BOONE, N.C. – The Appalachian State men's golf team will be trading in cold Boone weather for warm Palm City, Fla., where it will open its spring season in the Martin Downs Collegiate, hosted by UNC Greensboro.
Second-year head coach
Bo Redman will take his experienced team to Osprey Creek Golf Club, a par-71 course that will play around 6,929 yards. The three-day, three-round tournament will start this Sunday and finish Tuesday.
The team will be led by the pair of seniors in
Alex Burris and
Chance Watson. Supporting them is a cast of experienced players ready to make their mark.
"Most of the team has a swing coach that they can work with during their time away from school," said Redman, referring to time off between the fall and spring semesters. "They also compete in amateur tournaments during our off time to stay sharp. Every player on this team is dedicated and loves to work on their game. I am very proud of this group."
Sophomores
Candler Rice,
Jack Brea and
Logan McNeely all boast a scoring average, from last fall, under 76 strokes per round, with McNeely boasting an average of 74.83 that is good for second on the team behind Watson's 74.33.
"Having a team of players that has at least a year of experience is a great advantage," Redman said. "Most of the tournaments that we are scheduled to play in they played last year. Knowing the courses and what to expect in the day to day of college golf and school life is invaluable."
This spring the team will start off by traveling down to Florida in its first tournament and then stay in the Carolinas for the next four matches before heading back down for the Sun Belt Championship.
"We have had an early and at times severe winter in this area," Redman said. "Not only has it limited our practice locally, it has also affected our routine of practicing in Lenoir and Hickory. I have been very encouraged by the practices that we have had recently and am looking for a good, solid start to the spring season."
Redman and the Mountaineers will look to get off to a hot start like they did in the fall where they won the Wildcat Fall Invitational team title and had two players finish in a three-way tie for the individual win.
The five spring tournaments will prepare the Mountaineers for the Championship showdown April 21-24 at The Ravens course in Sandestin, Fla.
