Norman, Okla.----Wingate University men's golf head coach JD Lamm has been named the 2026 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Men's Golf Coach of the Year by Golf Pride Grips and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), recognizing a historic season for the Bulldog program. The honor places Lamm among an elite group of eight regional award winners across NCAA Division II.
 
Lamm was selected as the top men's golf coach in the Southeast Region after guiding Wingate to the most successful NCAA campaign in school history. The Bulldogs captured their first South Atlantic Conference Championship since 2012, advanced through the NCAA South/Southeast Regional and finished as national runner-up at the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship.
 
Historic season for the Bulldogs
 
Wingate entered the NCAA Championship ranked No. 4 nationally and spent the season among the nation's elite teams. The Bulldogs posted a remarkable 281.9 team scoring average while collecting five team victories and six top-three finishes throughout the year. Wingate consistently showcased one of the deepest lineups in Division II golf, competing against some of the nation's strongest fields.
 
The season reached its peak at the South Atlantic Conference Championship, when the Bulldogs captured the program's first conference title in 14 years. Wingate followed that performance with a strong showing at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional to earn a berth in the national championship.
 
At the NCAA Division II Championship in Boulder City, Nevada, the Bulldogs delivered one of the greatest performances in program history. Wingate fired a record-setting, 19-under-par round during stroke play to surge into second place before advancing through medal match play and reaching the national championship match.
 
The Bulldogs ultimately finished as NCAA Division II national runner-up, capping one of the finest seasons ever by a Wingate men's golf team.
 
Developing the nation's best
 
Lamm's impact was evident throughout the lineup. Senior Lewis Beeden earned PING First-Team All-America honors after finishing the season ranked No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the Southeast Region. Beeden also earned South Atlantic Conference Golfer of the Year honors and was named a finalist for the prestigious Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award.
 
Wingate placed four golfers on the PING All-Southeast Region Team, highlighted by Beeden, sophomore Brandon Skidmore, freshman Mattia D'Errico and senior Alfie Storer.
 
Skidmore continued his rise as one of the nation's top young players, while D'Errico and Storer played key roles throughout the Bulldogs' championship run.
 
Building a national contender
 
Since taking over the program, Lamm has transformed Wingate men's golf into a consistent national contender. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA National Championships for three consecutive seasons and have established themselves among the premier programs in NCAA Division II golf.
 
Under Lamm's leadership, Wingate has developed All-Americans, conference champions, regional honorees and national award finalists while maintaining a culture centered on excellence both on and off the course.
 
A season to remember
 
The Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor serves as another milestone in a season filled with accomplishments for the Bulldogs.
 
Wingate captured:
 
- South Atlantic Conference Championship
- NCAA Championship berth
- NCAA Division II National Runner-Up finish
- SAC Golfer of the Year
- PING First-Team All-American
- Four PING All-Southeast Region selections
- Jack Nicklaus Award finalist
 
As the Bulldogs continue to compete among the nation's elite, Lamm's leadership remains the foundation of one of the top programs in Division II golf. The Southeast Region Coach of the Year award is a fitting recognition for a coach who guided Wingate to one of the most successful seasons in program history.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 18 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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(Editor's note: Wingate junior men's golf student-athlete Matthew Wordon contributed this article. He is an international business major from Bath, England.)