Frogs Begin 2010-11 Campaign at PING/Golfweek Preview
9/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 24, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU men's golf program will begin the 2010-11 campaign at one of the top tournaments of the regular-season when the Horned Frogs travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the PING/Golfweek Preview on Sunday.
This will be the second straight season that the Frogs will open up the season at the PING/Golfweek Preview. Last season, the Frogs finished eighth overall at the PING/Golfweek Preview, which was played at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton, Wash. This season, the prestigious tournament will be played at Karsten Creek Golf Course - home of the 2011 NCAA National Championships - in Stillwater, Okla.
The Frogs - who enter the tournament ranked 22nd in the country - will face their strongest competition of the season as all 15 teams are ranked in the top-25. The host-program Oklahoma State is currently ranked first in the country while defending NCAA national champions Augusta State is ranked fifth in the nation.
The field at the PING/Golfweek Preview also includes Texas A&M (3rd), Oregon (7th), Texas (8th), UCLA (9th), Texas Tech (10th), USC (11th), Georgia (13), Georgia Tech (14th), Arizona State (15th), Clemson (17th), UNLV (18th) and Virginia (22nd).
"This is no question that this is the strongest overall field that we will face during the season," said head men's golf coach Bill Montigel. "We feel like we have a very strong team this season. We're ranked 22nd in the country and are the lowest ranked team in the field so you know that it's ultra-competitive. I know our guys love these types of tournaments because they get to face and prove that they are amongst the best in the country."
Pontus Gad will handle the number-one spot in the lineup at the PING/Golfweek Preview after the TCU sophomore came out on top in the Frogs' five-round qualifier this past week. Last season, Gad competed in 11 tournaments where he recorded a 75.88 strokes average and notched his best finish (4th overall) at the PING/NCAA Preview.
"Pontus played extremely well in our qualifier, and he is one of the players that I am looking to make great strides this season. He gained a lot of experience last season and put together some really nice tournaments. This season, we need him to be more consistent and relax on the golf course," said Montigel.
Eli Cole will play in the number-two spot for the Frogs as the TCU junior is coming off a campaign that saw him compete in six tournaments and record a 75.17 strokes average. Cole notched a pair of top-30 finishes as season ago, including a career-best 21st-place showing at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational.
"Eli has always been one of the hardest workers on the team, and last season, his hard work paid off when he earned a spot in the lineup. He got a taste of tournament competition last season, and that will obviously help him this season. He knows what to expect, and he just needs to be relaxed and trust his game," said Montigel.
Scott Roudebush will enter the PING/Golfweek Preview in the team's third spot of the lineup. The Austin, Texas, native saw action in six tournaments a season ago and has played in 19 career tournaments for the Frogs. A senior, Roudebush concluded last season with a 76.78 strokes average en route to earning Academic All-Mountain West Conference laurels.
"Scott is definitely one of the leaders on the team. He is the oldest player on the team, and he is a great example to the entire program about working hard, never giving up and having tremendous balance in your life. He's improved so much during his time here and has earned his chance to showcase what he can do on the course," said Montigel.
Tom Hoge will play in the number-four spot in the lineup for the Frogs this weekend as the TCU senior enters his final campaign as the program's most-experienced golfer. A 2009 honorable mention All-American, Hoge saw action in 11 tournaments where he notched a 74.67 strokes average to go along with four top-20 showings.
"Tom is definitely one of the most talented players that we have on the team. He is back to being fully healthy this season, and I'm really expecting great things from him. He played well over the summer and has looked good in our qualifiers. I know that he wants to erase last spring and really show what he can do on the course this season," said Montigel.
Daniel Jennevret rounds out the Frogs' lineup for the PING/Golfweek Preview. The TCU sophomore is coming off a freshman campaign where he saw action in 12 tournaments and notched a pair of top-five showings, including a tournament title at The Prestige at PGA West. During his freshman campaign, Jennevret recorded a 74.92 strokes average to go along with six sub-70 rounds.
"Daniel gained tremendous experience last season and really showcased what he can do on the golf course. When he was playing at his best, he was definitely one of the best in the country. Last season, he really worked on his course management, and I'm expecting big things from him. I know he has high expectations for himself, but he needs to play his game and he'll do great things out there," said Montigel.
The first round of the PING/Golfweek Preview begins on Sunday with 18 holes of action followed by the second and third rounds of action on Monday and Tuesday.
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