Just weeks after UGA alumni Bubba Watson donned the green jacket, a school further west will look to make its mark on the golfing world.
KSU’s men’s golf team will host the Atlantic Sun Men’s Golf Championships in Braselton, Ga., at the Chateau Elan Legends Golf Club this week.
The Owls will look to defend their 2011 Atlantic Sun title, as they prepare for the conference tournament. The tournament is set to start early Monday morning at 8 a.m.
If successful, the Owl will become the fourth school to win back-to-back Atlantic Sun championships in the last 10 years. East Tennessee State was the most recent school to accomplish such a feat, winning the conference title four years straight, from 2006 to 2010.
The team is coming off a very successful tournament win at the Memphis Intercollegiate. “Winning on a quality field in Memphis gives us a good boost,” said head coach Jay Moseley. “That golf course will be very similar to the one we will see at conference, and I think that will really help prepare us mentally and physically.”
The team displayed its depth and talent, as two individuals finished in the top-five. Junior Ben Greene helped win the team’s third tournament title of the season, as well as his first individual title, finishing with score of -1 over the 54-hole event.
Greene is the first KSU player to win an individual title since April 20, 2011 when senior Jeff Karlsson won the Atlantic Sun Championship. Senior Matt Nagy finished in third place.
“He’s in a really good position to play well again this week,” Moseley said about Greene. “He loves the golf course we are going to at conference, and that will really help his confidence and being comfortable on the course.”
The course will undoubtedly play a huge factor in the Owls game plan for the conference tournament. While the venue for the tournament will be the same, the teams will compete on a different field than the previous year.
“We have played this side before,” Moseley said. “You have to hit it straight and you have to putt well. It’s a course that will play into the hands of our team. We are certainly capable of being one of the top teams at the tournament.”
Conference rival North Florida is coming off a big victory at the Gary Koch Invitational. The Owls will look to outplay their conference foe as both teams are coming off momentous wins.
“North Florida has a talented squad, and they are playing well coming in, Moseley said. “We can’t worry about what they do. We just have to play our game. I think if we do that and play our best we’ll certainly be capable of giving them a run for the championship title.”
KSU dominated the Atlantic Sun Conference last season, finishing at -7, and nine strokes over North Florida. The team’s score of 845 was the lowest team score in the Atlantic Sun Championship since 2006, when Jacksonville also won with a score of 845.
The men’s team will be competing just days after the KSU women took home their first conference title.
“It’s great that they won,” Moseley said. “It gives us some encouragement and motivation to go out and win.”
“We want to position ourselves for a chance in the final round. If we can do that, I like our chances.”
For updates throughout the tournament, you can follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlsMensGolf.
