The Mossy Oak Collegiate Golf Tournament begins on Monday April 3 with teams from across the country and many SEC rivals. The tournament will consist of 36 holes played on Monday and 18 on Tuesday, making it a three-round tournament for Tennessee.
Mossy Oak Golf Club, located in West Point, Mississippi, is a top-rated par-72 golf course known for its fast and challenging greens.
Eighteen teams, including six top-25 teams, will participate in the tournament. No. 15 Tennessee is the second-highest ranked team behind No. 4 Auburn.
Tennessee’s performance in the All-American Intercollegiate last week shows promise for success at the Mossy Oak Collegiate. Redshirt junior Jake Hall took home his first collegiate individual championship title with a score of 7-under. The team finished second, scoring 5-under, behind Ole Miss.
Although some may believe this will add pressure, Hall assures Tennessee’s priorities lie in their own game and not in their competitors.
“As a team, we’re not worried about what anyone else is doing,” Hall said. “Our main focus is to put all of our energy into the shot we’re presented at any given time. Also, putting a lot of focus on not wasting mental energy on things that have happened in the past.”
Redshirt junior Bryce Lewis, another standout player on the Tennessee team, agrees that golf is just as much a mental sport as it is a physical one. Lewis stated that “one hole can cost you the entire tournament” and that a winning team is a focused team.
Although this is Tennessee’s first appearance at Mossy Oak, the team played the course four times during spring break. This added familiarity may boost the Vols’ chances of winning.
Tennessee is confident in their preparation for the tournament, focusing on the strides they have already made this season.
“I have all the trust in the world that my teammates have prepared for this tournament properly. I think that everyone will do great,” Hall said.
Lewis is optimistic about the team’s potential but emphasized the importance of a top-notch mental game.
“We will go into this next tournament and try to do the same thing that we did last week, not worry about the results, and just try to stay prepared and focused on the job ahead of us,” Lewis said. “If we do that, we will probably finish top-3.”
With six of the participating teams ranked in the top 25, the Mossy Oak Collegiate Golf Tournament promises to be a challenging event. However, with the strong performances of Tennessee golf in recent tournaments, the Vols Men’s golf team has reason to be optimistic.
Tennessee is set to tee off at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.
