Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Rod Myers Invitational
Challenging Rod Myers Invitational next for men's golf
10/9/2010 10:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - In keeping with his pattern of scheduling tough opponents on challenging courses, Middle Tennessee men's golf coach Whit Turnbow has signed up his young team for perhaps their toughest tournament to date.
They will play in the Rod Myers Invitational, hosted by Duke University, on Sunday and Monday, Duke is ranked 16th nationally, and the field also includes 19th-ranked Iowa, who beat the Blue Raiders earlier this fall in a tournament hosted by the Hawkeyes. Other teams high in the rankings are Charlotte, East Tennessee, North Carolina State, Michigan, Tulsa, and Rice.
Turnbow had been pleased with the progress of his team from tournament to tournament until last weekend's Gary Koch Invitational in Tampa, when the Blue Raiders finished sixth, when he felt the back end of the lineup was not playing as well as they were capable of. Turnbow hinted at a possible change in personnel, and his prediction was correct as freshman Jordon Jennings will replace freshman Paul Sansom for the Duke Invitational. The other four, senior Jason Millard, junior Hunter Green, sophomore Brad Simons, and freshman Brett Patterson will all travel this weekend.
Patterson of McMinnville led the way with his most impressive showing of the fall with a four-under-par 212 at the Gary Koch Invitational, good for a tie for 5th. Millard was 8th with a 213, and Green came in with a 217. While this trio shot a collective six-under-par, Simons and Sansom posted a combined 39 over.
Turnbow named freshman Jordon Jennings to replace his freshman counterpart, Sansom, on the roster for this tournament.
Turnbow is eager to see what his charges will do on this challenging golf course.
The course, Duke University Golf Club, is one of the best in the world of collegiate golf. It is a par 72, 7,136-yard layout designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1957 and redesigned by his son, Rees, in 1994. It has hosted NCAA Championships in 1962 and 2001.
"Both the strength of the field, and the difficulty of the course will be challenges for us," noted Turnbow. "And the first day, we play 36 holes, which is also tough especially with such a young team."
Fans can check out the progress of the Blue Raiders at both GolfStat.com and goduke.com/rmi. The teams will have a shotgun start on Sunday, with tee times scheduled for 8:00 AM on Monday.
