By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team sits just weeks from returning to the links for its spring slate of challenges, a schedule featuring five events and highlighted by the annual Ohio Valley Conference Championships.
The Golden Eagles will get the spring campaign underway with a three-day event in Kiawah Island, S.C. Hosted by the College of Charleston, Tech will once again compete at the Edwin Watts – Kiawah Island Classic, competing from Feb. 28 to March 1 Oak Point & Osprey Point.
"We look forward to kicking off the spring with a really good tournament," head coach Polk Brown explained, "and to do it with one we have experience at is always nice. We haven't played there in two years, but Kiawah Island is a special place. It's the biggest field in the country throughout the whole year, with over 30 teams playing on two courses. We have the opportunity to play a different course than we've played in years past, so that will create an exciting twist to the event.
"Just to be able to go somewhere with so much history and play on courses of that caliber is awesome," Brown added. "We can't wait begin the season with a good performance and hopefully the weather will allow for that."
The Golden Eagles will receive a nearly three-week break before heading back to work, but it is an event always worth the wait. 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, however, will feature a three-day format as opposed to the standard two-day schedule the event has played in the past three seasons. Hosted at the Sevierville Golf Club in Sevierville, Tenn., the competitive Tech tournament is scheduled from March 20-22.
"Yet another solid field is lined up to compete at our event again," Brown said. "The new format will just make things more exciting and it will be fun going back to Sevierville and doing this again for the fourth time. We've had some success there in the past and I certainly think the women are capable of winning that event again like they did a few years ago."
Tech will compete next from April 1-2, taking part in the EKU Colonel Classic for the third consecutive year. Hosted by OVC rival Eastern Kentucky, play will commence at The Arlington Club in Richmond, Ky.
The very next week, the Golden Eagle squad will make a return trip to Murray State's annual event, participating in the Murray State Time Warner Invitational. Held at Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray, Ky., the two-day event is set to play from April 8-9.
"Our next two tournaments are ones we participated in last spring," Brown recalled. "Both golf courses set up very well for us and I think as we get in towards conference, that will give us a good opportunity to see where we stand with the rest of our opponents.
"Having not played with Eastern Kentucky all year, it'll be nice to see how do against the defending champs. They've been pretty good this year so far. We're excited to wrap up the regular season at those two locations.
As it does every year, the spring schedule will round out with three days of golf at the OVC Championships, which will return to Owens Cross Roads, Ala. from April 18-20. Tech will take on the entire league at the Highlands Course at Hampton Cove of the Robert Trent Jones Trail.
"Heading into the conference tournament, I think the women have a great opportunity on their hands," Brown explained. "It all depends really on how hard they work continue to work and what we do heading into the spring to get ready. I think this is as good a chance as we've had to win conference since I've been here and I'm excited about the possibilities."
Photo by TTU Photo Services
