Tournament: ASUN Conference Championships
Date:  April 22-24, 2018
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 60: 3; North Florida (No. 26), Kennesaw State (No. 51) and Jacksonville (No. 60)   
Format: 54 holes of stroke play
Defending Champion: Kennesaw State (863,-1)
Defending Individual Champion: Dawson Armstrong, Lipscomb (210, -6)
Links: Live Scoring | Tee Times | Twitter | KSU Stats (PDF)

OPENING TEE
A third straight men's golf championship will be on the line when No. 51 Kennesaw State opens play at the 2018 ASUN Conference Championships that begin Sunday at The Legends Course at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.

The Owls, under third-year head coach Bryant Odom, are seeking their fourth conference championship and third consecutive after winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
 
The seven-team, 54-hole tournament at the par-72, 7,032-yard The Legends Course opens with 18 holes on Sunday and continues with 18 holes on Monday and Tuesday. The Owls are grouped with North Florida and Jacksonville and will open play Sunday at 11:11 a.m.
 
The Field
The seven-team field includes Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, North Florida, Stetson and USC Upstate. Three teams – North Florida (No. 26), Kennesaw State (No. 51) and Jacksonville (No. 60) – are ranked in Golfstat's top 60.
 
The Lineup
1. Jake Fendt
2. Wyatt Larkin
3. Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres
4. Connor Coffee
5. Brady Keran

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 a number of 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 14-16. Kennesaw State, which has captured conference championships in 2011, 2016 and 2017, has made seven consecutive NCAA postseason appearances.
 
2017 ASUN Conference Championships Review
Kennesaw State captured the program's third ASUN Conference title after posting a one-shot victory over Lipscomb. The Owls recorded a 1-under par 863 total at the par-72, 7,032-yard The Legends Course at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. Sophomores Jake Fendt and Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres shot scores of 2-under par 214 tie for second, four shots behind medalist Dawson Armstrong of Lipscomb.
 
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
2017 – First

Last Time Out
Led by junior Jake Fendt and sophomore Connor Coffee, the Kennesaw State men's golf team carded the third-lowest round of the day to tie for fourth place at the 3M Augusta Invitational that concluded April 1 at the Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta. The Owls posted a final-round 7-under par 281 to finish the 54-hole event at 6-under par 858 and tie USC Aiken. Thirteenth-ranked Illinois captured the team title with a 25-under par 839 to place 15 shots ahead of Houston and No. 28 Wake Forest. Both teams finished at 10-under par 854. The top five finish marked the seventh top 10 showing in 10 events during the 2017-18 season and came against a field that included eight teams ranked in Golfstat's top 60. Fendt concluded play with a 3-under par 69 to complete play at 3-under par 213 and tie teammate Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres for 12th place.
 
Fall Recap
The Owls finished the fall strong, concluding with three top three finishes, including two runner-up showings. Kennesaw State tied for third at the Franklin American Intercollegiate in College Grove, Tenn., before tying for second at the Pinetree Intercollegiate and finishing alone in second at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational in Mobile, Ala. KSU posted its best round of the fall in the final round of the Franklin American Intercollegiate, carding a 6-under par 282. The Owls best 54-hole score came at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational when it recorded a 3-over par 867.

Jake Fendt Tops Owls
Junior Jake Fendt leads Kennesaw State with a 71.86 scoring average in 28 rounds, posting five top 10 showings, including a tie for second at the Pinetree Intercollegiate. Fendt has recorded a team-best 19 rounds at par or better and has registered 13 under-par rounds.

Owl Honors
ASUN Golfer of the Week
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres (Nov. 2)
Wyatt Larkin (Feb. 15)
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres (March 8)
Wyatt Larkin (March 15)
Jake Fendt, Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres (April 5)

Fendt Impressive at Jones Cup Invitational
Jake Fendt enters the spring riding the momentum of a solid performance at the Jones Cup Invitational that was held 26-28. The Owls' junior, who led after the first two rounds, tied for third place with a 3-under par 213 to finish one shot out of the lead in an event that annually features one of the top amateur fields of the year. Fendt posted scores of 70-73-70 at the challenging Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Fla., and was one of just four players in the 72-man field to complete the 54-hole event under par. He finished ahead of three players ranked among the world's top seven amateurs, including No. 1-ranked Braden Thornberry (Ole Miss), who tied for eighth. Humphrey is the world's third-ranked amateur.

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 seven consecutive NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the NCAA Championships on three occasions, including last season. The Owls finished the 2016-17 season ranked No. 47 by Golfstat and No. 37 by Golfweek.

Summer Highlights
Redshirt junior Wyatt Larkin made a successful return to competitive play after missing nine months due to a back injury. In his first competitive action, Larkin captured individual medalist honors at the Yamaha Atlanta Open after shooting rounds 68-71 for a 5-under par 139 score and record a two-shot victory. He also tied for low amateur at the Georgia Open, tying for fifth, and tied 17th at Porter Cup at Nigara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y.

Sophomore Connor Coffee continued the momentum from a strong freshman campaign by finishing second at the Georgia Amateur Championship at West Lake Country Club in Augusta. Posting four rounds in the 60s, Coffee shot rounds of 69-69-65-66 for a 5-under 269 and finished one shot out of first.

The 2017-18 Roster
Third-year head coach Bryant Odom welcomes back a veteran team in 2017-18 that includes three of the five players who helped the Owls claim the 2017 ASUN Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Championships. The KSU roster includes two seniors (Buster Brutonand Paul Doig), four juniors (Wyatt Larkin, Jake Fendt, Adam Morris, Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero Torres, sophomore Connor Coffee and two freshmen (Brady Keran and Justin Kim).

2016-17 Season in Review
Kennesaw State had a solid 2016-17 campaign, posting 12 top 10 finishes and 10 top five showings, including three tournament wins. KSU captured the Pinetree Intercollegiate, Steelwood Collegiate Invitational and ASUN Conference Championships.

Individually, sophomore Jake Fendt led the Owls with a 72.32 scoring average, had six top 20 finishes, four top 10 showings, and claimed individual medalist honors at the Southern Intercollegiate.

2016-17 Season Honors
Connor Coffee earned ASUN Conference Co-Freshman of the Year honors, while seniors Teremoana Beaucousin and Christopher Guglielmo, and sophomore Jake Fendt were named to the all-conference team.

Next Up
Following the ASUN Conference Championships, Kennesaw State will turns its attention to Wednesday, May 2, when the NCAA Regional fields are announced. The complete field will be announced live on Golf Channel beginning at 5:30 p.m. (ET).

Keep up with Owls men's golf by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMGolf or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.

To learn more about The Owls Fund visit www.ksuowls.com/theowlsfund.
   
 

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