JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After a few weeks off, the Eagles men's golf team will head to Gainesville, Georgia, to compete in another stacked field at the UNG Mizuno Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday.
C-N kicked off the fall season at the Bearcat Fall Invitational on September 9th and 10th, notching a 14th place following an improved third round. While the Eagles improved on day two, head coach Randy Wylie wants to see his team take the next step in the UNG Mizuno Intercollegiate.
"You just have to keep getting better," Wylie said. "We were disappointed in our first tournament. It didn't go as well as we'd like… Hopefully, we've knocked the rust off and will be ready for this event."
The Eagles traveled to Gainesville last year and finished 7th in a strong field. Noah Cambridge and Nick Daugherty finished in the top 50, while Aidan Powter slotted in at 66th. Wylie believes that his team's familiarity with the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville sets it up for success.
"I believe the course suits us really well," Wylie said. "It has some attackable par 5s, holes that you can definitely make some birdies on. There's some space off the tee, which will help some of our young guys… You have a chance to score even if you miss a fairway. Hopefully, we can play smart, and the freshmen can step up… We're excited to get down there and see how we stack up."
C-N will start two freshmen in the fall's second event, giving them some experience in their first season with the Eagles. Wylie trusts his freshmen and sees this as an opportunity to develop.
"It's just part of their growth," Wylie said. "We'll likely have freshmen in and out of the lineup throughout the year. Those guys have to grow up fast. In every sport, it's hard to come in your first year… These kids will need to become sophomores quickly, like this week."
In C-N's two weeks off between the first and second fall event, Wylie has seen a lot of positives from his team in preparation for the UNG Mizuno Intercollegiate.
"I have seen a lot of determination," Wylie said. "They're working hard, they really want to play well. They want to play against the best competition and are not afraid. I think we're going to go out and have a good week."
Wylie and the Eagles will trek to Gainesville, Georgia, for the UNG Mizuno Intercollegiate, teeing off on Monday at 9 AM.
