The Alabama men’s golf team tees off in the Gary Koch Invitational this weekend for the first time in more than a decade.
The No. 2 Crimson Tide earned back-to-back victories in its previous tournaments, winning the Linger Longer Invitational by 14 shots and the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational by 22 shots. The Tide struggled during the fall season, failing to win a single event, but during the spring, the Tide has won three of the four tournaments it has competed in.
“I am very pleased by the way we have been playing,” head coach Jay Seawell said. “We take steps forward and work on our fundamentals each day.”
After last week’s victory in Linger Longer Invitational, sophomore Cory Whitsett was selected Southeastern Conference and Golf World’s Golfer of the Week, along with Golfweek’s National Player of the Week. Whitsett matched his school record, shooting 8 under par, with a double eagle and eagle in the final round.
“It was a huge honor to be awarded Golfer of the Week and National Player of the Week,” Whitsett said. “I felt like I played very well on Sunday, but most importantly I was very excited to see how great our team did in this tournament.”
The Gary Koch Invitational features multiple top-25 opponents for the Tide, including Georgia Tech, Florida State, Florida and the No. 5 Auburn Tigers. Seawell said this tournament will prepare the Tide for the SEC Championships.
“Not only will the course prepare us, but we will be competing against many SEC schools that we will see in a couple of weeks for the championship tournament,” Seawell said.
After the Tide’s performances in its previous tournaments, Seawell said the team is focused and ready to do what they do best.
“It’s always a concern if the team is becoming too confident, but the team knows there is a lot left in the year and they are hungry to play,” Seawall said.
Seawell said the recent success has helped the Tide become better team players.
“I believe that my team has gotten that momentum and confidence in each other. When a team starts to gel together, you can see by their performance,” Seawell said.
Sewell said he will keep the same mindset that he and the team have used all season.
“I want my players to do their job, and focus on what they have to do,” Seawell said. “We are going to play to our ability, and take care of what we do best. It’s all about how you walk and talk.”
