Love Finishes Runner-Up, Duke Improves Each Round at Hayt Collegiate

Saturday, March 7

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Duke University

The Hayt

Photo by: Todd Drexler

Love Finishes Runner-Up, Duke Improves Each Round at Hayt Collegiate

3/9/2026 7:22:00 PM | Men's Golf

Complete Results

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Senior William Love recorded a runner-up finish to lead the No. 20 Duke men's golf team at the 2026 Hayt Collegiate, as the Blue Devils placed 12th overall Monday at Sawgrass Country Club.

A native of Atlanta, Love paced Duke throughout the weekend, tying for second place with a 10-under-par total of 206 (66-72-68).

Duke finished the 54-hole event with an even-par team score of 864 (291-288-285) in the 16-team field that featured eight programs ranked in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Blue Devils showed steady improvement across the three rounds, opening the tournament at 3-over par before posting an even-par round Sunday and closing with a 3-under 285 in Monday's final round.
William Love opened the tournament Saturday with a season-best 6-under 66, highlighted by seven birdies, and added rounds of 72 and 68 to secure his fifth career collegiate top-five finish.
Senior Ethan Evans finished even par for the championship, tying for 44th place at 216 (73-71-72).
Sophomore Daniel Choi and junior Bryan Kim each finished at 5-over par 221 to tie for 68th place.
Choi posted rounds of 73, 75 and 73, while Kim rebounded from a 79 in the opening round to card rounds of 70 and 72 over the final two days.
Freshman Charles Nelson rounded out Duke's scoring lineup, finishing 90th at 27-over par 243 (83-77-83).
Competing as an individual, sophomore John Hiller finished 87th with a three-round total of 233 (79-79-75).

NOTES

William Love's 54-hole score of 206 marked the second-best total of his career and his lowest since shooting a 199 during his freshman season in February 2023.
Love tied for the best par-4 scoring average in the tournament at 3.80 (-6).

UP NEXT

Duke returns to action on March 23-24 at the Valspar Intercollegiate Invitational at Floridian Golf Club in Palm City, Florida.

Duke Results
T2 – William Love – 66-72-68 = 206 (-10)
T44 – Ethan Evans – 73-71-72 = 216 (E)
T68 – Daniel Choi – 73-75-73 = 221 (+5)
T68 – Bryan Kim – 79-70-72 = 221 (+5)
90 – Charles Nelson – 83-77-83 = 243 (+27)
Individual
87 – John Hiller – 79-79-75 = 233 (+17)

For more information on Duke men's golf, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching @DukeMGOLF.

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