ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The Montreat College men's golf team wrapped up the autumn portion of its 2026-27 schedule on Monday and Tuesday by competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Fall Preview at Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Ga. With three rounds and 54 holes of golf played across two days, the Cavaliers combined for a team total of 947, good for seventh out of 13 squads.
 
Montreat ended eight strokes ahead of Columbia College and two shots back of Milligan University. Reinhardt University, the current second-ranked program in the National Association of Intercollege Athletics (NAIA), won the AAC Fall Preview with an 888.
 
The Cavs' four scorers teamed up for a 318 in round one, eighth-best among the 13 squads participating. Alex Murphy paced Montreat with a 6-over-par 78 during the initial 18 holes, tallying 10 pars and an eagle to achieve his mark. Colton Clevenger and Austin Lineberger carded 79s on Monday morning, with the former notching three birdies and the latter registering two birdies. Kenan Kim concluded the Cavaliers' scoring account for the opening round, delivering nine pars and an 82 on the course.
 
Shaving three strokes off their second set of 18 holes on Monday, the Cavs ended their middle round with a 315, the sixth-best score of the afternoon window. Kim led the way this time, shooting 2-under-par (two birdies, seven pars) on the back nine to turn in an 18-hole score of 75. Cooper Crump and Clevenger each recorded 11 pars and one birdie, with the former's showing resulting in a 78 and the latter's effort in a 79. Murphy also garnered a birdie as he shot an 83 to finish out play on day one.
 
Montreat's 314 on Tuesday proved to be the eighth-best score of the round. Clevenger saved his top golf for his final 18 holes, accumulating two birdies and a 1-over-par 73 to conclude the tournament. Crump also continued his round-over-round improvement, as his two birdies contributed to a 4-over-par 76. Murphy and Lineberger counted toward the squad's third-round score with an 81 and an 84, respectively. The Monroe, N.C., native etched a birdie on his card, while the Crouse, N.C., native racked up seven pars.
 
Clevenger climbed 14 spots up the individual leaderboard during day two, and his three-round total of 231 tied for the 17^th-best score out of 82 golfers. Jaxon Henegar, who played as an individual at the AAC Fall Preview, and Crump both tied for 35^th by shooting a 237. Kim and Murphy carded 242s to tie for 45^th overall. Lineberger and Luke Winter, who also competed as an individual, each shot a 247 and tied for 53^rd.
 
"Fast greens challenged us this week and made it difficult to find a consistent rhythm on the putting surface," said Head Coach John Sullivan. "We struggled to adjust to the speed, but these are the kinds of conditions that test your patience, course management and mental toughness. We'll learn from the experience, continue working on our putting and come back ready to compete."
 
For a complete look at results from the AAC Fall Preview, click here.
 
With the fall portion of its 2026-27 schedule in the rearview mirror, the Montreat College men's golf team now turns its attention toward preparing for the upcoming spring slate.