Men's Golf Hosts 10 Top-50 Teams at 36th Schenkel Invitational

Friday, March 20

Statesboro, Ga.

9 a.m.

Georgia Southern University

Schenkel Invitational

Matt Mierzejewski is back in the lineup for the Schenkel Invitational.

Men's Golf Hosts 10 Top-50 Teams at 36th Schenkel Invitational

3/19/2015 12:07:00 PM | Men's Golf

By: Marc Gignac

VIDEO: Preview with coach Collins and seniors Wolfes and Mierzejewski
Tournament Program | Live scoring | Pairings

Tournament Name: Schenkel Invitational
Host School: Georgia Southern
Location: Statesboro, Ga.
Dates: March 20-22
Course: Forest Heights Country Club
Par: 72 (6,962 yards)
Format: 54 holes (18 each day)
Tee Times: Tee times 9-11 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday
Field (Golfstat rankings): UAB (39), Auburn (14), Central Florida (105), College of Charleston (108), Florida (38), Georgia Southern (51), Iowa (42), Kentucky (84), Louisville (43), Ole Miss (45), NC State (44), North Florida (25), South Alabama (65), Vanderbilt (5) and Wake Forest (22)

Georgia Southern Lineup (2014-15 scoring average)
Scott Wolfes (20 rds, 70.65)
Kim Koivu (17 rds, 73.82)
Jake Storey (8 rds, 74.38)
Matt Mierzejewski (15 rds, 74.27)
Henry Mabbett (9 rds, 74.44)

Individuals:
Charlie Martin (20 rds, 75.40)
Archer Price (14 rds, 74.21)
Andrew Klasing (3 rds, 74.67)
Caleb Morris (First tourney of 2014-15)

Georgia Southern enters the 36th Schenkel Invitational as the defending champs for the first time in school history. This year's tourney features 10 teams in the top-50 and 13 in the top-100 in the country, according to Golfstat. Vanderbilt is ranked seventh in the Golf World/Nike Coaches Poll, and Auburn is tied for 12th. Wake Forest is 20th and North Florida is 25th.

The Eagles are coming off an eighth-place finish at the Palmetto Invitational in their last tournament March 9-10. Scott Wolfes is ranked 29th in this week's GolfStat Player Ranking after tying for second at the Cleveland Palmetto Invitational. It was the 14th top-5 and 21st top-10 finish of his career, and the senior has a 70.65 stroke average in 20 rounds this season. Eleven of his 17 rounds this season have been 70 or under, and he has now finished in the top-20 in 29 of his 42 collegiate starts.

Henry Mabbett returns to the lineup for the first time since the fall, and Matt Mierzejewski is back in the lineup for the first time since the Gator Invitational. Mabbett tied for for fourth in the Schenkel last year as an individual, and Mierzejewski was a member of the Eagles' winning quintet. Senior Kim Koivu, who ranks second on the team in scoring average, and freshman Jake Storey, who has played in every tournament this spring, round out the lineup.

Georgia Southern is paired with UAB and Wake Forest and will tee off hole 1 at 9:45 a.m. Friday.

Quotables
"That win is in the past, and we don't need to validate it. It's important to go through the same process we did last year to make sure we're well-prepared for this tournament to hopefully get the same result."
Georgia Southern coach Carter Collins on being the defending Schenkel Champions

"Experience definitely helps and just putting myself in those positions a lot. I've been working on the right things, working with my teacher back home and growing as a player from a skill standpoint. Getting better at course management has really helped me out as well."
Georgia Southern senior Scott Wolfes on his progression this season

"I think it helps us and in the past, it's kind of hindered us a little bit. We always had a little bit of extra pressure on us because it is our home course. We're just trying to treat it like another qualifying round - just go out and play our games and see how it goes. We're not trying to treat it differently than any other tournament."
Georgia Southern senior Matt Mierzejewski on having a lot of experience playing in the Schenkel and at Forest Heights