BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech men’s golf team will open the fall portion of the 2016-17 season on Monday, as they travel to Charleston, West Virginia to compete in the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational. The 54-hole event will be played at the Berry Hill Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.
The Hokies will have a revamped line-up, with just two returning starters and three of the seven competitors new to the team.
Leading things off for the Hokies is 2015-16 top performer, Joey Lane. The senior from Great Falls, Virginia led the Hokies in scoring and earned an individual invitation to the NCAA Franklin Regional outside of Nashville last season. Lane posted two major wins this summer, winning the Virginia State Amateur in early July and following that with a victory at the prestigious Eastern Amateur the following week.
Playing in the second position for the Hokies is newcomer Sarit Suwannarut. The freshman from Bangkok, Thailand comes to Tech with an impressive resume, highlighted by a victory this summer in the Singha Pattaya Open on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
The third spot for Tech will be occupied by Mark Lawrence, Jr. The sophomore from Richmond, Virginia transferred to Virginia Tech from Auburn following last season. He is one of the most decorated amateur golfers in state history and during the summer, was the low amateur in the Virginia State Open, falling in a playoff in the final round.
The fourth position will feature returning starter Drew Johnson. The senior from Oak Ridge, North Carolina has been a consistent performer for the Hokies over the last three seasons and finished fourth on the team in scoring average last season.
The fifth spot will be played by Ian Hildebrand. The junior from Purcellville, Virginia has seen limited duty for the Hokies in his first two seasons. He appeared in five events last season and three as a freshman. He earned the starting nod with a strong performance in the qualifying rounds.
Tech will have two players competing as individuals at Marshall. Sophomore Logan Yates returns to the team this season. He played in 13 rounds last fall and finished the season with the second-best stroke average on the team. He had two top 20 finishes last season, including leading the team with an 18th place finish at VCU.
The second individual will be newcomer Tanner Owens. The freshman from Milton, Tennessee, won the 2014 Future Masters and advanced to match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur that same season.
The 16-team event will have a practice round on Sunday. Competition begins Monday morning with a shot-gun start at 8:30 a.m., beginning 36 holes of play. The final round will be played Tuesday morning.
Live scoring will be available by a link on Hokiesports.com from BirdieFire.com.
For updates on Virginia Tech men's golf, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_MGolf