By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A fun, yet challenging slate of events awaits the Tennessee Tech men's golf team this spring, as the Golden Eagles will embark on five-tournament schedule for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.
Kicking off the spring campaign for the Tech squad is a trip to the Bash at the Beach Collegiate in North Myrtle Beach, Ala. The two-day event, which spans from March 7-8, will feature play at The Surf Golf & Beach Club and be hosted by Appalachian State.
"The guys will start the season during spring break," head coach Polk Brown explained, "which will definitely give them plenty of time to get ready. They've been working hard since the fall to prepare, but having the extra time should pay off as well.
"Going to Myrtle Beach over spring break, we're looking forward to hopefully some good weather," Brown added. "It's a big field of about 15-18 teams and we're excited to get down there for the first time and find out what it's all about."
Next on the docket for the Golden Eagles is a familiar trip to Jackson, Tenn. for Ohio Valley Conference rival UT Martin's Grover Page Classic. Running from March 14-15, the tournament will once again be held at Jackson Country Club.
"In the past two years, we've come in second place at the Grover Page Classic," Brown recalled. "Hopefully this year we can get over that last little hump and take home the title. We seem to do well there quite often and I expect that to continue this year."
For the fourth time in as many years, Tech will play host to the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate, named for the late, great Golden Eagle head coach. This season's event will involve one new twist, however, running over the course of three days rather than the traditional two-day format. Hosted at the Sevierville Golf Club in Sevierville, Tenn., the competitive Tech tournament is scheduled from March 20-22.
"We have another fantastic field lined up for our tournament this year," Brown said, "and we can't wait to get back to the River Course in Sevierville. I know the team is looking forward to enjoying it as a three-day event and I fully expect them to perform well there."
One final tune-up before the conference tournament, the Golden Eagles will return to Tennessee State's Big Blue Intercollegiate as the reigning champs, looking for a repeat in the two-day event scheduled for April 11-12. Tech will head back to The Hermitage President's Reserve in Nashville, Tenn. looking to claim its second tournament title in as many years.
"We are excited to defend our title at Tennessee State's event," Brown explained. "We obviously had some success there last year and hope to mimic that result. It's a great golf course and it's not too far from home. Hopefully we can carry some good mojo from last year into that event and see if we can put ourselves into position to win again."
Once again, the spring schedule will feature three days of golf in Muscle Shoals, Ala. for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Running from April 25-27, the league's title will be determined at a familiar location, the Fighting Joe Course at The Shoals as part of the Robert Trent Jones Trail.
"I think going into conference we have a lot of great opportunities to build a lot of positive vibes and momentum like we did last year," Brown said.
"There's a lot of parity in our league and heading into the OVC Championships in April, I think that we'll be ready. That depends on the guys. They have to continue to put in hard work before we go back to Muscles Shoals where we've had some success. I think we've got a good shot. We have to work hard and stay focused, and if we do those things, we'll be right there."
Photo by TTU Photo Services
