TUSCALOOSA ?? The No. 1 ranked University of Alabama golf team returns to the course this weekend to chase a fourth straight tournament championship. Alabama has played in three tournaments this fall and has won all three, the latest title coming Tuesday at its own Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate where Alabama bested a field of 12 teams with its 33-under-par finish.
Alabama competes Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15, in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges. Hosted by East Tennessee State University, the field of 15 teams includes 11 teams that are ranked among Golfweek’s Top 50. The field includes No. 1 Alabama, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 13 ETSU, No. 14 North Carolina, No. 21 TCU, No. 24 Kentucky, No. 25 Pepperdine, No. 26 Wake Forest, No. 33 N.C. State, No. 38 Auburn, No. 43 Kent State, South Carolina, UAB, Virginia and Virginia Tech. South Carolina is the defending champion.
Teams will play two rounds, 36 holes, on Saturday and the final 18 holes on Sunday. The tournament is played at The Ridges, a par 72 course in Jonesborough, Tenn.
The pressure is on the Crimson Tide to win a fourth straight title. No other Alabama team in its 54 years of golf has won three straight championships, a feat this 2006-07 version of the Tide has done this fall. Only one other team, the 1972 Bama golf team, has won four tournaments in one season.
“There are some great teams at this tournament, especially the host, East Tennessee State,” said Alabama golf coach Jay Seawell of this weekend’s tournament. “It’s their home golf course. They’ve got five international players with experience on the world stage, a Walker Cupper, so I’m not even sure we’ll be the favorites when we get there. I know we might be ranked higher, but that’s their home course and they are a talented team. And that’s just one of the teams in this field. I would say we have our work cut out for us.”
ETSU has won 17 conference championships, the latest of those in 2005. ETSU junior Rhys Davies will be there to defend his individual championship at last year’s tournament. Davies finished fourth Tuesday at the JPNI, shooting 69-65-68/202, an 11 under par finish.
The five golfers representing Alabama will be Joseph Sykora, who claimed his first collegiate victory Tuesday with his 14-under-par finish at the JPNI; Mark Harrell, Michael Thompson, Gator Todd and Thomas Hagler. This will be the first time together for that five-some. Alabama’s depth this season is a strength. Six of its 11 golfers have competed in the U.S. Amateur. Hagler, who played in Alabama’s first two tournaments, did not play at the JPNI. Matthew Swan, who played in all three tournaments leading to this weekend, will get a rest. This is Alabama’s fourth tournament in four weeks.
“We’re going to let Matthew sit this week just for freshness,” said Seawell. “Back to back weeks is tough, so we’re going to let him sit and take Thomas Hagler with us. That’s the strength of our team: our depth. Taking Thomas and leaving Matthew at home, we’re still going to be a very strong team.
“I think that it’s good that we’re playing immediately (after winning the JPNI on Tuesday). We’re going to get a quick turnaround and we’re going to get our minds set on playing golf again. We’ve done some great things, and this December, we’ll sit back and enjoy them for sure, but right now we need to get our heads back into the game and play one shot at a time and get ready to go to The Ridges which will be a great tournament on a great golf course.”
