By: By Al Barba
OPENING TEE
The No. 44 Kennesaw State men's golf team concludes a busy week when it travels to Kannapolis, N.C., to compete in the Irish Creek Intercollegiate that opens on Saturday.
Co-hosted by Charlotte and Davidson, the two-day, 54-hole tournament will take place at the par-71, 7,099-yard The Club at Irish Creek. A shotgun start is scheduled each day beginning at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
The Irish Creek Intercollegiate marks the Owls' second tournament within the span of a week, and represents their final tune-up before opening defense of their 2016 ASUN Conference championship. The ASUN Championships are scheduled for April 16-18 at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.
The Field
The 16-team field includes Akron, Appalachian State, Charlotte, Dartmouth, Davidson, Dayton, Florida State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, North Carolina, North Florida, Ohio State, South Carolina, UNCG, VCU and Wake Forest. Six teams – Wake Forest (No.8), South Carolina (No. 24), North Carolina (No. 27), Florida State (No. 31), North Florida (No. 42) and Kennesaw State (No. 44) – are ranked in Golfstat's top 50.
Lineup
1.
Christopher Guglielmo
2.
Teremoana Beaucousin
3,
Jake Fendt
4.
Connor Coffee
5.
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres
Odom on the Irish Creek Intercollegiate
"This is our final regular season event before the
ASUN Conference Championships and is at a venue where we had a chance of winning last year after finishing the runner-up," head coach
Bryant Odom said. "We've had some great success this spring with Jake (
Fendt) winning medalist honors and Chris (
Guglielmo) with back to back top 3 finishes. Everyone in the lineup has made vital contributions. All year our goal has been to peak at conference time and this week is where we want to see it all come together from a team standpoint. Our lineup is capable of some serious firepower, which the demonstrated in the fall. We are hungry for that again, and there is no better time of year for us to show what we are capable of than these last two events before NCAA postseason play."
Kennesaw State at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate
The Owls will be making their sixth appearance in the Irish Creek Intercollegiate and are coming off a second place showing a year ago. Kennesaw State, which led after the first and second rounds, concluded the 54-hole event at 7-over par 855 to finish four shots behind No. 14 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons carded a final-round 3-over par 287 to conclude play at 3-over par 855. The 16-team field included five teams ranked in Golfstat's Top 50, including three in the top 25. North Carolina (860, +8), ranked No. 24, placed third, while No. Florida State (867 (+15) finished fourth. Junior
Christopher Guglielmo shot a final-round 3-over par 74 to tie for 10th at 1-over par 214 and record is second top 10 finish of the season. Guglielmo placed 11 shots behind James Madison's Ryan Cole, who captured individual medalist honors with a 10-under par 203 and a seven-shot win over two players.
The Rankings
The Owls are currently ranked No. 44 by Golfstat and No. 33 by
Golfweek.
Last Time Out
Kennesaw State senior
Christopher Guglielmo carded a final-round even-par 72 to finish at 7-under par 137 and tie for first place at the Old Waverly Collegiate that concluded Tuesday at the par 72, 7,088-yard Old Waverly Golf Club. Guglielmo, who matched his career-best low-18 hole score with a 7-under par 65 on Monday, tied Lipscomb's Dawson Armstrong after 36 holes. He then fell in a four-hole playoff. The Owls' senior held a one-shot lead before a bogey on the par-4 16th hole dropped him into a tie Armstrong. Guglielmo's play helped No. 41 Kennesaw State finish fourth in the 16-team field that included three teams ranked in Golfstat's top 50. South Florida captured the team title with a 16-under par 560 total to finish six shots in front of No. 34 Lipscomb (566, -10). Twenty-fourth-ranked Ole Miss (568, -8) finished third, while KSU concluded the 36-hole event with a 5-under par total of 571.
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 72.40 scoring average while playing 25 rounds. In nine events, Fendt has recorded three 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.
Next Up
Following completion of play at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate, Kennesaw State will turn its attention to the ASUN Conference Championships that open April 16 at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.
Keep up with Owls men's golf by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMGolf or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
#GoKSUOwls
