The University of Alabama men’s golf team will travel to Statesboro, Ga., this weekend for the Schenkel Invitational. Alabama is returning as the tournament’s defending champions.

After tying for second place last week at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters in Las Vegas, Nev., head coach Jay Seawell said he is confident his team would be able to excel at the invitational, even though Alabama is the defending champion.

“As coaches, we like to stay away from a result-oriented goal because it takes away from what you really need to work on,” Seawell said. “We’re going in with the mindset to do well and to really focus on the things we need to do, which is basically understanding the golf course and what condition it is in and then focus on the small details to be successful. If we play well, then the results will just come.”

The No. 2 Crimson Tide will return to the invitational fairly seasoned to the course and the competition. Junior Cory Whitsett said most of the team played in the Invitational last year and knows what to expect.

“Everyone on the team played there last year,” Whitsett said. “Maybe all but one guy really knows what to expect. The coaches really take care of [expectations] at practice. We’re just really working hard on the short game and the short iron.”

The invitational will be played on a smaller, old-fashioned course, unlike previous ones on which the Tide has played.

“We won last year, as well as set a record there,” Whitsett said. “It’s a good, old-school golf course and pretty short so there are a lot of birdie opportunities. We’re just keying in on the short game.”

During this week’s practice, Alabama was focusing on the small details that could lead it to success. The daily battle between school and play time makes it difficult to fine-tune the smaller aspects Seawell hopes to eventually perfect.

“We’re learning how to practice with focus and attention to the details of the small stuff that we need to do each and every day,” Seawell said. “It’s a daily battle. [They] have school and they have a lot of things going on as a college golfer and a student athlete so we’re really trying to get our routines into a good order. We want to have our practices simulate what we want to do in the tournament.”

The Tide is set to tee off at the Invitational Friday.