Five-event spring awaits Wylie's team
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman men’s golf looks ahead to four events before heading to the South Atlantic Conference Championship in the 2021 spring slate, released by coach Randy Wylie on Saturday.
VIDEO: Randy Wylie Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman men's golf looks ahead to four events before heading to the South Atlantic Conference Championship in the 2021 spring slate, released by coach Randy Wylie on Saturday.
The Eagles will travel to Georgia and South Carolina before rounding out the schedule with three-straight events around East Tennessee.
"We just wanted to find the most competitive schedule that could benefit our players the most, and we have put together, I think, a good schedule, really competitive," Wylie said. "Strength of schedule should be no problem. We'll be playing against most of the best teams in our region, so we're looking forward to it."
Carson-Newman has not seen tournament play since its sixth-place finish at the Panther Invitational on March 3, 2020. The team was three events into that spring ledger before COVID-19 put a halt to the season.
Currently, C-N is set to open the season at the Hurricane Invitational in Albany, Ga. on February 22 and 23.
Two weeks later, the Eagles make their first return to the Lander Bearcat Classic since 2013. In its previous three-straight showings there, the best finish C-N saw there was a runner-up finish in 2011.
The back half of the schedule takes C-N on a trek around Tennessee for three events it did not get to participate in last year due to the remainder of the season being cancelled due to the global pandemic.
"The kids will be playing golf courses that they know," Wylie said. "Even if we weren't to start great, you know, we have lots of opportunities on courses we've had lots of success."
Wylie's group makes the short drive on I-40 West to the Sevierville Golf Club for the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate March 14-16. This will be the team's fifth appearance in the event hosted by Division I Tennessee Tech.
The Eagles have landed in the top five in each of their last four showings in the event, staying in the top three for three-straight seasons. The home course advantage has been prevalent for C-N with 12 players landing in the top 20 throughout the last three seasons. Tom Forster was the last Eagle to win the event back in 2018 when he carded a 203, a score that stands as the fifth-lowest 54-hole score in conference history. Before that, Jake Headrick turned in a first-place performance in 2017 that helped the Eagles to win the event by 25 strokes, sitting at 17-under by the end of the three days.
March winds down with Lincoln Memorial's Tennessee River Rumble March 29-30 from the WindRiver Golf Club in Lenoir City. Each of the team's five appearances have resulted in top five finishes, including wins in 2018 and 2016.
Nearly three weeks later, C-N heads to Tazewell, Tenn. for the South Atlantic Conference championship, also hosted by LMU, April 18-20. The Eagles have been league victors four times, the most recent coming in back-to-back fashion in 2018. They have finished in the top five in all but one season since 2004 with 10 top-three outings. Since then, two top medalists have been clad in Orange and Blue: Tom Forster in 2018 and Tanner Davis in 2004.
All of this happens with C-N setting its eyes on making it to the NCAA South/Southeast Tournament for a fifth-straight appearance and eighth since 2008. That event is set to take place May 5-8 at the Streamsong Golf Resort in Bowling Green, Fla. The field size this year has been reduced as 16 teams and six individuals for regionals while the finals will hold the top four teams and individuals from each regional.
C-N has landed in the top 10 at the regional for three-straight years with last year's eighth-place showing being the highest finish for the team since 2008 when it took sixth. Forster was the last Eagle to surpass the regional stage and make it to the national final when he tied for 63rd in the 2018 National Championship.
Each event throughout the spring will be followed up with a full recap with results on cneagles.com. As the season approaches, all news and updates surrounding the program will make their way to Twitter @CNathletics.
