Wake Forest Set For The VCU Shootout
9/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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The Demon Deacons have finished no worse than third in any of their four previous appearances in the event. Wake won the tournament in 2008, finished second last year and took third in both 2007 and 2009. Individually, the Deacs have enjoyed similar success as a total of seven players have placed in the top-10 over the four years, including Brendan Gielow who claimed his first collegiate victory at the event in 2008.
Head coach Jerry Haas will have the majority of his roster in action this week as eight of the 10 players are in the lineup. Senior Lee Bedford and junior Evan Beck are in the familiar 1-2 spots and will be joined by junior Charlie Harrison in the three-hole and sophomores Thomas Birdsey and John Varol in the four and five spots.
Senior Justin Bryant, sophomore Beau Cutts and freshman Brandon Ng will all be playing this week as individuals.
Last year, Beck fired three under-par rounds and finished in third place at 5-under par. In the process, he became the fifth Demon Deacon since 1984 to have a streak of at least seven-straight under-par rounds.
Bedford finished eighth as a freshman and then tied for seventh last year. Cutts finished tied for 31st and Varol finished tied for 37th in their first appearances last year.
This will also be Harrison and Bryant's third time teeing-it-up at the VCU Shootout. Bryant was on the victorious 2008 team and his final round 73 helped the team post a 16-shot victory. Harrison opened with a 69 last year and would go on to finish tied for 29th.
Ng will be making his Demon Deacon debut this week.
Wake is one five ACC teams in the field. Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland and North Carolina will also be teeing-it-up. UNC Wilmington won the event last year and is back defend its title this season.
The weather forecast for the next two days doesn't look favorable. Temperatures are expected to be around 80 degrees but there is significant chance of isolated thunderstorms each day.
Action will begin both days with a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m. The Deacs are paired with North Carolina and East Carolina for the opening 36-holes on Monday.
Players Mentioned
