BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | AJ Gardner and
Kourey Patterson each finished at 2-over-par Monday to lead the Alabama A&M University men's golf team into a tie for third after the opening round of the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Birmingham Fall Golf Tournament at RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley.
The Bulldogs posted a 13-over-par team score, matching Miles and sitting five strokes behind tournament leader Southern (+8). Prairie View A&M holds second at 11-over-par heading into Tuesday's final round.
Gardner and Patterson are tied for sixth individually, five strokes off the lead.
Parker Sawatzky followed at 4-over-par to share 17th, while
Samuel Boddie finished at 5-over-par and is tied for 22nd to round out Alabama A&M's counting scores.
Griffin Burns sits 49th at 13-over-par. Competing as an individual,
Niall Bagnall matched Boddie at 5-over-par and is tied for 22nd.
Alabama State's Wesley Bairros Rodrigues leads the individual standings after a 3-under-par opening round. Southern's Quincy Leonard is second at 1-under-par, while teammate Isaiah Gold holds third at even par. Alabama State's Alberto Banos and Jackson State's Trace Carpenter are tied for fourth at 1-over-par.
Alabama State sits one stroke behind the Bulldogs and Miles in fifth at 14-over-par. Jackson State (+20), Texas Southern (+25) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (+26) complete the eight-team field.
ALABAMA A&M INDIVIDUAL SCORING – FIRST ROUND
RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley (Par 72) – Birmingham, Ala.
Team Scoring - (1st) Alabama A&M – 301 (+13)
(T-6th)
AJ Gardner --- 74 (+2)
(T-6
th)
Kourey Patterson --- 74 (+2)
(T-17
th)
Parker Sawatzky --- 76 (+4)
(T-22
nd)
Samuel Boddie --- 77 (+5)
(T-22
nd)
Niall Bagnall --- 77 (+5)
(49
th)
Griffin Burns --- 85 (+14)
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to the course Tuesday for the final round, seeking to close the five-stroke gap atop the leaderboard.
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