SANDESTIN, Fla. – The University of South Alabama men's golf program will open postseason competition on Sunday with the start of the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Yannick Schütz paces the Jaguars with a 71.90 stroke average and five top-20 results coming into play.  He will be joined by fellow sophomore Rasmus Karlsson and juniors Brooks Rabren and Peter Staalbo, with senior Jason Mendel — making his final appearance at the event — rounding out the USA lineup.

The format for the championship includes 54 holes of stroke play on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with action getting underway from split tees at 7:30 a.m. (CDT) each day.  The top four teams will advance to the semifinals of match play on Wednesday, with the league's automatic berth to an NCAA Regional going to the winner of the final match that afternoon.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Sun Belt Conference Championship (Sun Belt Conference)
Dates: 4/22-25 (Sunday-Wednesday)
Start times: 7:30 a.m. (CDT) start from split tees every day
Course: Sandestin Golf Resort Raven Course (par 71, 6,802 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com//public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=15096
Live video: https://www.youtube.com/user/SunBeltSports/live

THE FIELD (12)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Little Rock, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, UTA, Texas State, Troy

THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Rasmus Karlsson (So., Fiskars, Finland; 27 rds, 74.04 avg, 3 T20s; 66 low 18, 208 low 54; 9 rds =/- par)
-Jason Mendel (Sr., Norcross, Ga.; 21 rds, 74.33 avg, 67 low 18, 217 low 54; 3 rds =/- par)
-Brooks Rabren (Jr., Andalusia, Ala.; 24 rds, 73.88 avg, 1 T10, 68 low 18, 212 low 54; 10 rds =/- par)
-Yannick Schütz (So., Friolzheim, Germany; 21 rds, 71.90 avg, 5 T20, 67 low 2 18, 210 low 54; 10 rds =/- par)
-Peter Staalbo (Jr., Lejre, Denmark; 22 rds, 76.64 avg, 1 T20; 69 low 18, 216 low 54; 3 rds =/- par)

TEE SHOTS
-The Jaguars have won the team title at the SBC Championship 10 times, with the most recent victory coming in 2010.
-Lane Hulse was the last member of the program to claim medalist honors, accomplishing the feat in 2013 after winning on the first hole of a playoff.
-This marks the fourth year in a row that the league championship will be conducted in Sandestin.
-Three of South's 10 victories at the event have been earned in Florida, the most of any state.
-Last spring the Jaguars were sixth in the team standings, but just two shots behind the two teams tied for third that advanced to the semifinals of match play.
-Four of the five members of this week's lineup played in the event a year ago, with Mendel pacing the Jaguars with a 217 54-hole score that was tied for 13th in the individual standings.
-Rabren matched Mendel with an even-par 71 on the final day of stroke play, as both he and Karlsson were among the top 30 individually with three-round 221 totals.
-Two years ago — the first time that the tournament included match play to determine the champion — the Jags advanced to the semifinals after coming in fourth place during stroke play.
-With a 217 three-day total that spring, Staalbo tied for the team lead and was among the top 20 individuals.
-Schütz enters the competition ranked second in the Sun Belt in stroke average and score vs. par.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On the start of postseason play: "The guys are looking forward to the conference championship.  With the format you want to give yourself an opportunity by getting to match play, so the key to 54-hole stroke-play qualifying is getting everybody on the same page, minimizing mistakes to the best of our ability and playing the shot in front of us.  It's really about focusing on the process, drawing on the lessons and the experiences we've had this year to give ourselves an opportunity to move into match play."
On the team's chemistry entering the Sun Belt tournament: "It's a good team, there is a family feel.  The guys understand they are accountable to each other and that what they do out there directly affects their teammates.  The all-for-one mentality makes this week fun because you can't win without the guy next to you.  With the match-play segment, it is very much a team event all the way through."
On the competition at the league championship: "We've had some really good teams and programs every year, but this season it is as deep as I can remember; there is no question that anybody has a chance.  That means we have to show up and play well all three rounds to be in one of those final four spots.  Certainly this team is capable of that, they have played some exceptional golf at different points this year and they have the talent.  It's about controlling what you can, focusing on the present and taking care of the shot in front of you."

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).

Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.

—USA—