ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its first standings update for the 2026-27 men’s golf season. With first-place finishes at the Association’s first designated event of the season, Central Missouri takes an early lead in the team standings, and Central Oklahoma’s Nick Canales now ranks at the top of the individual standings.
 
All 10 MIAA men’s golf programs were in St. Joseph, Missouri, earlier this week for the Association’s first designated event of the season, hosted by Missouri Western at the St. Joseph Country Club.
 
MIAA standings for men’s golf are calculated from points awarded based on team and individual placings at four separate designated events throughout the season. Points are assigned to MIAA teams and individuals based on their finish in each event. The top 15 individuals from the MIAA are awarded points based on their individual placing at the designated events, and golfers must compete as part of their team’s official five-man roster (not as an individual) in the event to earn points towards MIAA standings.

The designated events for the 2026-27 season are Missouri Western's Holiday Inn Express Invitational (September 28-29) and Newman's Invite (October 12-13) in the fall, and Central Oklahoma's Classic (April 5-6) and the 2027 MIAA Men's Golf Championship (April 19-21) in the spring. 
 
The University of Central Missouri Mules golf team finished with an even-par (840) team score through 54 holes to claim the title at the MWSU Holiday Inn Express Classic on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at St. Joseph Country Club.
 
The Mules tallied team round scores of 276 (-4), 277 (-3)  and 297 (+7), totaling 840 (E) to win the tournament. No. 10-ranked Central Oklahoma claimed runner-up honor with a team score of 844 (+4), and Washburn completed an MIAA top-three sweep of the 18-team field, taking third place with a final scorecard of 849 (+9).
 
Nick Canales of Central Oklahoma won the individual title, carding a 54-hole score of 203 (-7). The senior from La Porte, Texas, opened the event with a 69 (-1) on Monday morning (Sept. 28) and shot a 65 (-5) in the afternoon to take command. In Tuesday’s final round (Sept. 29), he finished off his fifth career win with another 69 (-1). Canales totaled 31 pars and led the field of 103 with 16 birdies.
 
Central Missouri’s Will Boyd finished two strokes behind Canales to claim runner-up honors with a three-round total of 205 (-5). The junior recorded four birdies in the final round for a total of 14 throughout the invite.
 
The current 2026-27 MIAA men’s golf team and individual standings following the first designated event of the season are below.
 
The next MIAA men’s golf standings update will be released after the conclusion of the Association’s second designated event of the season, hosted by Newman, October 12-13, at the Terradyne Country Club in Andover, Kansas.