74=217 (+1)
*T7. Cam Smith, Arkansas - 77-72-70=219 (+3)
*T7. Guus Lafeber, Arkansas - 73-77-69=219 (+3)
T7. Benjamin Fernandez, Southern Miss - 66-75-78=219 (+3)
T10. Kelvin Hernandez, UNC Greensboro - 69-78-73=220 (+4)
T10. Oliver Toyer, Kansas State - 73-73-74=220 (+4)
T10. Gerardo Gomez, Arkansas - 72-76-72=220 (+4)

Nebraska Individuals
25. Jackson Benge - 74-74-81=229 (+13)
T27. Tommy Kelley - 75-84-72=231 (+15)
T33. Zack Erstad - 80-81-72=233 (+17)
43. Jaxson Hinze - 78-77-81=236 (+20)
48. Gavin Gerch - 79-87-80=246 (+30)