Razorbacks Finish T3 at the Carmel Cup
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The 2025-26 season got off to a solid start for Arkansas as the Razorbacks tied for third at the always-tough Carmel Cup, played at Spyglass Hill Golf Course.
Arkansas, ranked 34th in the preseason coaches poll, fired rounds of 364-347-358 for an 11-under-par total of 1,069 to tie #8 Oklahoma for third. Vanderbilt, ranked 12th, led from wire to wire and finished with a 54-hole total of 1,063 (-17). Top-ranked and defending national champion Oklahoma State battled the Razorbacks all day for the runner-up spot and came out on top with a score of 1066 (-14)
Erich Fortlage led Arkansas. The sophomore tied for the second-best round on the day, firing a 4-under 68, to move him up three spots on the leaderboard to finish in a tie for sixth (71-71-68=210 / -6). It marked Fortlage’s fourth career top 10 (in 13 events played). He started the final round with a birdie on the par-4, 2nd. He added birdies on holes 4 and 9. After dropping a shot on 12, he responded with birdies on holes 13 and 15 to secure his final-round 68.
A trio of Razorbacks tied for 19th, carding an even-par 210 over 54 holes, including John Daly, Niilo Maki-Petaja and Thomas Curry. All three shot a 1-over 73 on Sunday. Daly did so with four birdies and five bogeys. Maki-Petaja had three bogeys on the front nine and two birdies on the inward nine. Curry has two birdies and three bogeys.
Gerardo Gomez joined Fortlage as the only Razorbacks to shoot under par on Sunday. Gomez turned in a 1-under 71 and moved up two spots to finish 26th (73-74-71=218 / +2). Cam Smith rounded out the Razorback contingent with a 76 on Sunday and he tied for 27th with a 3-over 219.
Up next, Arkansas travels to the Bearcat Invitational, played at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati Sept. 15-16.
Carmel Cup
Aug. 29-31, 2025
Host: Texas Tech
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Par 72 — 6,975 yards
Final Results (rankings from preseason Coaches Poll)
1 #12 Vanderbilt 352-346-365=1063 / -17
2 #1 Oklahoma State 361-352-353=1066 / -14
T3 #34 Arkansas 364-347-358=1069 / -11
T3 #8 Oklahoma 363-354-352=1069 / -11
T5 #15 Texas Tech 365-366-356=1087 / +7
T5 #38 TCU 358-366-363=1087 / +7
7 #23 Georgia 367-361-360=1068 / +8
8 #42 Mississippi State 363-370-356=1098 / +18
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