GOLF CENTRAL: Southwestern Invitational

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee men's golf team tees off its spring schedule in Westlake Village, Calif. at the Southwestern Invitational.

The field features 12 teams with the Vols entering as the lone Southeastern Conference team. UT is joined five PAC-12 schools in the field and are one of five teams ranked in the top 50 in the latest GolfStat team rankings (No. 7 USC, No. 12 Pepperdine, No. 16 California, No. 22 Tennessee and No. 43 UCLA).

Tennessee is coming off a fall season where it claimed two team titles at the Carpet Capital Collegiate and the Inverness Intercollegiate. With one more win this spring, the team can tie the program record for wins in a season.

Four of the five players in the Vols lineup earned their spot in the lineup in qualifiers with Brayden Garrison being added as a coaches pick.

Redshirt junior Nolan Ray will be making his first appearance in the Tennessee lineup this season after winning the first qualifier in a playoff. Ray is coming off of a third place finish at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate earlier this month, his highest finish as a collegiate.

Juniors Rhys Nevin, Hunter Wolcott and Garrison have been mainstays in the Vols lineup all season long, playing in every tournament for UT this season. They will start the first spring tournament as the top three in the Tennessee lineup.

Tomorrow's first round is scheduled to start at 10:19 a.m. (ET) with play continuing through the second round on Monday. The Vols will be paired with UCLA and Loyola Marymount for the first two rounds of play at North Ranch Country Club.

The Vols' Lineup
Rhys Nevin
The junior enters the spring season as the team leader in stroke average at 72.00 while top-10 finishes at the Carpet Capital and Bank of Tennessee. Nevin is also tied for the team lead with seven round of par or better this season.

Brayden Garrison
Garrison, who tied for the team lead with three top-25 finishes in the fall season, tied Nevin with seven rounds of par or better in 2018. The junior is also tied for the team lead with three rounds in the 60s.

Hunter Wolcott
The Burns, Tenn., who has played in the lineup in all five tournaments this season, has had his score counted 87.5 percent of the time which ranks second on the team. Wolcott is third on the team in stroke average at 72.58.

Jake Meenhorst
The junior, who was a Fred Haskins Award Watch List member in the fall, tied for second at the Carpet Capital Collegiate to help Tennessee to its first team title of the season. Meenhorst is tied for the team lead with three rounds in the 60s entering spring.

Nolan Ray
Ray enters the Tennessee lineup for the first time this season after winning the Vols first qualifier for the Southwestern Invitational in a playoff. This will be the second tournament this spring for Ray (-5) after tying for third at the Georgia Southern Individual Collegiate earlier this month.

PARTICIPATING TEAMS (12)
Tennessee, Augusta, California, George Washington, Loyola Marymount, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Diego State, San Jose State, UCLA, USC and Washington.

COURSE INFORMATION
North Ranch Country Club – Westlake Village, Calif. – Par 72 – 6,992 yards

LIVE SCORING
GolfStat.com

TEE TIMES
Monday, Feb. 25 – First & Second Round – Starting at 10:19 a.m. (ET) with continuous play through the second round

Tuesday, Feb. 26 – Final Round – Start time contingent on team position entering third round

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brayden Garrison

Jake Meenhorst

Rhys Nevin

Nolan Ray

Hunter Wolcott

University of Tennessee Athletics