The Youngstown State men's golf team will begin play in the 2026 Horizon League Championship on Saturday at Mission Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.
The three-day, 54-hole event will take place at Mission's El Campeon course as the teams will play 18 holes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to determine the conference champion. Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament via Scoreboard Live through links posted on YSUsports.com.
Youngstown State finished seventh at the 2025 Horizon League Championship with a three-round team total of 910. YSU posted single-round team scores of 309 and 309 over the first two rounds, respectively, before closing the event with a 292 in the final round. The Penguins have finished in the top three at the league meet twice in the last four seasons after finishing third in 2023-24 and as the runner-up in 2021-22.
The men's tournament field will feature nine other teams including Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IU Indy, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris and Wright State.
The Penguins, who are seeded eighth, will tee off on No. 10 beginning at 8:40 a.m. on Saturday. Tee times for Sunday and Monday will be based on current placement.
Head Coach Tony Joy has announced that YSU's five-player lineup will feature Ryan Sam, Michael Porter, Jordan Kish, Nolan Shilling and Jake Ryan. In addition, Rocco Turner will be available as a possible substitute.
YSU's Saturday Tee Times:
- Ryan – 8:40 a.m.
- Shilling – 8:50 a.m.
- Kish – 9 a.m.
- Porter – 9:10 a.m.
- Sam – 9:20 a.m.
Sam will be competing at the Horizon League Championship for the fourth straight season. The Canfield, Ohio, native finished tied for ninth at the 2025 Horizon League Championship as a junior with a three-round score of 222 (75-76-71). Sam finished tied for 10th at the event as a sophomore in 2024 with a three-round total of 221 (77-72-72). He also finished tied for 29th as a freshman with a three-round total of 229 (75-76-78). Sam has participated in all 11 tournaments and 33 rounds as a senior in 2025-26. He is averaging a team-best 73.1 strokes per round with a low round of 67 while earning two top 10 finishes and six top 25 performances this season. Sam was named the Under Armour Horizon League Men's Golfer of the Week on March 12 after leading the Penguins to a runner-up team finish at the two-day Jackrabbit Invitational hosted by South Dakota State, which concluded on March 10 in Boulder City, Nev. The senior finished tied for second on the individual leaderboard with a career-best, six-under-par three-round score of 210 (70-67-73) to earn the best individual finish of his career. Sam fired a career-low, five-under-par round of 67 in the second round of the Jackrabbit Invitational on March 9.
Porter will be making his second appearance at the Horizon League Championship. The McDonald, Ohio, native shot a second-round 79 during his lone round of competition as a substitute for the Penguins at the 2025 league meet. Porter has participated in all 11 tournaments and 33 rounds as a redshirt junior in 2025-26. He is averaging 73.3 strokes per round with a low round of 67 while earning three top 10 finishes and five top 25 performances this season.
Kish will also be competing at the Horizon League Championship for the second straight season. The Massillon, Ohio, native finished tied for 34th at the 2025 Horizon League Championship as a freshman with a three-round total of 234 (77-81-76). Kish has participated in all 11 tournaments and 33 rounds as a sophomore in 2025-26. He is averaging 73.6 strokes per round with a low round of 69 while earning one top 10 finish, three top 25 finishes and six top 30 performances in 2025-26.
Shilling will also be making his second appearance at the Horizon League Championship. The Murrysville, Pa., native finished tied for 27th at the 2025 Horizon League Championship as a redshirt freshman with a three-round 231 (81-76-74). Shilling has participated in 10 tournaments and 30 rounds for the Penguins this season as a redshirt sophomore. He is averaging 75.3 strokes per round with a low round of 67 while earning a pair of top 25 finishes in 2025-26.
Ryan will also be competing at the Horizon League Championship for the second consecutive season. The Akron, Ohio, native finished tied for 14th at the 2025 Horizon League Championship as a sophomore with a three-round score of 225 (76-78-71). Ryan has participated in six tournaments and 18 rounds for YSU this season. He is averaging 75.9 strokes per round with a low round of 70 in 2025-26.
Youngstown State matched its best performance at the Horizon League Championships with a second-place finish in 2022. The Penguins also finished as the runner-up in 2006. YSU also placed third in 2024, 2019, 2014, 2011, 2010 and 2008. YSU has had two individual Horizon League champions – Nate Komsa (2004) and Ryan Stocke (2010).
The NCAA Regionals will take place May 18-20 at six different sites. The regional sites include the University of Georgia Golf Course (Athens, Ga.), Bermuda Run Country Club (Bermuda Run, N.C.), Traditions Club (Bryan, Texas), OSU Golf Club (Columbus, Ohio), Trysting Tree Golf Club (Corvalis, Ore.) and The Gallery Golf Club (Marana, Ariz.).
For news and updates throughout the 2026 Horizon League Golf Championships, follow @YSUMensGolf on X and Instagram.
