The Tennessee men’s golf team is preparing for one of the biggest tournaments in the South this weekend as they travel to Dalton, Ga., for the Carpet Capital Intercollegiate.
After a third-place finish at the Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions in Knoxville and two weeks off, the Vol golfers will be looking for a good finish against some solid competition.
This will be a good indication of where we stand at the moment, assistant golf coach Randy Wylie said. It’s so early in the season and we are so young. I just expect for us to keep getting better and better.
For the Vols to keep improving, they will have to overcome some tough obstacles.
This weekend’s tournament has earned a trademark of hosting some of the nation’s top teams. This year, the tournament will be boast having 11 of the nation’s top 25 teams in attendance.
This will be a very good field, Wilie said. We have a young team with one freshman, three sophomores and a senior. It will be very important in measuring up against the best.
Although any team has the potential to win this year’s tourney, No. 1 Georgia is an obvious favorite. However, No. 2 Clemson and No 3 Arizona State will also be looking for success.
Tennessee will also be competing against No. 6 Georgia Tech, last year’s defending tournament champs, as well as Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Wake Forest, East Tennessee State, Houston and UCLA.
Another problem the Vols will be faced with is the conditions of the course. The tournament is being played at The Farm, one of the premiere golf courses in the nation.
This will be one of the most difficult courses that our guys will play at all year, Wilie said. This course is respected throughout the whole country.
Not only will the long course present some difficulty for the entire field but the weather will also be a problem, according to this weekend’s forecast.
With weather expected to be 30 degrees cooler than normal and winds gusting for the entire weekend, much of the course will change speed.
With the greens being fast and the course being long, bad weather magnifies that, Wilie said. We will have to adjust our strategy and be comfortable with that fact that a 72 is a good round.
Good weather or bad, Tennessee should be relying on the same faces to be near the top.
Senior Andy Brimer has been consistent for the Vols all year and should provide Tennessee with some experience and leadership.
Another threat for Tennessee will be the play of sophomore Andrew Pratt. Last year, Pratt was the only freshman in the country to make the NCAAs as an individual.
We’re expecting to see Andy and Andrew (Pratt) play well, Wilie said. We just want our guys to play like this is any other tournament.
The tournament begins Friday and continues through Sunday.
