By: By Al Barba
Tournament: ASUN Conference Championships
Date: April 16-17, 2017
Location: Braselton, Ga.
Course: Chateau Elan Golf Club; The Legends Club | Par 72, 7,032 yards
Host: ASUN Conference
No. of Teams: 7
No. of Teams in Golfstat Top 50: 4; Lipscomb (No. 33), North Florida (No. 35), Kennesaw State (No. 40) and Jacksonville (No. 44)
Format: 54 holes of stroke play
Defending Champion: Kennesaw State (864,E)
Defending Individual Champion: David Wicks, Jacksonville (212, -4)
Links: Live Scoring |
Tee Times |
Twitter |
KSU Stats (PDF)
OPENING TEE
A second straight men's golf championship will be on the line when No. 40 Kennesaw State opens play at the 2017 ASUN Conference Championships that begin Sunday at The Legends Course at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.
The Owls, under second-year head coach
Bryant Odom, are seeking their third conference championship and second consecutive after winning the title in 2016.
The seven-team, 54-hole tournament at the par-72, 7,032-yard The Legends Course opens with 36 holes on Sunday and the final 18 scheduled for Monday. The Owls are grouped with North Florida and will tee off Sunday at 8 a.m.
The Field
The seven-team field includes Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, North Florida, Stetson and USC Upstate. Four teams – Lipscomb (No. 33), North Florida (No. 35), Kennesaw State (No. 40) and Jacksonville (No. 44) – are ranked in Golfstat's top 50.
The Lineup
1.
Jake Fendt
2.
Christopher Guglielmo
3.
Teremoana Beaucousin
4.
Connor Coffee
5.
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres
Odom on the ASUN Conference Championships
"We are anxious, but highly anticipate defending the ASUN Conference championship this weekend at The Legends Course at Chateau Elan," head coach
Bryant Odom said. "We have been playing some quality golf recently, and have focused our practice on how we can maximize our game on the Legends Course. It is important for us to minimize mistakes and dedicate our decisions on each shot. This could be a very close tournament, with three other schools closely ranked and playing very good golf this spring."
What's At Stake?
The winner of the ASUN Conference Championships will earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships that begins with six regional tournaments scheduled for May 15-17. Kennesaw State, which has captured the conference championships in 2011 and 2016, has made six consecutive NCAA postseason appearances.
2016 ASUN Conference Championships Review
Kennesaw State captured the program's second ASUN Conference title after posting a seven-shot victory over Jacksonville. The Owls recorded an even-par 864 total at the par-72, 7,032-yard The Legends Course at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. Sophomore
Fredrik Nilehn shot an even-par 216 to lead KSU and finish third, four shots behind medalist David Wicks of Jacksonville.
Kennesaw State at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships
2007 – Fifth
2008 – T-Third
2009 – Eighth
2010 – T-Seventh
2011 – First
2012 – Third
2013 – Third
2014 – Second
2015 – Second
2016 – First
Last Time Out
Sophomore
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres carded a final-round 1-under par 70 to finish at 5-under par 208 and tie for fourth place at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate that concluded April 9 at the par-71, 7,099-yard The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C. Torres, who finished three shots behind individual medalist Cristobal Del Solar of Florida State, helped the Owls to a fourth-place showing at the 16-team event that included six teams ranked in Golfstat's top 50. Kennesaw State posted a final-round 2-over par 286 to finish at 9-under par 843 and five shots behind No. 42 North Florida, which claimed the team title with a two-shot victory over No. 8 Wake Forest (840, -12). Florida State, ranked No. 31, placed third with a 10-under par 842 total. Torres was one of four Owls to post a top-20 finish. Senior
Teremoana Beaucousin (212, -1) tied for 16th, while senior
Christopher Guglielmo and sophomore
Jake Fendt tied for 19th with even-par scores of 213. Freshman
Connor Coffee (216, +3) tied for 34th.
Next Up
Kennesaw State has its sights set on a seventh consecutive NCAA postseason appearance. The NCAA Regional Championships are scheduled for May 15-17 at six pre-determined sites that include Baton Rouge, La. (University Club), Murfreesboro, Tenn. (The Grove), West Lafayette, Ind. (Kampen Course), Stanford, Calif. (Stanford Golf Course), Austin, Texas (UT Golf Club), Auburn, Wash. (National Golf Club). The national championships are slated for May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
The Rankings
The Owls are currently ranked No. 40 by Golfstat and No. 32 by
Golfweek.
ASUIN Golfer of the Week Honors
Christopher Guglielmo (Oct. 6)
Connor Coffee (Nov. 3)
Jake Fendt (March 16)
Christopher Guglielmo (March 23)
Top Owl
Sophomore
Jake Fendt currently leads the Owls with a 72.25 scoring average while playing 28 rounds. In 10 events, Fendt has recorded five top 20 finishes, including two top 10 showings. He posted his first career victory at the Southern Intercollegiate (March 13) after posting a 36-hole total of 7-under par 137.
The 2016-17 Roster
Head coach
Bryant Odom's 2016-17 roster includes four the five players who helped the Owls claim the 2016 ASUN Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Franklin Regional. The KSU roster includes two seniors (
Teremoana Beaucousin,
Christopher Guglielmo), three juniors (
Wyatt Larkin,
Buster Bruton, Paul Doig), two sophomores (
Jake Fendt,
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres) and a talented freshman
Connor Coffee.
Guglielmo Qualifies for U.S. Amateur Championship
Senior
Christopher Guglielmo qualified the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship that was held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., in August. It marked the second straight year that Guglielmo qualified for world's most prestigious amateur championship.
Kennesaw State Men's Golf
The Kennesaw State men's golf program has established itself at the national level in recent years as it has made six consecutive NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the NCAA Championships on two occasions. The Owls finished the 2015-16 season ranked No. 45 by Golfstat and No. 49 by
Golfweek.
Keep up with Owls men's golf by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMGolf or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
#GoKSUOwls
