NEW ORLEANS – Southern Miss fourth year golfer Benjamin Fernandez claims the first Sun Belt Men’s Golfer of the Month award after two top 10 finishes and a stroke average of 67.83 in September.
A native of Asuncion, Paraguay, Fernandez began the 2026-27 campaign with a first-place finish at the JT Poston Invitational in Waynesville, North Carolina. He finished the first round four-under par with 67 strokes and only improved from there. Fernandez adjusted to the 6,735-yard, par-71 course and carded a six-under 65 in round two. He then posted a career-best 64-stroke, seven-under par third round to jump from third to first and claim the individual title.
He led the JT Poston Invitational field with a final 17-under par score card (67,65,64). Fernandez led the field with a 10-under par mark on par 4 holes while finishing fifth on Par 5s with a nine-under mark and two-over par on Par 3s. Overall, he had a stroke average of 65.33 at the tournament after three eagles and 16 birdies across his 54 holes. He bogeyed on just five holes over three rounds and just once in each of his final two rounds of play.
Following his first-place finish in North Carolina, he opened the 2026 Badger Invitational with another strong showing, finishing four-under at the par 72, 7,286-yard University of Wisconsin Golf Course. He followed up his four-under 68 with a one-under 71 in round two before finishing the tournament with an even 72. Fernandez’ five-under par (68,71,72) final card earned him a three-way tie for sixth place on the individual leaderboard. His efforts helped Southern Miss claim the team championship among the 19-team field.
He finished one-under on Par 3 holes, tied for fifth best in the field, and birdied on 15 of his holes, good enough for third best at the Badger Invitational. He posted a stroke average of 70.33 across three rounds and moved his September stroke average to 67.83 over six rounds. He ended the month of September 22-under par overall.
Fernandez’ September Performances
| Tournament |
Par |
Yardage |
Ind. Finish |
Team Finish |
Round 1 |
Round 2 |
Round 3 |
Total |
| JT Poston Invitational |
71 |
6,735 |
1st |
4th/17 |
67
-4 |
65
-6 |
64
-7 |
196
-17 |
| Badger Invitational |
72 |
7,286 |
6th |
1st/19 |
68
-4 |
71
-1 |
72
E |
211
-5 |
Sun Belt Men’s Golfers of the Month
September – Benjamin Fernandez, Southern Miss