GCAA Preseason Poll release

NORMAN, Okla. – Heading into the 2019-20 campaign, Carson-Newman men's golf sits at 18^th in the nation in this season's first edition of the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll, released on Friday afternoon.

The ranking comes after coach Randy Wylie's group made it to the NCAA South/Southeast Regional for a fourth-straight season, this time competing as the No. 3 seed in the tournament, following a fifth-place showing at the South Atlantic Conference Championship. They missed out on a trip to the national finals by a mere five shots, taking an eighth-place finish.

Carson-Newman opened last season tied for 16^th in the GCAA's Preseason Poll and went on to spend most of the season in the rankings, sitting as high as eighth in the nation in the same ranking released in September 2018. They closed the regular season at No. 15 in the nation from the GCAA. Throughout the course of the season, C-N brought in seven top-five finishes including a win at the Aflac/Cougar Invitational.

This season, the team sees the return of seven Eagles including two All-SAC picks from a year ago. Tom Forster (Northamptonshire, England) enters his senior season with three All-Conference first team and All-American accolades under his belt. His junior campaign also brought PING/NCAA All-Southeast Region honors and a semifinalist spot for the Jack Nicklaus Award. Sophomore Jake Mynatt (Knoxville, Tenn.) ended his debut season with the Orange and Blue as an All-SAC Honorable Mention. Like Forster, he started in all 10 of C-N's events last year.

C-N is one of three SAC teams represented on the list with National Runner-Up Lincoln Memorial checking in at fifth and Newberry holding 25th. Reigning national champion Lynn leads the field with 14 first-place votes.

The Eagles begin their season on Sept. 23 with their third-straight showing at the Cougar Invitational. The two-day tournament will take place at the Columbus Country Club in Columbus, Ga.

Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll 8/23/19