The University of Alabama men’s golf team, which ranked 30th in Golfweek’s pre-season polls, will be teeing off in the first tournament of the 2010-2011 season at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga., Sept. 10-12. The tournament will consist of 12 teams, including Southeastern Conference members Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Georgia and South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide is hoping to gain the momentum lost after not qualifying for the NCAA tournament last season.

“We will use the bad and channel it into positive,” said head coach Jay Seawell.

Seawell is in his ninth year as coach at Alabama. He has led the team to many tournament titles, including the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate and the NCAA Northeast Regional. Three sophomores, three juniors and two seniors fill an experienced Alabama roster this season.

“This is an opportunity to do special things,” Seawell said. “I have two returning All-Americans. My hopes are high. We will rely on attitude and worry about good breaks and not bad breaks.”

Junior Bud Cauley is ranked No. 5 in Golfweek’s individual national rankings. He was chosen as a 2010 Golfweek All-American and was among the 10 players selected for the United States Walker Cup Team in 2009. A two-time All-SEC selection, Cauley earned two victories during the 2009-2010 season – the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational and the Linger Longer Invitational. Cauley said he has “high expectations” for this season.

“Bud just keeps getting better and better,” Seawell said. “He is a leader on and off the course.”

Junior Hunter Hamrick is ranked 35th according to Golfweek’s individual national rankings. He has been named an honorable mention PING All-American and an honorable mention 2010 Golfweek All-American. He has earned first-team All-SEC preseason honors. Hamrick played in all 11 tournaments this past year, taking medalist honors at the Jerry Pate National Collegiate Invitational and tying for first at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational.

Hamrick said the goal this season is being “more consistent” and that he also has high expectations for the season at hand. Joining Hamrick and Cauley is a host of talented players, including sophomores Lee Knox and Scott Strohmeyer.

“We believe we have a strong team this season,” Cauley said.

Warm-climate universities have long tended to dominate the collegiate golf scene. At No. 30, Alabama is ranked as a middle-of-the-pack SEC team. Florida is the highest-ranked SEC team at No. 6, followed by Georgia (13), South Carolina (19) and Tennessee (28). Crimson Tide rival Auburn was ranked 35th by Golfweek.

“We can be as good as anyone in the nation,” Seawell said.

The Crimson Tide has 11 events scheduled for this year, including a date in Birmingham Oct. 11-12 at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate.