April 9, 2012

Men's golf team returns to action Monday at Silver Lakes

The Tennessee Tech men's golf team returns to the links Monday to compete in a tournament hosted by Jacksonville State at Silver Lakes Golf Club. Six of the nine teams in the field are Ohio Valley Conference squads.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech golf team will join five other Ohio Valley Conference squads this week in the nine-team Grub Mart/Young Oil Intercollegiate, hosted by Jacksonville State University.

The tournament is a 54-hole event slated for Monday and Tuesday at the Silver Lakes Golf Course. Teams will tee off each day at 7:30 a.m., with 36 holes planned for Monday and the final 18 on Tuesday.

In addition to Tech and host Jacksonville State, OVC teams in the field include Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee State and UT Martin. Rounding out the field will be Our Lady of the Lake, George Washington University and Lipscomb.

This will be the fourth tourament of the spring seaso for coach Polk Brown's team, and the third time in the central Alabama area. Tech finished 17th in the Samford Intercollegiate, March 5-6, third at the UT Martin Grover Page Classic, March 11-13, and ninth at the North Alabama Spring Classic, March 28.

Lee Maxwell has been Tech's top finisher twice this spring, including a 17th place showing last week at North Alabama. Greg Kitts topped Tech in the other tournament, and posted the team's highest individual finish of the spring with a 10th place effort at the Grover Page Classic.

Kitts owns Tech's best overall stroke average in 2011-12, entering the weekend with a 74.3 average through 23 tourney rounds. Tyler Cassetty, who has two all-tournament honors this year, is just behind with a 74.4 average.

The Grub Mart—Young Oil Intercollegiate began as the JSU—Silver Lakes Classic in 1994. In the 2005 tournament, severe weather and strong thunderstorms forced the cancellation of the final round with Jacksonville State claiming a 3-shot win over Tennessee Tech in the 12-team field. Tech's Scott Stallings won medalist honors that year with a score of 138

Jacksonville State claimed the team title last year with a final round 293 to overcame a two-stroke deficit and upend Austin Peay with an even-par 864, the lowest 54-hole score the event had seen since 1999. Tech was tied with Stetson last year for 11th place.

Results of the tournament will be posted on TTUsports.com each day as they become available.