BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech men's golf team, under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Sharp, has announced the 2019-20 schedule. Three new events highlight the schedule, along with many long-standing events, that will provide the Hokies with a challenging slate for Sharp's inaugural season at the helm.
"I am very excited about this year's schedule and how it will prepare the team for the ACC Championship and hopefully a return to the NCAA tournament," Sharp said. "We are fortunate to be able to participate in so many great events, and while I would like to expand the schedule geographically during the next few seasons, this year's lineup has a terrific combination of challenging venues and competitive teams to test our players. We look forward to all of the tournaments, of course, but for now our focus will strictly be on getting off to a good start in Charleston on September 9th."
The Hokies open the season with the first of the three new events, the Battle at Briar Creek at the Golf Club at Briar Creek on St. John's Island, South Carolina on Sept. 9-10. The two-day tournament is hosted by the College of Charleston.
The remaining four fall events are all returners on the Tech schedule. The Hokies will make their annual trip to Richmond to compete in the VCU Invitational Sept. 16-17 at the Country Club of Virginia's Tuckahoe Creek Course. Last year's event was canceled due to inclement weather, but the Hokies have traditionally fared well in the event.
Next up is the Old Town Invitational, on Sept. 23-24 at the Old Town Country Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, hosted by Wake Forest. Tech will play in ETSU's Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at the Blackthorn Club in Johnson City, Tennessee on Oct. 11-12 . Tech finished fifth in last year's event and Connor Johnson tied for sixth individually.
Tech will wind up the fall Oct. 27-28 at the Grandover Collegiate, hosted by UNC Greensboro at the Grandover Resort. Johnson had his second consecutive top 10 finish there last season, placing eighth individually.
The spring slate opens in a familiar (and warm) location, but this year will see a new event, as UNC Greensboro will host the TPC Dorado Beach Collegiate at the TPC Dorado Beach's Sugarcane Course Feb. 23-25.
The Hokies will play in the Schenkel Invitational for the second consecutive season. The three-day event, March 13-15, is hosted by Georgia Southern at the Forest Heights Golf Club. Connor Burgess tied for seventh in last year's event.
The final of the Hokies new events this season will be the Tar Heel Intercollegiate. The two-day tournament, March 21-22, is hosted by UNC at the on-campus Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The regular season will wind up with a pair of familiar tournaments. Tech will play in the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational April 4-5 at the Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The final regular season event will be the Stitch Intercollegiate, hosted by NC State at MacGregor Downs Golf Club in Cary, North Carolina April 10-11.
This year's ACC Men's Golf Championship returns to the Old North State Club in Baden Lake, North Carolina April 17-20. Burgess led the Hokies in last year's event, tying for ninth individually.
The Hokies will look to return to the NCAA regionals this season. The six regional sites are Auburn, Alabama, San Diego California, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Clemson South Carolina, Norman Oklahoma and East Lansing, Michigan. The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship will be played at The Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Arizona May 29-June 3.
The Hokies return top performer Connor Burgess, who led the team in scoring and posted a top 10 finish in the 2019 ACC Men's Golf Championship. Returning for his final season is Mark Lawrence Jr., who redshirted last year. The 2017 Virginia State Amateur champion was a semifinalist in the 2017 US Amateur and was a 2018 All-ACC selection. Tech returns seven of its top eight players from last season and add freshman Daniel Azallion of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, along with Lawrence.
