Monday, September 14
Destin, Fla.
All Day
Mercer University
at
Round 1
Men’s Golf Travels To The Sunshine State For Sandestin Collegiate Classic
9/13/2026 12:38:00 PM | Men's Golf
MACON – For the second straight season, the Mercer Bears travel to Destin, Florida, for the Sandestin Collegiate Classic at Raven Golf Club.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Date: Monday, September 14 – Wednesday, September 16
Format: 54 Holes
Location: Raven Golf Club | Destin, Fla.
Live Scoring: Live Scoreboard
Live Updates on Socials: X | Instagram
The Bears opened their season with the Golfweek Fall Challenge a week ago. Mercer finished tied for fifth of 16 teams with sophomore Phillips Swift earning a Top 10 finish and Southern Conference Co-Golfer of the Week recognition for his individual performance.
"There were plenty of bright spots last week," said head coach Jason Payne. "It was incredible to see Phillips perform and get rewarded for it. Cooper Franklin also was huge for us and finished in the Top 20 in his collegiate debut."
Franklin, a native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, finished tied for 17th individually in the first competition of his collegiate career. Franklin shot a four-under 68 in the second round of the competition and ended the event two-under.
"We have a quick turnaround for this tournament," Payne said. "This is an opportunity for our guys to experience kind of what it is like to be a pro on tour. You know, we finished fifth last week, earned accolades, but now it's on to the next thing, and we have to achieve our next goal of finishing within the Top 3 and remaining in contention throughout the entire event."
Last season, the Bears finished seventh of 13 teams at the Sandestin Collegiate Classic and shot ten under par as a unit. Swift ended the event tied for fourth individually with rounds of 69-69-67 to shoot eight under. Payne mentions the familiarity of the course could provide an extra boost.
"We've had the opportunity to play and coach this course," Payne said. "Even the freshmen stepping in, they are Florida natives, so they have a sense of familiarity with the conditions. We want these guys to feel comfortable. We want them to free themselves up and let them loose so they can shoot a good score. Our goal is to have 4-5 guys shoot under par this week and see how we stack up."
The Sandestin Collegiate Classic begins at 9:00 a.m. You can follow along live here or on our social media platforms @mercergolf on Instagram and X.
THE FIELD (16)
LSU New Orleans, Houston Christian, ULM, Texas State (host), High Point, Louisiana, Mercer, UT Arlington, Nicholls State, Lamar, West Florida, East Texas A&M, Central Arkansas, South Alabama
THE LINEUP
Phillips Swift (1)
Cooper Franklin (2)
Ryan Curran (3)
Ethan Dufresne (4)
Lukas Lautrup (5)
Spencer Ives (IND.)
TOURNAMENT INFO
Date: Monday, September 14 – Wednesday, September 16
Format: 54 Holes
Location: Raven Golf Club | Destin, Fla.
Live Scoring: Live Scoreboard
Live Updates on Socials: X | Instagram
The Bears opened their season with the Golfweek Fall Challenge a week ago. Mercer finished tied for fifth of 16 teams with sophomore Phillips Swift earning a Top 10 finish and Southern Conference Co-Golfer of the Week recognition for his individual performance.
"There were plenty of bright spots last week," said head coach Jason Payne. "It was incredible to see Phillips perform and get rewarded for it. Cooper Franklin also was huge for us and finished in the Top 20 in his collegiate debut."
Franklin, a native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, finished tied for 17th individually in the first competition of his collegiate career. Franklin shot a four-under 68 in the second round of the competition and ended the event two-under.
"We have a quick turnaround for this tournament," Payne said. "This is an opportunity for our guys to experience kind of what it is like to be a pro on tour. You know, we finished fifth last week, earned accolades, but now it's on to the next thing, and we have to achieve our next goal of finishing within the Top 3 and remaining in contention throughout the entire event."
Last season, the Bears finished seventh of 13 teams at the Sandestin Collegiate Classic and shot ten under par as a unit. Swift ended the event tied for fourth individually with rounds of 69-69-67 to shoot eight under. Payne mentions the familiarity of the course could provide an extra boost.
"We've had the opportunity to play and coach this course," Payne said. "Even the freshmen stepping in, they are Florida natives, so they have a sense of familiarity with the conditions. We want these guys to feel comfortable. We want them to free themselves up and let them loose so they can shoot a good score. Our goal is to have 4-5 guys shoot under par this week and see how we stack up."
The Sandestin Collegiate Classic begins at 9:00 a.m. You can follow along live here or on our social media platforms @mercergolf on Instagram and X.
THE FIELD (16)
LSU New Orleans, Houston Christian, ULM, Texas State (host), High Point, Louisiana, Mercer, UT Arlington, Nicholls State, Lamar, West Florida, East Texas A&M, Central Arkansas, South Alabama
THE LINEUP
Phillips Swift (1)
Cooper Franklin (2)
Ryan Curran (3)
Ethan Dufresne (4)
Lukas Lautrup (5)
Spencer Ives (IND.)
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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