STATESBORO, Ga. – In recording a pair of top-four finishes to open the spring season, the University of South Alabama men's golf team has accomplished the feat on familiar ground. All three events the Jaguars have taken part in this semester have been contested at venues the program has played at the last few years.
Coming off their most extensive break since beginning the second half of the campaign at home at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate Feb. 23-24, that won't be the case for the Jags when they take part in the Schenkel Invitational for the first time ever.
"Heading to the Schenkel — a wonderful collegiate event that's been in existence for many years and always has a strong field — where we have never participated, for us it was trying to learn as much about the golf course as we could so that we could prepare accordingly," commented USA head coach Ben Hannan. "Our focus has been a lot on scoring clubs and the short game. I feel we do a good job of preparing for a golf course each and every event, but having never seen this course we will have to be more attuned to analyzing where to go, where you can't miss, fall lines and lines off of tees during the practice round.
"Through the course of the tournament the guys will learn more as they play, which could also dictate the game plan per individual as well."
This will be the 36th edition of the Schenkel Invitational, which is hosted by fellow Sun Belt Conference member Georgia Southern. Participants in the event — including Mark Calcevecchia, Andy North, Jerry Pate, Curtis Strange, David Toms and Bubba Watson — have gone on to win 244 PGA Tour events, 13 major tournaments, eight NCAA individual championships and the United States Amateur Championship on seven occasions.
Not only does the event feature a historic past, it includes an immediate challenge for the Jaguars. Ten of the 15 schools in the field this year are among the top 50 in the latest Golfstat rankings, including No. 5 Vanderbilt, 14th-ranked Auburn, No. 22 Wake Forest and North Florida, which stands 25th. Also competing will be Florida (No. 38), Alabama-Birmingham (No. 39), Iowa (No. 42), Louisville (No. 43), North Carolina State (No. 44) and Mississippi (No. 45); the host Eagles are 51st nationally, with Central Florida, Charleston and Kentucky participating as well.
"With the history and tradition of this event, the guys are really excited to have the opportunity to play," stated Hannan. "It's an honor to have been invited to this prestigious tournament, and the strength of this field will give us a great look at where we stand nationally."
Action will begin at the par-72, 6,962-yard Forest Heights Country Club on Friday at 8 a.m. (CDT) with the first of three rounds in three days. The second round will tee off the same time on Saturday, with the final 18 holes starting Sunday at 7:30 a.m. On the opening day, USA — which will be paired with the Hawkeyes and U of L — tees off on hole No. 10.
Live scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com all weekend.
The Jags will feature the same lineup for the third straight tournament, with Michael Garretson, Tyler Klava, Daniel Jansen, Matt Sheehan and Jason Mendel set to play.
Three Jaguars rank among the top 20 in the SBC in score against par, with each of the trio entering the event with a scoring average of 74.00 or better. Garretson paces the squad with a 73.70 figure and is 12th in the league, with Jansen averaging 73.78 strokes per round and Klava at 74.00; the former stands 14th in the Sun Belt while the latter ranks 17th.
Klava led USA in its last tournament, posting a season-low 3-under-par 213 total to tie for ninth while helping the Jags finish fourth in the team standings. Sheehan — who has a season scoring average of 74.96 — tied for 25th last time out after firing a 3-under-par 69 in the second round, while Mendel contributed an even-par 72 on the last day of the tournament; the redshirt freshman is averaging 75.52 shots per round.
"Golf can be a very taxing sport if you are committed to the process, focusing and working; it can definitely be a grind," Hannan explained. "Following up our final round at Auburn the guys have been in a good frame of mind and enjoyed the week of practice. The last three events we've played well and have gotten contributions from multiple players, which is always a good sign, so we're looking forward to competing again."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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