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ABOUT CHATTANOOGA GOLF
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs are back to be a fixture in the national golf conversation. The men had back-to-back top 50 finishes in the rankings and NCAA Tournament appearances reaching the finals in 2023 and are receiving votes in the Presason Bushnell/Golfweek DI Coaches Poll released today.
The ledger includes six team titles and four individual over that span. One thing has escaped the Scenic City lads…getting back on top of the Southern Conference with two straight narrow runner-up finishes.
"It's certainly motivation for our guys coming up just shy of the conference title the last two years," Coach
Blaine Woodruff shared. "But we aren't focused on winning. Our focus is doing what it takes to get in contention week in and week out and leaving it all out there. We can live with whatever comes from that."
The Mocs return two seniors in
Braedon Wear and
Garrett Engle. Engle won the Dogwood Invitational this summer while finishing as runner-up at the Porter Cup and reaching the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur.
Wear also captured a win over the summer at Engle's home event, the Beaver Bend Invitational, where Engle was runner-up. That duo is not alone in returning talent to the 2024-25 roster.
Senior
Dalton Chuba made his presence felt during the regular season and was alternate throughout the postseason. He's primed for a strong 2024-25 along with the squad's fourth senior,
Carson Johnson. Both know the rigors of getting into the lineup and what it takes to stick on a team that values competition. Add in junior Nicklaus Etherton and sophomore
Ward Harris and you have a group looking to build on the last two years.
"We have a strong core," Woodruff added. "That is immeasurable in setting your culture and making sure everyone understands what it takes. We have a simple motto in our program: 'How you do anything is how you do everything'.
"Having these four back along with Ward (Harris) and Nick (Etherton) makes it easy to get that across and show how it's proved beneficial over the last two seasons."
There are four new arrivals, all looking to make an immediate impact. Sophomore transfers
Camden Braidech (Liberty) and
Dalton Burts (Augusta) are joined by freshmen
Caden Lester (Bastrop, La.) and
Ethan Whitaker (Knoxville, Tenn.).
"We're really excited about our new guys," Woodruff continued. "They're already fitting in really well. Ryan (Asst. Coach Hogan) and I are very excited to start this journey."
It begins Sept. 16-17 defending their title at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati. Tips to Lexington, Ky., Greensboro, N.C., and Loxley, Ala., follow in a strong fall slate. The spring starts early with a January trip to Los Angeles for the Southwestern Invitational. That's followed by visits to Houston, Texas, Bluffton, S.C., Pinehurst, N.C., Bloomington, Ind., and finishing on the Golf Channel at the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz, Calif. That schedule is excellent prep for the postseason beginning with the SoCon Championships back at Reynolds Lake Oconee.
"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you," Woodruff concluded. "Every learning opportunity and experience is vital along the way. Our only focus is what's in front of us each day."
2024-25 Regular Season Schedule
Sept. 16-17: Bearcat Invitational/Coldstream CC/Cincinnati, OH (Univ of Cincinnati)
Oct 7-8: Cullan Brown Invitational/Lexington CC/Lexington, KY (UK)
Oct 14-15: Qubein Cup/Sedgefield CC/ Greensboro, NC (High Point)
Oct 26-27: Steelwood Intercollegiate/Steelwood CC (South Alabama)
Jan 27-29: Southwestern Invitational/Sherwood CC/ Westlake Village, CA (Pepperdine)
Feb 10-11: Bentwater intercollegiate /Miller Course at Bentwater/ Houston, TX (Rice)
Mar 2-3: Colleton River Intercollegiate/ Colleton River Club/ Bluffton, SC (Mich State)
Mar 10-11: Ross Intercollegiate/Mid Pines/ Pinehurst, NC (George Mason)
April 5-6: Hoosier Invitational / Pfau Course / Bloomington, IN (Indiana)
April 12-14: Western Intercollegiate / Pasatiempo GC / Santa Cruz, CA (SJSU)
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