MOBILE, Ala. – After seeing the previous season end early due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the University of South Alabama men's golf team will return to the action for the first time in six months with the first of nine events on the 2020-21 calendar.

"So much has been up in the air as the fall season approached.  We appreciate the efforts of the administration and everything that has been done to allow our student-athletes the opportunity to play," said Jaguar head coach Ben Hannan.  "For most of our guys, restrictions due to COVID-19 the last five months have made the possibility of playing competitive golf very limited.  To be able to get back into competition and hopefully some sense of normalcy is going to be a great thing.  The guys are really excited to get going."

The Jags will be in action three times during the fall semester, beginning with Louisiana Tech's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate on Sunday.  Following the three-day event, South will compete at the Graeme McDowell Invitational hosted by UAB Sept. 29-30 while also taking part in Middle Tennessee's Intercollegiate at the Grove on Oct. 12-13.

"It's been an interesting year so far for everybody.  We've completely revamped the schedule in the last month-and-a-half, so a schedule that was set for over a year changed relatively quickly," Hannan said.  "The adjusted schedule was dictated by testing protocols and student-athlete safety and is in line with what our health professionals and administration deem appropriate and in their best interests.  We're very thankful that we've got three events currently set up where we will see competitive opponents predominantly from Conference USA and the Sun Belt."

The spring semester gets underway when the Jags play host to the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate at the Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course.  Participants in the field for the tournament set to be contested Feb. 15-16 include Louisville — which was ranked 14th in the final GolfStat ratings released prior to the pandemic — as well as Arkansas, Florida State, Illinois and UAB.

The Jags will go to FSU's Seminole Intercollegiate Feb. 19-21, then compete at the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn on March 7-9.  A short break will see the team take part in the Linger Longer Invitational March 12-14, with USA coming home to co-host the Craft Farms Intercollegiate at the Craft Farms Golf Club in Gulf Shores, Ala., on March 29-30.  The final event of the regular season will be the Shoal Creek Invitational, co-hosted by Auburn and Kentucky, in Birmingham April 12-13.

"We've got an incredible field for the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate, and we're also going to be co-hosting across the bay later in the spring with Eastern Michigan," said Hannan.  "The spring schedule is going to be very competitive, assuming things continue to unfold and we're able to play like normal.  Everyone is looking forward to getting back in a normal routine.  In this game, you have to play and compete; playing tournament golf is different than just playing at home.  We're looking forward to starting this fall and getting back into action, and hopefully catch our full stride by the end of the spring."

The Sun Belt Conference Championship will tee off in El Dorado, Ark., on April 25, with the event slated to run four days.  NCAA Regionals will be contested at six sites to be determined May 17-19, with the NCAA Championship scheduled to take place in Scottsdale, Ariz., from May 28-June 2.

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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