Completed Event: Men's Golf at N.I.T. on January 26, 2026 , , 11th of 13
M Golf
at N.I.T.
11th of 13
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Jayden Todd
Lopes card 20 under, lead NGI after Day 2
5/23/2026 4:55:00 PM | Men's Golf
GCU's Lauritzen, Rengardt each shoot 7-under rounds of 65
MARICOPA, Ariz. – Grand Canyon men's golf completed the National Golf Invitational second round Saturday, when par seemed to be too high of a score on a day when the Lopes shot 20 under par.
The team score of 268 put GCU eight strokes ahead of second-place Missouri with a tourney-leading, two-day total of 37 under at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club.
The course has favored the Lopes in recent seasons, seeing some of the lowest scores in program history, including a 64 by junior Gavin O'Neill in Friday's first round. GCU tallied 31 birdies with an eagle Saturday and lead the 10-team field with 54 birdies for the tourney.
The birdie train began at the hands of Lopes sophomore Nixon Lauritzen, who in his first collegiate round in the fall of 2024, tied the program single-round low of 63 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. The California native finished with a second-round 65 on Saturday with an electrifying front nine that included six birdies.
His back nine was a continuation of the front, sinking five straight birdies on Holes 7-11. He birdied Nos. 13-14 and was 9 under through 14 holes, closing on tournament leader Brody Leid of Wyoming (14 under).
Lauritzen's round ended with a double bogey on the par-4 18th, but it did not take away from having more birdies (10) than pars (6) and moving into second entering Sunday's final round.
With one 7-under round in the books, the Lopes added another in sophomore Erik Rengardt. After a 1-over first round, Rengardt went 2 under on the front nine with a 5-under back nine that included an eagle and three straight birdies between Holes 15-17, all of which were a different par (4, 5 and 3). The Swede had the biggest jump of any player in the field, moving up 24 spots to a tie for 12th at 6 under for the tournament.
O'Neill's day saw four birdies and a 2-under total, putting him at 10 under for the tournament and in a third place, one shot back of Lauritzen.
GCU sophomore Matthew Diehl began to heat up on the back nine, totaling three birdies in a five-hole stretch to log a 4-under day. Now at 5 under for the tourney, Diehl is tied for 19th. Classmate Mans Boje had six birdies, three each on the front and back nine, and shot 2 under to be in a tie for 12th with Rengardt.
The Lopes will look to claim the team title Sunday in its first NGI. The individual winner earns a PGA Tour event exemption in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Oct. 22-26 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southhampton, Bermuda.
The first Lope tees off Sunday at 8:50 a.m. in the final round of the 2025-26 season.
The team score of 268 put GCU eight strokes ahead of second-place Missouri with a tourney-leading, two-day total of 37 under at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club.
The course has favored the Lopes in recent seasons, seeing some of the lowest scores in program history, including a 64 by junior Gavin O'Neill in Friday's first round. GCU tallied 31 birdies with an eagle Saturday and lead the 10-team field with 54 birdies for the tourney.
The birdie train began at the hands of Lopes sophomore Nixon Lauritzen, who in his first collegiate round in the fall of 2024, tied the program single-round low of 63 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. The California native finished with a second-round 65 on Saturday with an electrifying front nine that included six birdies.
His back nine was a continuation of the front, sinking five straight birdies on Holes 7-11. He birdied Nos. 13-14 and was 9 under through 14 holes, closing on tournament leader Brody Leid of Wyoming (14 under).
Lauritzen's round ended with a double bogey on the par-4 18th, but it did not take away from having more birdies (10) than pars (6) and moving into second entering Sunday's final round.
With one 7-under round in the books, the Lopes added another in sophomore Erik Rengardt. After a 1-over first round, Rengardt went 2 under on the front nine with a 5-under back nine that included an eagle and three straight birdies between Holes 15-17, all of which were a different par (4, 5 and 3). The Swede had the biggest jump of any player in the field, moving up 24 spots to a tie for 12th at 6 under for the tournament.
O'Neill's day saw four birdies and a 2-under total, putting him at 10 under for the tournament and in a third place, one shot back of Lauritzen.
GCU sophomore Matthew Diehl began to heat up on the back nine, totaling three birdies in a five-hole stretch to log a 4-under day. Now at 5 under for the tourney, Diehl is tied for 19th. Classmate Mans Boje had six birdies, three each on the front and back nine, and shot 2 under to be in a tie for 12th with Rengardt.
The Lopes will look to claim the team title Sunday in its first NGI. The individual winner earns a PGA Tour event exemption in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Oct. 22-26 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southhampton, Bermuda.
The first Lope tees off Sunday at 8:50 a.m. in the final round of the 2025-26 season.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Thursday, June 25
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Thursday, June 18