BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four of the five individuals in the University of South Alabama men's golf team's season-opening lineup will lead the Jaguars when they return to action on Monday morning with the start of Alabama-Birmingham's Shoal Creek Invitational.

Yannick Schütz, Peter Staalbo, Rasmus Karlsson and Kyle Robinson all competed two weeks ago at the Lone Star Invitational, where South recorded a final-round, 1-under-par 287 group score — the best 18-hole mark at the two-round event — to move up five spots in the team standings on the way to a sixth-place result.  Senior Brooks Rabren will make his season debut to round out the Jag lineup, with Jordan Plunkett set to compete as an individual.

Half of the tournament field of 14 schools participated in an NCAA Regional last spring, including four programs that advanced to the NCAA Championship.  Play at the Shoal Creek Country Club will begin at 8 a.m. (CDT) Monday on the first and 10th tees.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Shoal Creek Invitational (Alabama-Birmingham)
Dates: 9/24-25 (Monday-Tuesday)
Format: 36 holes Monday, 18 holes Tuesday
Start times: 8 a.m. (CDT) split tees Monday, 7:30 a.m. split tees Tuesday
Course: Shoal Creek Country Club (par 72, 7,300 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=16260

THE FIELD (14)
Alabama-Bimringham, Georgia Southern, High Point, Kansas, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, Louisiana Tech, North Florida, Ole Miss, Samford, South Alabama, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Yannick Schütz (Jr., Friolzheim, Germany; 2 rds, 73.00 avg, 1 T20, 69 low 18, 1 rd =/- par)
-Peter Staalbo (Sr., Lejre, Denmark; 2 rds, 74.00 avg, 1 T20, 69 low 18, 1 rd =/- par)
-Kyle Robinson (So, Fayetteville, Ark; 2 rds, 80.00 avg, 79 low 18)
-Rasmus Karlsson (Jr., Fiskars, Finland; 2 rds, 75.00 avg, 74 low 18)
-Brooks Rabren (Sr., Andalusia, Ala; 27 rds, 74. 40 avg, 1 T20, 68 low 18, 212 low 54, 10 rds =/- par in 2017-18)
-*Jordan Plunkett (Fr., Sterrett, Ala.; 2 rds, 76.50 avg, 75 low 18)
*denotes competing as an individual

TEE SHOTS
-It is the second year in a row that South will take part in the event after placing 12th a year ago.
-Karlsson had the best 54-hole total among the three Jags in the lineup who played in the tournament last fall, posting a 222 score that included a 1-under-par 71 in the second round.
-Staalbo and Rabren competed at the event last year as well.
-Schütz paced the Jaguars at the Lone Star Invitational, recording a 146 36-hole total for his seventh top-20 finish since the start of last season.
-Staalbo has placed among the top 20 at each of his last two events dating back to the spring after tying for 20th place two shots behind Schütz at the first event of the season; his 3-under-par 69 in the final round was his first sub-70 score since the opening 18 holes of the spring last February.
-Karlsson led South on the first day at Texas-San Antonio's tournament, going on to tie for second in the field with eight birdies over two days.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On building on the team's last round at the Lone Star Invitational: "As we get ready to head back to Shoal Creek, we are very excited; it's a great tournament with a really good field.  Everybody is playing well so we are looking forward to competing."
On what the team can use from last year's experience at the tournament: "I think we are a different team as we sit here in the middle of September than we were at this time last year, last year's experience and playing the course has certainly been valuable in our preparation for this season's event.  Everyone has been working hard and is excited to get going."
On the importance of having primarily upperclassmen in the lineup: "We have made a slight lineup change.  Having upperclassmen in the lineup this week should help, especially on a golf course like this where maturity and patience is going to be key."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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.

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