Men's Golf heads to Gator Invitational

Saturday, February 16

Gainesville, FL

Southern Illinois University

University of Florida

02/14/2019 | 10:30:00 | Men's Golf

By: Kari Johnston

What: Gator Invitational
Where: Gainesville, FL
When: February 16-17, 2019
Course par/yardage: 70/6,701
Who: Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Liberty, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Florida, Princeton, Southern Illinois, UCF, USF, Vanderbilt, West Virginia

The Southern Illinois men's golf team kicks off the spring season by heading to Gainesville, Florida for its first appearance at the Gator Invitational on Feb. 16-17, 2019. The team traveling this week will be Luke Gannon, Peyton Wilhoit, Matthis Besard, Hunter York and Vikar Jonasson.

SIU will play three rounds of golf in a 15-team field including Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Liberty, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Florida, Princeton, UCF, USF, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. Vanderbilt is returning to the Gator Invitational after taking the title home last year. Out of the 15 teams, 11 of them, including Vanderbilt, are returning to the tournament from last year.

SIU head coach Justin Fetcho has some advice for the three seniors heading into the last leg of their college golf career.

"I think for this semester for the seniors, and even the whole team, to give it everything they have," he said. "Then hopefully that will get us to a conference title and the NCAA postseason, so that the seniors will have no regrets at the end of the year, and that everything they've worked toward will have paid off."

The teams will play on the Mark Bostick Gold Course which sits at the northwest corner of the University of Florida's campus. The course was originally designed by renowned architect, Donald Ross, during the 1920's, but has evolved throughout the years with the most recent renovation being in 2011 by Jacksonville-based architect Bobby Weed.

The Saluki's will arrive at the course on Thursday, February 14^th for practice rounds that will continue into Friday, February 15^th. Round one will begin at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start on Saturday, February 16^th. Players will go straight into round two following their completion of round one on February 16^th. Round 3 will be on Sunday, February
17^th with tee times starting at 8 a.m. The awards ceremony will follow round three on Sunday. Live stats will be available via Golfstat.com.