Photo by: Rob Taylor
ECU Opens 2018-19 Campaign At Rod Myers Invitational
September 07, 2018 | Men's Golf
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GREENVILLE, N.C.– The ECU men's golf team will open its 2018-19 campaign this weekend (Sept. 8-9) at the at the ninth-annual Rod Myers Invitational at the Duke University Golf Club designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. with a 7,154-yard layout.
The 54-hole event will feature 36 holes of play on Saturday and an 18-hole final round on Sunday, with tee times beginning at 7:35 a.m. ET on Saturday and 7:55 a.m. ET on Sunday. The event is open to the public, with free parking and admission.
In addition to the 18th-ranked host Blue Devils, joining the Pirates in the 13-team field will be Cincinnati, East Tennessee State, Florida Southern, No. 25 Florida State, Liberty, Nebraska, No. 22 North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Penn State, Princeton, and Virginia Tech.
The Pirates, led by second-year head coach Andrew Sapp, return six lettermen from last season's squad, including their top two players: juniors Patrick Stephenson and Blake Taylor. The duo finished the 2017-18 campaign ranked first and second on the team in scoring with each averaging less than 73 strokes per round. Both players were named to The American all-conference team.
The tandem is joined by fellow junior Chris Akers and Logan Shuping along with sophomores Tim Bunten and Stephen Carroll as well as redshirt freshman Jimbo Stanley.
Freshmen A.J. Beechler, Attie Giles, Connor Jones, and Jack Massei are new to the squad this season.
"I think the second-year for Coach Ruyle and myself is going to be a lot of fun because we're not getting to know 10 players from scratch," Sapp said. "We know our guys who return very well, we know our freshmen very well from recruiting them, so we're looking forward to getting after it from the get-go."
The roster is without a single senior which has Sapp excited for the present as well as the future.
"I told them [at our first team meeting] that I want to go to the national championships this year," he said. "This is the year to strike, not wait [until next year]. We have the talent and ability this year to do some great things. We want to start the streak of going to the NCAAs this year and continue it next year."
When ECU debuts on Saturday, Sapp will start with Stephenson playing the No. 1 position, followed by Carroll at No. 2, Taylor at No. 3, Beechler at No. 4 and Shuping at No. 5.
The Pirates finished eighth at the 12-team event a year ago led by Stephenson's 14th-place finish at 3-under-par. Taylor finished at 8-over-par. The pair also competed in the tournament as freshmen in 2016 as did Shuping.
ECU has played in the Rod Myers Invitational every year since 2012, claiming the tournament title in 2014.
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GREENVILLE, N.C.– The ECU men's golf team will open its 2018-19 campaign this weekend (Sept. 8-9) at the at the ninth-annual Rod Myers Invitational at the Duke University Golf Club designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. with a 7,154-yard layout.
The 54-hole event will feature 36 holes of play on Saturday and an 18-hole final round on Sunday, with tee times beginning at 7:35 a.m. ET on Saturday and 7:55 a.m. ET on Sunday. The event is open to the public, with free parking and admission.
In addition to the 18th-ranked host Blue Devils, joining the Pirates in the 13-team field will be Cincinnati, East Tennessee State, Florida Southern, No. 25 Florida State, Liberty, Nebraska, No. 22 North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Penn State, Princeton, and Virginia Tech.
The Pirates, led by second-year head coach Andrew Sapp, return six lettermen from last season's squad, including their top two players: juniors Patrick Stephenson and Blake Taylor. The duo finished the 2017-18 campaign ranked first and second on the team in scoring with each averaging less than 73 strokes per round. Both players were named to The American all-conference team.
The tandem is joined by fellow junior Chris Akers and Logan Shuping along with sophomores Tim Bunten and Stephen Carroll as well as redshirt freshman Jimbo Stanley.
Freshmen A.J. Beechler, Attie Giles, Connor Jones, and Jack Massei are new to the squad this season.
"I think the second-year for Coach Ruyle and myself is going to be a lot of fun because we're not getting to know 10 players from scratch," Sapp said. "We know our guys who return very well, we know our freshmen very well from recruiting them, so we're looking forward to getting after it from the get-go."
The roster is without a single senior which has Sapp excited for the present as well as the future.
"I told them [at our first team meeting] that I want to go to the national championships this year," he said. "This is the year to strike, not wait [until next year]. We have the talent and ability this year to do some great things. We want to start the streak of going to the NCAAs this year and continue it next year."
When ECU debuts on Saturday, Sapp will start with Stephenson playing the No. 1 position, followed by Carroll at No. 2, Taylor at No. 3, Beechler at No. 4 and Shuping at No. 5.
The Pirates finished eighth at the 12-team event a year ago led by Stephenson's 14th-place finish at 3-under-par. Taylor finished at 8-over-par. The pair also competed in the tournament as freshmen in 2016 as did Shuping.
ECU has played in the Rod Myers Invitational every year since 2012, claiming the tournament title in 2014.
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