The Tennessee Men’s Golf Team is slated to open the fall season this week, heading west to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to participate in the second annual Blessings Collegiate Invitational.

The three-round tournament, which is expected to receive four hours of live nationwide television coverage per day on the Golf Channel from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST, begins Monday and ends Wednesday. The 10 school domain features both men’s and women’s programs from each school.

During the tournament, each program will only play in its own block of players. Rather than competing in groups of four with a player from four different schools, each team will play in groups of five featuring their five participating student-athletes.

Following the cancellation of its originally scheduled season opening at Scenic City Collegiate two weeks ago, the Flights are set to open their season at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational for the second year in a row. A year ago, the tournament hosted all 14 SEC men’s and women’s teams simultaneously. The Vols finished second as a team, with Hunter Wolcott shot at 4 under and tied for second place and Bryce lewis tied for fourth place overall while shooting 3 under.

The Flights have just wrapped up a 2020-21 season that saw the program reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2013. In Brennan webbFor their third season at the helm, Tennessee posted their best winning percentage (0.655) since the 2008-09 season and their best SEC winning percentage (0.650) since 1994-95.

THE RANGE OF FLIGHTS
Spencer’s cross

Tennessee’s best player in four of his eight spring tournaments last season, Cross is set to play his fifth season with the Vols. Cross finished the 2020-21 season with an average of 71.96 strokes, which ranked ninth among the best single-season stroke averages in program history.

Cross was a member of the Tennessee roster in all of their 11 tournaments last season, recording an excellent fourth place finish at the SEC championships.

Bryce lewis

Entering his third season with the Flights, Lewis is coming off a second campaign where he averaged 71.56 strokes (third highest single-season score in program history), earned a 19-round card or better, finished in the top 10 three times. and recorded his first collegiate individual victory at the Country Club of Birmingham Invitational.

Hunter Wolcott

Leading Tennessee in stroke average last season (71.33) and a second-team All-SEC selection, Wolcott is entering his senior season with the Vols.

A member of the Vols roster in all 11 tournaments last season, Wolcott tied Lewis for the team lead in normal rounds or better (19) and in the top 10 (3).

Tyler johnson

Johnson was in 12 rounds with the Flights last season, all of which took place in the spring. With an overall average of 72.83 strokes, Johnson ended his season with a back-to-back finish of 16th (Old Waverly Collegiate Championship) and sixth place (The Country Club of Birmingham Invitational).

Over the summer, Johnson won the 2021 Tennessee State Amateur Title with a record 27-under performance at the Council Fire Golf Club.

Jake hall

A member of the Tennessee roster for three tournaments last season and an individual in a fourth, Hall is expected to travel as the fifth member of the Flights roster.

Hall had five or better rounds last season and posted a career best result with a 16th place finish at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate last fall.

PARTICIPATING TEAMS (10)

Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCLA

COURSE INFORMATION

Golf Club Blessings | Fayetteville, arche | normal 72 | 7,700 meters

Home to the Arkansas men’s and women’s golf programs, the Blessings Golf Club has notably hosted the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship – with current PGA Tour member Matthew Wolff winning the individual title.

LIVE SCORING AND COVERAGE

Live statistics – Golfstat.com
TV Coverage – GolfChannel.com (Daily 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST)

DEPARTURE HOURS

Monday, October 4 – Round 1 – 11 a.m. ET (18 holes)

Tuesday October 5 – Second round (18 holes)

Wednesday October 6 – Third round (18 holes)