Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Golfweek Conference Challenge
Men's golf ready for season opener
9/17/2010 3:32:00 PM | Men's Golf
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee men's golf coach Whit Turnbow will take his Blue Raiders to the nation's second most-publicized collegiate golf tournament to open the 2010-11 season, and he really doesn't know what to expect.
Despite having one of the premier players in Middle Tennessee golfing annals, Jason Millard, as his senior leader, and a veteran junior in Hunter Green, Turnbow is still apprehensive about the GolfWeek Conference Challenge on September 19-21 in Burlington, Iowa. The reason? His other three players have never played in a college golf tournament before.
"GolfWeek Magazine picks the top team from several conferences to play in this tournament. We are the only Sun Belt team that has ever been chosen to participate. It's a good spot to open up because it's a very good field, but it's top-heavy with good teams, which makes it tough. Plus, it's a really good golf course," said Turnbow. "It will be a 54-hole event, 18 holes a day, at the Spirit Hollow Golf Club. It runs Sunday thru Tuesday.
"Jason and Hunter will be the two guys that we lean on week in and week out. They know that and they are ready, they can handle it. We have qualifying rounds to see who gets to go to the next tournament, and it was no surprise to me that Jason won the first one, and Hunter won the second."
Millard had a strong showing this summer in major tournaments. He tied for 6th at the State Amateur Stroke Play at 281. He also earned a trip to the U.S. Amateur by shooting 67-63-130 in a qualifying round.
Green also had an impressive summer. He tied for 16th at the Southern Amateur, and then finished second in the State Amateur, shooting a 273, with every round under par.
"Jason is just an all-around player. He really has no weaknesses, and Hunter is the same way. They have played so much, and been thru so much, and they've been in the NCAA Tournament. They have come down to the wire in these things, and they know what it feels like to be under the gun."
Turnbow announced that a trio of true freshman would make the trip to Iowa as part of the five-man team. They are Brett Patterson of McMinnville, TN, Paul Sansom of Russellville, KY, and Jordon Jennings of Dandridge, TN.
"Patterson has had as good a summer as any freshman we have ever had since I have been here. He has established himself as one of our top five players already," declared Turnbow.
Patterson won the Spirit of America Championship in Decatur, AL, the youngest player ever to do so. After that, he finished 8th in a field of 144 golfers in the Tennessee State Amateur stroke play.
"Sansom has finished second in one qualifier this fall, and third in the other, so he will make the trip," said Turnbow. "Jordon Jennings has won the TSSAA state tournament the last two years, beating Patterson both times. He will also make the trip."
Turnbow noted that the three freshmen have worked hard since they got to school, setting an example to the others for how things are going to be done.
"They practice hard, they are in the weight room and they do all the right things to ensure that they are going to be successful. So far, they have been, and I would expect that to continue."
Past that, Turnbow doesn't really know what to expect from his yearlings.
"It'll be interesting. They are not used to the level of play that they are going to see now that they have moved up to the collegiate ranks. That's all part of it. They have got to get in there some time and get their feet wet. It might as well be right now.
"They'll do fine. There will be some growing pains, but that always happens with a young team. It'll make us that much better down the road. It's golf, just like they have played their whole life. This is what they have wanted to do since they were little, play Division I golf, and now they are going to get the opportunity, and I am sure they will take full advantage of it."
The progress of the Blue Raiders may be followed on GolfStat.com.
