Eagle Golf to Open Season at Golfweek's Conference Challenge
8/29/2009 8:28:00 PM | Men's Golf
STATESBORO, GA –The Georgia Southern men’s golf team is set to open its 2009 fall campaign at Golfweek’s Conference Challenge, a tournament that brings 15 Division I teams from 15 different conferences to Riverside, Iowa for three days of competition. Play commences August 30-September 1 at Blue Top Ridge, a Ree Jones designed course which spans over 7,500 yards.
Eleven of the 15 teams appeared in postseason play last season, guaranteeing tough competition. The 15 teams completing the field include: Florida State (ACC), Xavier (Atlantic 10), Baylor (Big 12), South Florida (Big East), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Iowa (Big 10), Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial), Memphis (Conference USA), Illinois State (Missouri Valley), California (Pac 10), Vanderbilt (SEC), Georgia Southern (Southern), Texas-Arlington (Southland), Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt) and New Mexico State (Western Athletic). Florida State is the highest ranked team in the field, finishing the 2008-09 season ranked 29th nationally in the Golfweek/Saragin rankings.
“The tournament has some very competitive teams in the field. Obviously, with this being the first year of the tournament, we’ve never competed in it, but we are excited to be the Southern Conference representative in the field,” said Eagle golf coach Larry Mays. “The tournament has an interesting concept bringing together 15 Division I teams from 15 conferences to compete against each other. This will be a good opening tournament for us to see where we stand at the start of the year.”
Coming off one of the best seasons in recent years, the Eagles finished runners-up at the 2009 Southern Conference Championship and 10th in the NCAA Southeast Regional. Former Eagle Drew Lethem was crowned the individual medalist of the SoCon Championship after firing a 6-under 210. Lethem opened with a 6-under 66, marking a collegiate career low. Georgia Southern captured two tournament titles last season in the Raines Development Intercollegiate and Mizuno Savannah Intercollegiate and tied for first place at the Kaua’i Collegiate Cup.
Georgia Southern returns five letterwinners to the 2009-2010 roster and added four newcomers. The Eagles will be led by reigning Southern Conference ‘Player of the Year’ Logan Blondell who took two individualist honors last season. The Lakeland, Fla. native captured titles at the Mizuno Savannah Intercollegiate in the fall and Kaua’i Collegiate Cup in the spring.
The distinctively unique season opening tournament will put Blondell, Matt Deal, Spencer Fulford, Joe Monte and Ryan Zabroske on the course competing for the Eagles. “Obviously it is the first tournament of the year, so everyone is going to get their toes in the deep end a little bit. But we definitely need to go out there and play well,” stated Mays.
