ALBANY, Ga. – The No. 2 University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team has reached a new level of dominance after winning the GSW Hurricane Invitational at Doublegate Country Club Tuesday afternoon as the win is UNG's third in the last four years at the GSW Hurricane Invitational. 

The Nighthawks combined to shoot 29-under-par, marking the second-best 54-hole score in program history. They defeated the 15-team field, which included seven of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) top 25 teams in the country, by nine shots. 

Dating back to February of 2021, the Nighthawks have won an astonishing 14 of 39 events. They've finished worse than fifth place just five times in that span. Most golf teams do not have a 35.8 winning percentage over a near four-year span. UNG is not most golf teams. It proved that again Tuesday. 

After jumping to a five-shot advantage at the end of day one, the Nighthawks put pedal to metal on the tournament's final day of play. 

Graduate student Jack Vajda started his day with four birdies on the front nine. After stumbling with his first bogey of the day on the par-3 11th, Vajda responded in a big way. He birdied the par-4 12th, then eagled the par-5 13th. Two holes later he would birdie again on the 510-yard, par-5 15th hole. 

Vajda finished the day with a four-under 68, solidifying a 10-under mark for the tournament. He also solidified his second consecutive individual medalist honor this season. 

Leading the charge of UNG's unprecedented team success, Vajda is in rarefied air when it comes to recent personal success. In the last eight stroke-play tournaments, Vajda has won five of them and has finished top 10 in another and has not finished worse than 22nd in any of them. 

No player in UNG men's golf history has won more tournaments than Vajda. From his first win as a Nighthawk back in March, it took Vajda just 182 days to accomplish that feat. 

Just behind Vajda was senior and fellow teammate Ethan Day who finished in second place at nine-under-par. Day posted three red-number rounds in the tournament, highlighted by a bogey free, six-under 66 in Monday's opener. On Tuesday, two back nine birdies fueled Day to a 70 in his final round and his second top-5 finish this season.

With Day holding the second spot on the individual leaderboard, it marks the first time under head coach Bryson Worley that the Nighthawks have held the top two spots in a tournament. It's the first time in program history they've done so in a 54-hole tournament with more than four competing teams.

Following Day was junior Hunter Smith in 13th place who exploded on the final day for UNG. Smith opened the tournament with a two-over 74. He steadied with a 71 in round two and then dominated the ever difficult Doublegate CC in round three. With one blemish (a bogey on the par-5 7th), Smith carded a five-under 67 to post the best score of the final day for any Nighthawk golfer. 

Smith has now posted four rounds in the 60s this season, tied for second most on the team. His 65 on Tuesday is a new season-best for the Athens, Ga. native.

After Smith was sophomore Colby Bennett who came in 16th place at two-under overall. In his first three tournaments this season, Bennett has finished 16th or better in all of them.

With a three-under 69 on the final day, senior Hughes Threlkeld found a spot in 21st place. After a two-over 74 on the opening day, Threlkeld responded with a 72 in round two and his fourth round in the 60s of the season in round three. 

The Nighthawks will return home and prepare for the Copperhead Championship at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla. on Oct. 14 and 15.