STATESBORO, Ga.– The 14th-ranked LSU men’s golf team will participate in the 2001 Schenkel/E-Z-Go Invitational Beginning Saturday in Statesboro, Ga.
The Schenkel will be the Tigers fourth tournament of the spring, and their ninth of the 2000-01 season. It promises to be the most competitive tournaments LSU has played in all season. The Schenkel features six teams currently ranked in the Mastercard top ten, and 13 of the top individual players in the country.
Highlighting the field of 15 teams will be the nation’s number one team, the Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs won the 2000 Schenkel, with Bubba Watson claiming medalist honors for Georgia. Other teams of interest participating are third ranked Clemson, fifth ranked Florida, sixth ranked South Carolina, and number seven North Carolina State.
Augusta State is 10th, followed by the Tigers at No. 14 and East Tennessee State at No. 16. The tournament will be held at Forest Heights Country Club, a par-72 course with a yardage of 6,945.
The Tigers lineup for the event will be: seniors Alan Morgan and Craig Taylor, junior Nathan Goulding, along with sophomores John Humphries and Garrett Prather. Morgan will be playing in his ninth consecutive tournament this season. He has the lowest stroke average on the team, at 70.8 to go along with five top-ten finishes, and two individual titles. The Lake Charles native is making a push for All-America honors this season and is rated as the 19th best collegiate golfer by Mastercard.
“I think this tournament is a great opportunity for guys like Alan and Nathan to get some recognition in a big-time tournament with lots of other good golfers”, said LSU head coach Greg Jones.
Goulding has been as consistent as anyone of late for the team. He owns a stroke average of 71.3, with two top-ten finishes, and tied a school record by shooting a 66 back in February.
Jones is aware the atmosphere at the tournament will be as good as it gets in collegiate golf, but he wants his team to play at the level he knows they can.
“This tournament will be fun for our guys and very competitive, but we just want to play consistent golf and try to post good scores”, said Jones.
The Tigers won the tournament in 1989, and Clemson claimed the title the next year. The Schenekel was then suspended for a decade before reappearing last season.
The Tigers are coming off a long break, having not played since there thrilling win at the inagural LSU Spring Invitational March 6 at the University Club. The win was the Tigers third of the 2000-01 season.
The Schenkel participants will play a practice round Friday, and then two rounds Saturday, with the final 18 holes Sunday.