CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.---The Chattanooga Mocs, ranked as high as No. 21 in the country, are off to Macon, Ga., for the Brickyard Collegiate played Oct. 10-12 at the Brickyard at Riverside and hosted my Mercer University. The field includes five top 25 teams plus a few more who figure to get there before the season is through.
"It's a great field," said head coach Mark Guhne. "There are several teams not ranked in the top 25 that will be before long. Georgia (29), LSU (40) and Clemson (65) are off to a bit of a slow start, while Virginia Tech (48), Penn State (53) and Charlotte (54) have been very good as well."
The Brickyard will mark the third tournament of the season for the Mocs who have had mixed results. Chattanooga's second-place finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic to open the season was impressive, but it followed with a 14th-place result at the PING/Golfweek Invitational.
It will be a stern test this weekend as the Mocs finished 11th in last year's event. Ten of 15 teams return including the top six (UGa, Ga. Tech, Clemson, Fla. St., Va. Tech, Penn St.) from last year. Add LSU, Ole Miss, Michigan, North Florida and VCU to the mix while taking out Duke, Wake Forest, Hartford, Oregon and Kennesaw State. Michigan (14) and UNF (16) are currently ranked in the top 20.
Sophomore Stephan Jaeger continues to lead the way averaging 72.3 strokes per round. He is ranked No. 30 individually in the Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings Index. Seniors Fredrik Qvicker (74.67) and Derek Rende (75.00) are second and third, respectively, in scoring.
"A lot of hungry teams will be there so we need to be ready to match that competitiveness," added Guhne. "Stephan has been great to start the year, but we need the whole team to step up like at the Farm (Carpet Capital) for that to happen."
WHO: J.T. Clendenin. The senior leads the team with 62 pars. A starter during the Mocs' impressive Spring of 2008, Clendenin was the Mocs' sixth man in 2008-09.
WHAT: The Brickyard Collegiate - 54 holes (18 per day)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 12
WHERE: The Brickyard at Riverside. Par 72, 7,128 yards designed by Mark McCumber. The defending champ is Georgia, while the Mocs finished 11th. Live scoring at Golfstat.com or through GoMocs.com.
HOW: This is the Mocs' second straight year playing in the Brickyard Collegiate. Chattanooga finished 11th last year shooting 294, 296 and 296 for a 46-over par 886 as the course played to a par of 70. Georgia is the defending champ as its 859 topped Georgia Tech by five shots and Clemson by seven. Jonathan Hodge and Ben Rickett each led the Mocs tying for 13th. Hodge had the lone par/better round on the team with an even-par 71.
LINEUP (Scoring Avg.): Stephan Jaeger (72.3), Fredrik Qvicker (74.7), Derek Rende (75.0), J.T. Clendenin (76.2), Steven Fox (76.7).
FIELD: Augusta State, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Mercer, Michigan, North Florida, Ole Miss, Penn State, VCU and Virginia Tech
FIELD WITH RANKINGS (Golfstat/Golfweek): Florida State (6/7), North Florida (15/14). Michigan (18/16), Georgia Tech (19/21), Chattanooga (33/24), Augusta State (21/29), VCU (46/38), Georgia (29/39), LSU (40/45), Virginia Tech (48/49), Penn State (53/51), Clemson (65/56), Charlotte (54/59), Ole Miss (76/72), Mercer (129/135)
