JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman men's golf coach Randy Wylie revealed his group's four-event fall slate for the 2019-20 campaign that will take the Eagles to two familiar tournaments before checking in on South Atlantic Conference and NCAA Regional tournament competition.
Of the Eagles who made the starting lineup at the SAC and South/Southeast Regional tournaments, four of the five return this year including last year's All-SAC selections Tom Forster (Northamptonshire, England) and Jake Mynatt (Knoxville, Tenn.). Forster, a three-time All-American, started at the No. 1 spot in all but one event last year as a junior. The other event saw newly graduated Jake Headrick leading the Orange and Blue charge.
Returning to the clubhouse for the Eagles from last year's group that was ranked as high as eighth nationally are junior Jackson Tyler (Wilmington, N.C.) and sophomore Will Collins (Knoxville, Tenn.), both of whom also competed at the postseason tournaments. They will be vying for starting positions alongside nine fellow Eagles, six of those being newcomers.
The fall gets started a little later this season with the Eagles heading down to Columbus, Georgia for their second-straight appearance in the Cougar Invitational on September 23 and 24. They return to the field this year as the reigning champions after scoring a nine-under 843 in last year's event. It was the best three-round score C-N shot all season and the lowest since 2015 when it carded an 840 at the North Georgia Fall Invitational.
A week later, C-N visits the Peach State once again, this time for the North Georgia Fall Invitational on September 30 and October 1. The event has been kind to the Orange and Blue with all three of the last appearances in the tournament culminating in top-five finishes including a second-place showing in 2015. That year, Andrew Hall took home the top medalist title thanks to a 14-under performance that stands as the second-lowest 54 hole score in SAC history at 202. The most recent trip to Dahlonega came in 2017 with the Eagles finishing fourth and Forster landing at fifth in the field.
The last time C-N was in the field in Dahlonega, it took fourth with Forster leading the Eagles at fifth on the leaderboard. Before that, C-N enjoyed back-to-back seasons of having a member at the top of the player table with Nick Kennedy tying for first in 2015 followed by Andrew Hall winning in 2015. Hall's win came with a 14-under 202, which became a SAC record for low 54-hole scoring. Today, it stands at the second-lowest mark in the conference, tied with another 202 he shot at the Saint Leo Invitational that same season and Forster's 202 at the Southern Tide Classic last season.
Just over a two-week respite will prepare the Eagles for the Queens Invitational on October 21 and 22, hosted by the reigning SAC Champion Royals, at the Irish Creek Country Club in Kannapolis, N.C. C-N has not seen play in the tournament since 2010 when it finished eighth.
The fall portion of the season winds down on October 28 and 29 at the NCAA Regional Preview, hosted by Christian Brothers University at the Irene Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee. This event marks the first trip to the western part of the Volunteer State during Wylie's tenure.
Every tournament throughout the season will come with daily recaps and results following each day of competition at cneagles.com. Stay updated on the latest news and notes leading up to the start of the season via @CNathletics on Twitter.
