University of Tennessee Athletics
MGOLF CENTRAL: John Hayt Invitational
February 22, 2017 | Men's Golf
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee men's golf team will compete in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational from Feb. 24-26 at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
John Hayt Invitational
- Host: North Florida
- Site: Sawgrass Country Club
- Yardage: 6,966 yards
- Par: 72
- Live Scoring
- Tournament Website
- Tournament Program
- Course Website
Golfstat Rankings
31. Jacksonville
33. Liberty
36. North Florida
45. UCLA
49. UCF
62. Tennessee
65. North Texas
75. Louisville
80. Campbell
85. UAB
92. East Carolina
98. Coastal Carolina
186. Furman
187. Army
250. Navy
The 54-hole tournament will be played on Sawgrass Country Club's 6,966-yard, par 72 course. Golfstat will have live scoring of the event. Thursday's practice round begins at 8 a.m. ET. Friday's first round and Saturday's second round will start at 8:30 a.m. ET. Sunday's final round will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET.
North Florida is the host school of the 15-team tournament. Other teams competing include UAB, Army, UCLA, UCF, Campbell, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Furman, Jacksonville, Liberty, Louisville, Navy and North Texas.
Tennessee's five-man team at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational will consist of seniors Jack Smith and Juan Carlos Serrano, junior Lorenzo Scalise and freshmen Rhys Nevin and Jake Meenhorst. Sophomore Nolan Ray will compete as an individual.
The Vols have been hard at work in practice over the last two weeks. UT finished ninth in the Sea Best invitational on Feb. 7. Scalise posted his second top-10 finish of the year, tying for eighth at 2-over. Serrano tied for 20th at 6-over for his third top-20 showing of the season. Meenhorst made his collegiate debut at the Sea Best and carded a 69 in the first round before finishing tied for 28th at 8-over.
NOTES
- This year's tournament features five teams currently ranked in the Golfstat top 50 in No. 31 Jacksonville, No. 33 Liberty, No. 36 North Florida, No. 45 UCLA and No. 49 UCF.
- In 2016, Tennessee placed fourth in the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational with a team score of 19-over. Chad Merzbacher led the Vols, tying for eighth at 2-over.
- Tennessee has a long history of playing in The Hayt. The Vols have played in this tournament in 23 of the last 24 years, dating back to 1993. UT has finished as the runner-up three times (1993, 1996, 2002).
- Jamie Neher owns Tennessee's best par score and finish in this tournament. In 1996, he finished second at 2-under 214.
