BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma – Arkansas Tech shot an even-par round to take the first-round lead of the 2026 Great American Conference Men’s Golf Championships on Sunday from The Club at Forest Ridge. The Wonder Boy tandem of Jacob Peetoom and Cameron Twynholm carded matching 4-under par 68s to share the individual lead.
Peetoom and Twynholm produced two of the three under-par rounds as the Wonder Boys established a nine-shot lead. Twynholm made seven birdies, two more than any player in the 54-player field. Peetoom collected five birdies against only one bogey.
Northwestern Oklahoma State placed three inside the top 10 and a fourth inside the top 15 to finish the first round in second place. An-chieh Tsai, Pierce Geminden and Chris Xiao all shot 2-over 74s. The trio represents three of the five players tied for eighth. Zac Palmer added a 3-over 75.
While nine shots separate the Wonder Boys and Rangers, 11 shots represent the difference between Northwestern Oklahoma State and 10th place East Central. Southwestern Oklahoma State claimed third. Harding and Southern Arkansas shared fourth. Henderson State placed sixth; Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene tied for seventh. Arkansas-Monticello ended in ninth, followed by East Central.
In the individual competition, the Crimson Storm’s Dawson Dunlap posted 1-under to sit in third. He made two birdies and an eagle en route to his 71. SWOSU’s Conrado Diaz Ermacora came up with the lone even par round. He made three birdies and claimed fourth. Henderson State’s Colin Purifoy and SAU’s Luke Cote each shot 1-over 73s to tie for fifth. Both collected eagles during the round.
Harding put two - Dennis Staykov and Jose Manuel Peralta - inside the top 10. Staykov, the league’s Golfer of the Year, joined Purifoy and Cote in a tie for fifth at 1-over. Peralta and Arkansas-Monticello’s Daniel Taylor joined the Northwestern trio in the tie for eighth. SWOSU’s Ben Jackson, the GAC Freshman of the Year shot 3-over and joined seven others in a tie for 13th.
Monday’s second round begins at 8 a.m. Harding and Southern Arkansas start on the first hole while ECU and UAM open play off the 10th tee.