Trojans Set for Final Action of the Fall

Coming off a top three finish last week in Savannah, Georgia, the Troy University men's golf team will open play in the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate at the Links at Novadell in Hopkinsville, Ky., on Monday.

The Trojans are hoping to build on the first solid performance of the fall last week at Georgia Southern.

“I am really excited about this tournament for the men,” head coach Matt Terry said. “I thought we saw our guys really step up last week in Savannah. We had some guys really show some leadership and shoot some low numbers.”

Still, Terry said there is much room for improvement.

“We didn't quite finish the last two rounds the way we wanted to, making some bogeys. Overall, it was much better than we did in the first two events.”

The Trojans are past champions of the upcoming event, having won the event, which is hosted by Austin Peay, in 2006. This year, Troy will have to overcome 16 other teams, including a Bowling Green squad ranked in the top 100 in the nation.

“It is a tournament we have won before in 2006 and we are finally going back,” Terry said. “The course has bent grass greens and we are going to have to attack it. We are going to have to make a lot of birdies to have a chance to win the tournament.

“There are a lot of good teams in this tournament. The main one we are looking at is our instate rivals, Jacksonville State, because we always like beating them when we get an opportunity.”

Senior Zach Portemont is coming off his best performance of the year with a four-under par total at Georgia Southern that netted a top 10 finish, but other members of the squad, like Hunter Harper and Will Thompson also had solid performances to build on.

“Hunter also had his best finish for us last week, finishing three over par,” Terry said. “Will Thompson also posted his first under par score. We are just ready to get after it again.”

The other two members of the Troy squad will again be Kyle Blackston and Ricky Casko.

The event will open with 36 holes of play on Monday and a final 18 holes on Tuesday. The course will play to a par of 72 covering 6,886 yards.

“I'd like to see us get into that final group again,” Terry said. “It was interesting to watch in that final round last week. Even though we were well back of Florida Gulf Coast, we were in there with the same expectations we had on the first day, which was just to play each hole as it comes.

“It worked out, finishing one over for the tournament. We are going to have to do better than that this week. We have to be under par to have a chance. I'd like to see us get into that final group again and to make as many birdies as we can.”

Troy University Athletics

Next Event

Related Videos