By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The wait for the Tennessee Tech women's golf team to get its 2020-21 season officially underway has been a challenging one, but after having the fall portion cancelled due to COVID-19, the anticipation for the spring is at an all-time high. Head coach Polk Brown officially announced the upcoming spring schedule Wednesday afternoon.
"The ladies have been working hard the entire fall and are fired up to get back to tournament play in the spring," Brown explained. "We are very appreciative of the opportunity to compete once again since the shutdown last March, and we look forward to the challenge that awaits us in our schedule."
On tap to begin the 2020-21 season is the Lady Bison Bay Point Classic, a two-day event spanning Feb. 8-9 in Panama City, Fla. Hosted by Lipscomb at the Sheraton Panama City Beach Golf & Spa Resort, Tech will take part in its in-state rival's event for the first time.
"Our spring this year will have several of the same tournaments we have participated in the past, but we'll start with a new one as well," Brown said. "It's always exciting to try something new, but we're happy to have some familiarity with a large portion of our schedule as well."
Following a couple of weeks off, the Golden Eagles return to action at the nation's largest collegiate golf tournament, in the Kiawah Island Classic in Kiawah Island, S.C. Running from Feb. 28 through Mar. 2, the tournament will take place on the Oak Point and Cougar Point courses at the Kiawah Island Resort.
The lone event the purple and gold competed in last spring before the remainder of the season was cancelled, this marks the sixth-consecutive appearance by the Golden Eagles at the tournament hosted by the College of Charleston.
Representing Tech's third event of the season is its annual home tournament hosted in Sevierville, Tenn., the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate. This year marks the eighth time in nine years the Golden Eagles will honor the Hall of Fame coach while competing at Sevierville Golf Club, after missing out on the event last season due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Teams will once again compete on the Highlands Course, this year from Mar. 14-16.
"We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to once again host our annual event," Brown expressed. "We were just about to leave for the BNI before the shutdown happened last spring, so words can't express how ready and willing we are to return to Sevierville. We love having the chance to honor Coach [Nichols] in this way, and are raring to go once more."
Continuing with the traditional part of the Golden Eagle spring slate is another appearance in the Colonel Classic, hosted by Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky. Scheduled for Mar. 29-30 at the University Club at Arlington in Richmond, Ky., Tech will take part in the tournament for the seventh time in eight years after last year's event was yet another casualty to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Two weeks later, the purple and gold travel back to the Bluegrass State for Murray State's annual Jan Weaver Invitational. Tech will compete with its OVC foe and other programs at Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray, Ky.
Tech will wrap up the spring at the OVC Championships from Apr. 18-20 in Owens Cross Roads, Ala. The event will be held at the Highlands Course at Hampton Cove, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
