No. 20 Men's Golf Tees Up New Season
9/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 13, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 20 Michigan State men's golf team opens the 2002-03 season at the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational Sept. 16 and 17 at the storied Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
"We are excited to play a great course against a great field and see how we match up early in the season," said MSU coach Mark Hankins.
The Spartans are coming of perhaps their best season in school history after winning the Pepsi-Cola Invitational, repeatedly placing in the top-five, and advancing to the NCAA East Regional for the first time since 1994.
Michigan State is led by third-team All-American Eric Jorgensen (Big Rapids, Mich.), who finished the season with 72.00-stroke average. The 2002 Big Ten Champion was also victorious at the Pepsi-Cola Invitational and at the 102nd North and South Amateur at the famed Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina over the summer. Golf Digest has named Jorgensen to its top-50 players to watch list.
The Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational offers top-flight competition as some the nation's premier programs make up the 15-team field. Joining No. 20 Michigan State is tournament host Toledo, No. 3 Florida, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Kent State. Alabama-Birmingham, Georgia, Notre Dame, Fresno State, Illinois, Kentucky, Long Beach State, Kansas, Kansas State and Northwestern round out the rest of the field.
"I believe a top-five showing is a great finish for this tournament," Hankins said.
The Inverness Club, founded in 1903, is one of the great golf courses in America hosting four U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and the U.S. Amateur. The course will play host to the 2003 U.S. Senior Open.
Action begins Monday (Sept. 16) at 8:30 a.m. with the first two rounds of play. The final round of 18 holes is slated for Tuesday (Sept. 17).
*Rankings according to Golf Digest's preseason Men's Coaches Poll