MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama head men's head golf coach
Ben Hannan announced the fall portion of the 2022-23 schedule this afternoon featuring four tournaments including the site of a major championship.
"Our schedule will give us some great opportunities this fall as we will get challenged in every event with competitive and deep fields," Hanning said. "We are playing some different venues which is always fun. Overall, the guys played well this summer which makes us optimistic and looking forward to getting started."
The Jags open the fall schedule on the road at nearby Louisiana Tech in the 10th annual Jim Rivers Intercollegiate featuring 22 teams on Sept. 11 (running through Sept. 13). The host Bulldogs lead a field that includes South Alabama, defending tournament champion No. 21 LSU, UTSA, Houston, SMU, North Texas, Rice, Nicholls, Francis Marion, Southern Miss, Oral Roberts, ULM, Louisiana, Abilene Christian, Troy, Middle Tennessee, Lamar, Kennesaw State, High Point, Central Arkansas, and Missouri State.
The event will be held at the Squire Creek Golf Course featuring an 18-hole championship course designed by Tom Fazio. The 7,105-yard, par 72 course is ranked as the No. 1 golf course in the state of Louisiana and was ranked as one of the top 10 best new courses in America by Golf Digest in 2003 after its opening.
South Alabama returns to action Sept. 26 in Toledo at the Inverness Intercollegiate, hosted by Toledo in the famed course. The club has hosted four U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, two NCAA Men's Championships, and the Solheim Cup since it opened in 1903. Inverness is the only club to have hosted the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Senior Open, and U.S. Junior Amateur Championships.
"Inverness will be a special trip for us, especially with the history of the club and golf course," he said. "The field is elite and will give us a good look at where we are on the national scene. It will be an awesome trip and a great experience for the guys."
The field consists of No. 11 Georgia Tech, No 8 Washington, Notre Dame, Virginia, Louisville, ETSU, Iowa, Purdue, Ohio State, SMU, Charlotte, USC, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Texas Tech, and Toledo.
The Jags hit the course for the third time in the fall at the Tempest Collegiate hosted by Sun Belt Conference member Texas State the weekend of Oct. 9 (running through Oct. 12). They will be facing the likes of Louisiana, Lamar, Rice, Nicholls, Houston Baptist, Stephen F. Austin, UT-Arlington, Bellarmine, UTRGV, and Central Michigan.
"The Tempest Collegiate is another new event for us and one that logistically fits perfectly with our fall schedule," Hannan said. "Like last year, our league is very talented and very deep from top to bottom. Getting a chance to see some of the league always gives you a good measuring stick of where you are, and to compete in the SBC you will need to be at the top of your game."
The Jags close out the fall schedule Oct. 24-25 in Tulsa (Okla.) at the ORU Invitational hosted by Oral Roberts. The tournament will feature 54 holes of competition at the Oaks Country Club. It will feature Oral Roberts, UTSA, Northern Iowa, UMKC, Southern Utah, New Mexico State, Missouri State, Utah State, Texas State, Rice, and Stephen F. Austin.
"We have eight solid players who at different times have played really good golf in the past and this summer," Hannan said. "It should be very competitive at home which is what we want. In terms of expectations, if we show up and do our jobs, we can compete in every event.
"We will put our energy and focus on the process of getting better every day. Showing up focused, prepared and putting our energy in what we can control is our ultimate goal and if we can do that throughout the fall, I am confident the results will take care of themselves."
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