GADSDEN, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's golf team will close out the first month of the season at the Graeme McDowell Invitational hosted by UAB beginning on Monday.

This week's lineup for the Jaguars includes Jack Hearn, Eli Mitchell, Jacob LeCroy, Jordan Plunkett and Will Skipp, with Kevin Dahlberg competing as an individual.

The tournament features 36 holes on the opening day of play at the Silver Lakes Backbreaker/Heartbreaker Golf Course, and will conclude with the final round on Tuesday.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (host): Graeme McDowell Invitational (UAB)
Dates: 9/27-28 (Monday-Tuesday)
Format: 36 holes Monday, 18 holes Tuesday
Start times: 7:30 a.m. (CDT) tee times both days
Course: Silver Lakes Backbreaker/Heartbreaker Golf Course (par 72, 7,467 yds)
Live scoring: http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=23343&x=0.509607805749

THE FIELD (16)
UAB, UAB "B", Charleston Southern, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb, Louisiana, ULM, North Alabama, Samford, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, Winthrop, Western Kentucky

THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Jack Hearn (Sr., Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Ireland; 3 rds, 1 T10, 70.00 avg, 68 low 18, 210 low 54, 2 rds =/- par)
-Eli Mitchell (So., Meridian, Miss.; 3 rds, 75.33 avg, 71 low 18, 226 low 54, 1 rd =/- par)
-Jacob LeCroy (Jr., Anniston, Ala.; 3 rds, 77.33 avg, 75 low 18, 232 low 54)
-Jordan Plunkett (Sr., Sterrett, Ala; 3 rds, 73.33 avg, 66 low 18, 220 low 54, 1 rd =/- par)
-Will Skipp (So., Stockton-on-Tees, England; 12 rds, 76.50 avg, 71 low 18, 226 low 54, 1 rd =/- par in 2020-21)
-*Kevin Dahlberg (Fr., Skanör, Sweden; making collegiate debut)
*denotes competing as an individual

TEE SHOTS
-This will be the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Jaguars have competed at UAB's fall event.
-Last year's finish in a tie for seventh place was South's best result at the tournament.
-LeCroy, Mitchell and Plunkett all were in the Jag lineup at UAB last fall.
-USA is coming off a top-10 performance in its season debut at Louisiana Tech's Jim Rivers Intercollegiate two weeks ago.
-Hearn led the team with a pair of rounds in the 60s on the final two days of play, recording a top-five finish in his first tournament as a Jaguar.
-Plunkett's second-round 6-under-par 66 was not only South's low 18-hole score at the event, but two strokes fewer than his previous career best set on four different occasions his first three years with the program.
-Mitchell was one of two Jags to break par in the opening round at LA Tech following a 1-under-par 71, while LeCroy concluded play with his best 18-hole score of the tournament with a 75.
-Skipp was last in the USA lineup at Auburn's Tiger Invitational in March, while he posted his best finish at the collegiate level in his most recent appearance after tying for 39th place while competing individually at the Craft Farms Intercollegiate at the end of that month.
-In his final amateur competition prior to the start of the semester, Dahlberg advanced to the finals of the JSM Match Play event in Åkersberga, Sweden.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Ben Hannan
On the Jaguars' lineup for the tournament: "We've had a good two weeks of practice, we started qualifying a week-and-a-half ago and were able to get in three rounds working around some weather.  We had some good, competitive scores including multiple rounds under par, the guys competed well.  This is a new lineup for us this week at a new venue.  We're looking forward to getting going, I know the guys who have the chance to play this week are excited to get going as well."
On what he wants to see this week: "As always, I think we play our best golf when we have all five guys in the game.  That's our staple, when we are tossing out competitive scores because everybody is in it. We played a lot of good golf at Louisiana Tech, but had to count a big round two out of the three days and that really was the difference.  This week, we would like to see all six guys compete and contribute with consistent, solid golf reflective of what they're doing at home."

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.

—USA—