University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Golfweek Invitational
On Course for Success: USC Upstate Golfers Aim High at Pawleys Island
3/31/2024 8:30:00 AM | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC -- Both the Men's and Women's USC Upstate golf teams are gearing up to return to the Atlantic Coast to participate in the 2024 Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate, set to take place at the renowned Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (Women) and True Blue Golf Resort (Men). The women's team boasts a deep familiarity with the course at Caledonia, having competed on it yearly since the 2019-2020 season. However, this marks their first venture onto the course during the spring portion of the schedule since 2021. In the 2021 edition, the Upstate women's golf team clinched first place overall, shooting a then-school-record 283 in the final round of the Golfweek Spring Invitational and dominating the event by a 33-stroke margin. On the men's side, although the team has less extensive a history competing in Pawleys Island, their last event there it was in the fall of 2021.
Reflecting on the upcoming tournament, Head Coach Todd Lawton remarked, "We've relished the opportunity to compete in this tournament before. Golfweek consistently puts together a well-run event, and both courses present formidable challenges alongside strong competition. It's particularly exciting to provide our players with such a complementary experience to what awaits them at Fripp Island for the conference championships in a few weeks."
Quick Hitters:
- Redshirt senior Praew Nontarux has experienced significant success at Caledonia, finishing in the top-5 three times.
- Caledonia is consistently rated one of the top-100 public courses in the country.
- This will be the final tuneup for both programs before the Big South Championships.
Tournament Information:
Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate | April 1-3
Pawleys Island, SC | Par 72
Teams Participating (Top 100 ranking):
MEN (18 teams): Central Arkansas, North Alabama, James Madison, Southern Illinois, Valparaiso, Richmond, Marshall, Xavier, Denver, Austin Peay, Northern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Kansas City, LIU, Stephen F. Austin, USC Upstate, UConn and Ohio.
Live Stats (Men): Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate
Tournament Lineup (Men)
1. Alec Prentice (Fr; Wellington, New Zealand)
2. Barrett Josey (Jr; Reidville, SC)
3. Jaskaran Sohal (Jr; Brisbane, Australia)
4. Cameron Biddle (Fr; Aiken, SC)
5 . Zander Briggs (Sr; Simpsonville, SC)
Live Stats (Women): Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate
Teams Participating (Top 100 ranking):
WOMEN (19 teams): Marshall, Winthrop, Fairleigh Dickinson, Florida Atlantic, Tennessee Tech, Akron, St. Thomas, High Point, Cal Poly, UNC Asheville, North Dakota State, UIC, Austin Peay, USC Upstate, Florida Gulf Coast, Evansville, Ohio, Coastal Carolina, Georgetown
Tournament Lineup (Women)
1. Preaw Nontarux (Sr., Lampang, Thailand)
2. Rylie Kosney (So. Sacramento, Calif.)
3. Suwarin Yord-in (Sr., Bangkok, Thailand)
4. Supatta Puttanavarat (Fr., Chonburi, Thailand)
5. Alexis Rieli (Jr., Apopka, Fla.)
About The Course | Caledonia:
Since opening to the public in January 1994, Caledonia Golf and Fish Club has rapidly gained a reputation as one of the premier courses in America. It is the first solo design of the late, great golf course architect Mike Strantz. Strantz uniquely approached his assignments—as an artist rather than an engineer. His exceptionally creative eye is reflected in how he sculpted Caledonia's 18 holes, with large, creative greens guarded at times by ponds, streams, and imposing bunkers. The same sort of majestic live oak that overhangs the entryway into Caledonia similarly frames many of the shots at Caledonia, giving the course a rustic feel. Thousands of annual and semiannual flowers bloom every year throughout the property, further adding to the beauty of the experience. A round of golf at Caledonia has been described as a "beautiful day in a floral nature park.
Course Flyover
About The Course | True Blue:
True Blue Golf Club, Mike Strantz's fourth signature golf course, opened to rave reviews in February 1998. Strantz also designed the award-winning Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, which opened in 1994 on land adjacent to True Blue Golf Club. For his efforts at True Blue Golf Club and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Strantz was named "Architect of the Year" by Golf World in 1998. Strantz crafted True Blue Golf Club to echo many of the characteristics of Pine Valley and Pinehurst #2, emphasizing maintaining a natural feel to the course.
The par-72 course can stretch to 7,126 but is playable for all ages and abilities, featuring 6 sets of tee boxes. Emphasizing the natural beauty of the area and surprising elevation changes, True Blue Golf Club incorporates native grasses and vegetation to maintain much of the character of the property.
Weather Report:
Monday, April 1: Expect partly to mostly cloudy skies with a high of 79°F. Winds will be from the southwest at 10 to 20 mph. There's a minimal 5% chance of rain.
Tuesday, April 2: The day will be cloudy with a high of around 78°F. Winds will pick up from the southwest at 15 to 25 mph. There's a slightly increased chance of rain at 10%.
Wednesday, April 3: Thunderstorms are forecast in the morning, followed by occasional showers in the afternoon. The high temperature will be 72°F. Winds will be from the west-southwest at 15 to 25 mph, with the possibility of higher wind gusts. There's a significant 80% chance of rain throughout the day.
Players Mentioned
