CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia senior Ben James has been named the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golfer of the Year, while North Carolina’s Carson Bertagnole was voted the ACC Freshman of the Year by the league’s head coaches. In addition, Virginia head coach Bowen Sargent was named ACC Coach of the Year.
James and Bertagnole headline a group of 15 golfers who earned All-ACC Team honors.
All-ACC Team selections and yearly award winners are determined by a vote of the conference’s head coaches. California’s Ziqin Zhou automatically earned All-ACC honors after winning the individual title at the 2026 ACC Men’s Golf Championship in April.
James becomes the first Virginia player to claim ACC Player of the Year honors since Ben Kohles won back-to-back awards in 2010 and 2011. James ended a historic regular season by finishing in the top five in all eight of his stroke-play events. The Milford, Connecticut, native captured two medalist honors, including his second regional title, winning the Winston-Salem Regional in May. James’ 194 (-19) marked the lowest score ever recorded by an NCAA Division I golfer at a regional, breaking his own record of 196 set in 2023. At the conclusion of the season, James finished atop the PGA TOUR University rankings, earning his PGA TOUR membership for the remainder of 2026 and the entire 2026-27 season.
Bertagnole becomes the first Tar Heel to win ACC Freshman of the Year honors since David Ford in 2022 and the fourth player in program history to receive the award. The Pinehurst, North Carolina, native closed his first season with a 70.19 scoring average, the fifth-best in program history. Bertagnole earned Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Freshman All-America and all-region honors at the conclusion of the season. The freshman claimed his first-ever collegiate title, winning the Fighting Irish Open in October, by winning a three-player playoff. Bertagnole ended the season with four top-10 finishes and ranked 30th in the final Scoreboard individual rankings.
Sargent earned his second consecutive ACC Coach of the Year honor and third overall, also winning in 2010. Named the GCAA National Coach of the Year, Sargent led Virginia to its second straight ACC championship in April and the program’s first-ever regional title in May. Sargent led the Cavaliers to five team championships in 2025-26, including the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, where they finished at 39-under-par (813), the second-lowest winning score by an ACC team this season.
A total of 12 ACC teams advanced to the NCAA Regionals this season, tying for the most in league history.
2026 ACC Men’s Golfer of the Year
Ben James, Sr., Virginia
2026 ACC Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
2026 ACC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year
Bowen Sargent, Virginia
2026 Men’s Golf All-ACC Team
Ziqin Zhou, So., California
Ethan Evans, Sr., Duke
Bryan Kim, Jr., Duke
William Love, Sr., Duke
Tyler Weaver, Jr., Florida State
Hiroshi Tai, Sr., Georgia Tech
Carson Bertagnole, Fr., North Carolina
Niall Sheils Donegan, Jr., North Carolina
Jacob Modleski, Jr., Notre Dame
William Sides, Sr., SMU
Dean Greyserman, Sr., Stanford
Jay Leng, So., Stanford
Paul Chang, Gr., Virginia
Ben James, Sr., Virginia
Bryan Lee, Sr., Virginia
2026 ACC Men’s Golfer of the Year
Ben James, Sr., Virginia
2026 ACC Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
2026 ACC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year
Bowen Sargent, Virginia
2026 Men’s Golf All-ACC Team
Ziqin Zhou, So., California
Ethan Evans, Sr., Duke
Bryan Kim, Jr., Duke
William Love, Sr., Duke
Tyler Weaver, Jr., Florida State
Hiroshi Tai, Sr., Georgia Tech
Carson Bertagnole, Fr., North Carolina
Niall Sheils Donegan, Jr., North Carolina
Jacob Modleski, Jr., Notre Dame
William Sides, Sr., SMU
Dean Greyserman, Sr., Stanford
Jay Leng, So., Stanford
Paul Chang, Gr., Virginia
Ben James, Sr., Virginia
Bryan Lee, Sr., Virginia