MSU men host Old Waverly Collegiate Championship
Mississippi State’s men’s golf program will welcome 13 teams to the beautiful par-72 Old Waverly Golf Course this weekend for its annual home event, the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship.
The spring event made its return to the schedule after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Bulldogs will host eight top-25 ranked programs including No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 10 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Georgia, No. 20 Texas Tech, No. 21 Tennessee, No. 22 Arkansas, No. 24 Alabama and No. 25 LSU. Also taking a shot at the title are Ole Miss, ETSU, Kansas State, Little Rock and
Southern Miss.
Garrett Johnson’s 2020 campaign ended with a second-place finish at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate. Johnson had won the title at the tournament the previous year. Following the pandemic, the
Kimberly, Alabama, native took advantage of the NCAA’S eligibility relief to return this season.
With the final home event of the senior’s collegiate career ahead of him this weekend, he reflected on his time he spent as a Bulldog.
“I think it’s bittersweet,” Johnson said. “We’re very fortunate to have a place like Old Waverly to play. You get one chance a year to defend your home turf, and that’s our goal
this week.”
State finished fifth as a team in the last Old Waverly Championship in 2019, with Johnson carding a trio of 69’s for a 9-under 207 to tie for third place. Ford Clegg tied for 13th shooting a 3-under for the tournament.
“We are really excited to be hosting this weekend,” MSU head coach Dusty Smith said. “To be able to play Old Waverly in front of our fans is something we look forward to every year.”
This year’s home team’s lineup will consist of Clegg, Johnson, freshman Loïc Ettlin, Austin Fulton and sophomore Hunter Logan teeing off first for the Bulldogs at 10:50 a.m. today.
State’s last performance at Auburn’s Tiger Invitational marked the team’s highest finish of the season. The Bulldogs fought rain and winds to card a 54-hole 860 to land at the 4-under mark for an eighthplace finish.
Clegg carried MSU with his pair of 69s for the first and third rounds of the tournament. He left Opelika, Alabama, with his fourth top-10 finish of the season, tying for sixth place.
Logan proved one to watch in his last outing with a solid individual performance landing him in a tie for 20th. The sophomore shot par or better in all three rounds for a 3-under 213 total.
The starting five will be joined on the course by six Bulldogs playing as individuals. Griffin Agent and freshman Pedro Cruz Silva will make their season debuts. Austin Vukovits, William Wann, Cameron Clarke and Benjamin Nelson all return to action as well.
“We need to do a great job of controlling what we can control and managing expectations,” Smith said. “This is our next opportunity and we are excited for it.”