University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Puerto Rico Classic - Round 1
Men’s Golf Central: Puerto Rico Classic
February 10, 2024 | Men's Golf
RIO MAR, Puerto Rico - The sixth-ranked Tennessee men's golf team is set to begin its spring season outside the mainland United States at the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico.
The Vols will tee off in the Puerto Rico Classic on Sunday and are scheduled to compete in one round apiece on both Monday and Tuesday.
According to Scoreboard's collegiate rankings, Tennessee is the second-highest ranked team in the 15-team field, featuring five top-15 teams.
The event, which is in its 31st year of existence, is set to be played at the par-72, 7,506-yard Grand Reserve Golf Club. The Tom Kite-designed course is hosts the PGA Tour's Puerto Rican Open annually.
Tennessee is coming off a fall season in which it won two tournament titles (2023 Visit Knoxville Collegiate and 2023 Fighting Irish Classic) and registered a third-place finish at the 2023 Cypress Point Classic.
"Obviously, everything that's important to win in college golf is in the spring," Tennessee men's golf head coach Brennan Webb said. "We are unique in that the fall season counts just as much as the spring season as far as rankings and seedings going into the postseason, but we are just going to keep doing what we are doing. I think the guys are going to view this semester as a great opportunity to prove many people wrong."
The 2024 Puerto Rico Classic will mark UT's fourth appearance in the tournament, with each presence taking place during the Webb era. During the 2023 Puerto Rico Classic, sophomore Evan Woosley-Reed logged a top-10 finish, while redshirt senior Bryce Lewis placed inside the top 15.
THE VOLS' LINEUP
Evan Woosley-Reed
Woosley-Reed had a successful fall after notching three top-15 finishes and a 69.67 scoring average. The sophomore's highest finish came at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, where he shot a career-best 54-hole score in relation to par of 9-under to tie for fourth.
Jake Hall
Hall provided Tennessee with consistency during the fall season. The Knoxville native logged a team-best 10 rounds of par or better, four top-25 finishes and a 69.67 scoring average. Hall's best fall finish was a fifth-place showing at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate where he shot 7-under overall.
Bryce Lewis
The redshirt senior boasted a 70.25 average during the fall season and provided Tennessee with two top-10 individual finishes. Lewis earned a podium finish at the Fighting Irish Classic after shooting 5-under to place third.
Lance Simpson
Simpson holds a 71.75 stroke average heading into the spring. The redshirt sophomore recorded a top-20 finish at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate after shooting 1-under for the event and shot an even-par 54-hole score at the SEC Fall Preview.
Josh Hill
Hill will make his lineup debut for stroke play tournaments this season. The sophomore posted top-15 finishes when competing individually at the 2023 Badger Individual and 2024 Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate.
THE VOLS' INDIVIDUAL
Laurent Desmarchais
Desmarchais is set to compete individually for the Vols. The junior tied for sixth place at the Papago Individual during the fall and is coming off a top-15 finish at the Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (15) rankings according to Scoreboard
No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 9 ETSU, No. 13 Virginia, No. 15 Oklahoma, No. 25 Ohio State, No. 29 Purdue, No. 30 North Florida, No. 43 Georgia, No. 55 South Carolina, No. 70 Charleston, No. 72 Marquette, No. 93 Minnesota, No. 111 Wisconsin, No. 135 Iowa
Players Mentioned
