VIDEO: Randy Wylie Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Just days removed from its season-opener at the Cougar Invitational, No. 18 Carson-Newman now turns its attention to another trip to the Peach State for the sixth annual North Georgia Fall Invitational, starting Monday at the Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega, Ga.
The Eagles are looking to bounce back from a 14th-place finish at the Cougar Invitational. The team's showing was highlighted by Alex Hodge (Knoxville, Tenn.) making a stellar debut in the Orange and Blue, tying for fourth in the field on a four-under outing.
"I hope it was just a throw-out event," Carson-Newman coach Randy Wylie said. "We just didn't play like we were very prepared and ready mentally for the challenge that we had there, but we have a good, deep, tough, experienced team. I think they're just kind of angry about it. I fully expect them to bounce back and play much better this week in North Georgia."
.@ahodge21 tied for fourth in his first event with @cnmensgolf as the No. 18 Eagles finished in 14th at the Cougar Invitational.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) September 24, 2019
��: https://t.co/eFMHggZx71 pic.twitter.com/VlRXZCkFl8
Wylie will take the same five Eagles with him to Dahlonega that went to the season-opener, but he gets to add one more to his group this time.
Hodge moves into the top spot this week for the Orange and Blue while Tom Forster (Oundle, England) moves to the No. 2 slot for the first time since Oct. 8, 2018 at the Shark Invitational.
Fintan McKenna (Aberdeen, Scotland) moves up into the No. 3 spot after five-over showing in Columbus. He will be followed by Jake Mynatt (Knoxville, Tenn.) at the No. 4.
Making his C-N debut is freshman Ethan Rimmer (Knoxville, Tenn.), rounding out the starting five for the Eagles.
Fergus Robinson (Towcester, England) will compete as the individual for C-N following his 17-over performance at the Cougar Invitational.
This week marks C-N's fourth appearance in the event that has been rather kind to the Eagles with all three of its previous appearances culminating in top-five finishes. This is the group's first time back since 2017. That year, it took fourth with Forster leading the Eagles at fifth on the leaderboard.
Forster is the only Eagle on this year's roster making a return appearance in the event.
"We've always played really well down there," Wylie said. "The guys have really like the golf course. The field, the atmosphere is really, really neat there."
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.
The field in Dahlonega this season is comprised of 14 teams with C-N being one of four teams who landed in the opening Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll. It is joined by No. 16 Limestone, No. 17 Young Harris and No. 25 Newberry.
The two-day tournament begins on Monday morning with a 36-hole day. Both days of action will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Live scoring will be available thanks to the folks at North Georgia through Golfstat for the duration of the event. Additional info on the event can be found on the tournament website.
