By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team is ready to return to the throne when it hosts the fourth annual Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate Sunday through Tuesday at the Sevierville Golf Club.
The Golden Eagles won the inaugural crown at the tournament in 2013, and coach Polk Brown's team is anxious to claim the title again after finishing ninth in 2014 and third last year.
A tough field of 12 teams will battle through three consecutive days of golf on the 5,803-yard Highlands Course, with an 8:30 a.m. EDT shotgun start each day. The tournament expands this year from 36 holes to the 54-hole challenge. Team and individual champions will be crowned Tuesday afternoon and a five-player all-tournament team will be announced.
Tech hosts the tournament, named for former Golden Eagle player and coach Bobby Nichols, a member of numerous Halls of Fame. A 12-team men's team field will compete at the same time on the adjacent River Course.
THE BOBBY NICHOLS INTERCOLLEGIATE: The tournament will feature 18 holes on three consecutive days on the Highlands Course at the Sevierville Golf Club. The course layout will be a 5,803-yard, par 72 setup all three days. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. EDT each day with a shotgun start. For more information about Sevierville Golf Club, visit this link: http://www.seviervillegolfclub.com/
GOLDEN EAGLE LINEUP: The Golden Eagles will send a proven lineup into the field at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate, along with four golfers competing as individuals. The team lineup will include freshman Hollee Sadler, junior Whitney Robertson, senior Maddi Everts, sophomore Allyson Dunn and senior Megan Williamson. Individuals in the field will include sophomore Anna Cunningham, juniors Lydia Triplett and Haley Davidson, and freshman Lindsey Miller.
THE COMPETITION: The 12-team field will include teams from Austin Peay, Carson-Newman, Evansville, Florida Atlantic, Oakland, Radford, Southern Miss, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, UNC Greensboro, Western Illinois, and Youngstown State.
IN ITS FOURTH YEAR: Tech captured the team championship in 2013 in the inaugural Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate, with Maddi Everts earning a spot on the all-tournament team with a second place individual showing. The Golden Eagles were ninth in 2014 as Everts placed 22nd to pace the team. Last year, Tech placed third overall, led by Whitney Robertson's seventh place effort.
LAST YEAR AT SEVIERVILLE: Belmont took home the team title in 2015, carding a two-round score of 602 (+34), which was the lowest 36-hole score in tournament history. The Bruins' first-round total of 295 was also the lowest in the history of the event. Eastern Kentucky finished second with a 620 (+52) and host Tennessee Tech tallied a third-place finish with a 629 (+61). Kayla Katterhenry of Evansville and Katie Story of Belmont tied for the individual lead through 36 holes with scores of 145 (+3). Katterhenry won medalist honors after defeating story on the fifth playoff hole. Whitney Robertson topped Tech with a seventh place showing at 153 (+11), while Megan Williams placed ninth at 154 (+12).
THOUGHTS FROM COACH BROWN: "We are excited to get back to Sevierville for the 4th edition of this event. The girls have been hard at work since Kiawah, and they are ready to get back after it. We have been successful here in the past, including a win in the inaugural event, and we look to continue the trend this upcoming week."
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The tournament format moved from two days and 36 holes to a three-day, 54-hole affair, so the teams that can endure the rigors of three consecutive rounds on the hilly Highlands Course will be battling for the title on Tuesday afternoon.
WEATHER FORECAST: The forecast starts on the low end but improves over the course of the tournament. Sunday's high is projected at 48 degrees with a 50 percent chance of afternoon showers and winds at 10-15 mph. The rain should move out overnight, and Monday's forecast calls for a high of 55 under mostly sunny skies and winds under 10 mph. Things look great for the final round Tuesday, with sunny skies and a high of 68 with light winds around 6-8 mph.
