JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The next destination on the Carson-Newman men's golf schedule has hosted the world's largest international tournament and a major golf tournament.
The Eagles will be joining some of the top teams in the South at the Kiawah Island Invitational at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the site of the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 PGA Championship.
Carson-Newman will be looking to continue their successful ways after finishing second last week at their own tournament, the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate.
"We are going from a great tournament to get warmed up to the deep end of the pool," coach Randy Wylie said. "Some of the best teams in the country and it's really going to be a test. The golf course and the field both will really show where we're really at, so I'm really excited to see what we have."
Second-place SMI finisher Andrew Hall (Knoxville, Tenn.) will lead the Eagles in Kiawah Island along with juniors Nathan Hodge (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and Nickalus Kennedy (London, Ontario, Canada) and sophomore Dalton Reese (Warrington, Ga.)
"We have a pretty experienced team. No seniors but a pretty experienced team nonetheless," Wylie said. "I think they will handle the step up in competition and the difficulty in the golf course conditions we are going to play so hopefully it will work out well for us."
Freshman Ben Kennard (Knoxville, Tenn.) will be making his team debut this week with the Eagles. He competed as an individual at the SMI.
"It will be a big day for him. I'm so glad he got to play this past weekend. That helped him a lot. He was very consistent," Wylie said of his lone traveling freshman. "He's a smart, cerebral player and I think he will handle the step up in pressure. He just seems to have a calmness about him. He'll figure out the golf course. I think he will help us; I think he will contribute."
The tournament kicks off Monday with two rounds and wraps up Tuesday afternoon.
