DADE CITY, Fl. – The Carson-Newman men's golf team kicks off its 2024 spring season at the Saint Leo Invitational in Dade City, Florida, at the Lake Jovita Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.
Facing some unforeseen circumstances with the large snowstorm that swept through the area in January, head coach Randy Wylie and his crew have been fortunate to get better conditions in the past few weeks to prepare for the first event of the spring.
"The weather has been crazy, good and bad," Wylie said. "We missed about a week outside and spent a lot of time in our indoor facility… We have a place where we can putt and hit balls… We did our best with that, but since then, we have had some better weather, and we have been outside playing quite a bit. I feel pretty good about it and don't feel we're behind."
With a beautiful course awaiting at the Lake Jovita Country Club, Wylie believes his team is excited about playing at a top-tier course, which they are familiar with.
"Lake Jovita is a really good championship course," Wylie said. "We've played there quite a bit. We've had a lot of success there with a lot of players having great finishes there… It will be a top-class field, one of the best of the year, so we will be tested."
In terms of production, the Eagles have a healthy mix of new and familiar faces who all produced in the fall, and the lineup will continue to change throughout the spring.
"Our lineup is going to change quite a bit here and there because we have so many good players and a lot of depth," Wylie said. "We feel pretty good about that, and I'm not worried about any setbacks from having newcomers play at all… I know the course so well that I believe I can coach them up in the practice round and have them ready to go."
With a lot of time between the fall and spring seasons, Wylie believes that routine has been a huge part of keeping his players ready for the spring.
"The guys have just tried to keep their process going," Wylie said. "They have practice routines, drills that they do, some of which they've done since middle school. They know how to prepare, and I trust that they will do what they need to do to get ready."
The Eagles will take the course for the first time in the spring at 9 AM, kicking off the first 36 holes of the Saint Leo Invitational on Monday at Lake Jovita Country Club.
