Wake Forest University
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational
Deacs Take Part in Premier Field at Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational
9/29/2024 4:08:00 PM | Men's Golf
This will be the fourth-straight season the Deacs have competed in the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational
FORT WORTH, Texas- Following their first team title of the 2024-25 season at the Lyon's Links Invitational, the Wake Forest men's golf team heads to the historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas for the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational starting Monday.
The 15-team field includes half of the top 10 and 12 of the nation's top 25 teams according to the 2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll. Last season's event was held at Shady Oaks Country Club due to the course redesign at Colonial.
In their last outing, the Deacs finished the final round of the Lyon's Links Invitational 31-under-par, turning in a 54-hole score of 833 and tying for the ninth lowest 54-hole score to par in program history. Four Deacs ended in the top-10 with all four of the counting players carding under-par rounds.
The 54-hole event will begin with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. with 36 holes on Monday. Tee times for the final round on Tuesday will begin as early as 8:00 a.m.
The Deacs' Lineup
In his outing at the Lyon's Links Invitational, Scotty Kennon claimed his first top-5 finish of his senior season (T4) and the third of his career. After a flawless back nine tallying two eagles and a birdie, the senior carded three rounds of 70 to end 6-under-par. Last season, Kennon captured his first collegiate title at the Calusa Cup, and set a new tournament record shooting six-under par. Last season, he claimed four top-10 finishes over twelve events and ended second on the team in stroke average at 71.92 including eight rounds in the 60s. Last spring, Kennon claimed All ACC and PING All Region honors.
Leading the Deacs at the Lyon's Links Invitational, sophomore Kyle Haas ended in third place, tying his best career finish. Haas's continued effort in round three included carding six birdies and finishing the tournament at 7-under-par (69-69-71). At the Inverness Intercollegiate, Haas rose nine spots up the leaderboard to land himself tied for 43rd. Last season, Haas competed in 24 total rounds during his freshman campaign. Haas claimed three top-25 finishes last season, including a top-15 finish at the Bank of Tennessee Invitational (T12).
In his first outing as a Demon Deacon, graduate student DJ Francey posted a solid final round at the Lyon's Links Invitational, tying for 11th and playing as an individual at 2-under-par for the tournament. In round two, Francey started with an eagle on hole No. 2, and carded a low 68 (-4), moving 12 spots up the leaderboard.
Recently at the Lyon's Links Invitational, sophomore Tom Haberer carded a low final round of 67 (-5), ending tied for sixth, picking up his first top-10 finish of the season. Playing as an individual at the Inverness Intercollegiate, Tom Haberer was tied for 66th at 12-over-par 219 (69-76-74). Haberer competed in 10 events over 29 rounds during his rookie season and made his first NCAA Regional and NCAA Championship appearances. Haberer secured the highest finish of his career (T5) at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate during the 2023 fall season.
In his latest outing at the Lyon's Links Invitational, junior Jakob Melin captured his first top-10 finish as a Demon Deacon, holding a share of fourth place. At the Inverness Intercollegiate, junior Jakob Melin ended round three as the top Deac on the individual leaderboard at T28. After a bogey free front nine in round three, Melin maintained composure throughout his final round to keep his spot on the leaderboard.
The Field
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No. 7 Alabama
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No. 2 Arizona State
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No. 1 Auburn
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No. 21 Georgia
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No. 17 Georgia Tech
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No. 16 North Carolina
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No. 8 Oklahoma
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(RV) Oregon
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No. 22 Stanford
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No. 11 Texas
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No. 19 Texas A&M
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TCU (Host)
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No. 14 Texas Tech
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(RV) Wake Forest
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No. 4 Vanderbilt
Tournament Format
The tournament will consist of a 36-hole day on Monday with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. and a final round of 18 holes on Tuesday with tee times as early as 8 a.m.
Live Stats
Live stats will be available via GolfStat
About the Course
Par 70 | 7,289 yards
Colonial Country Club has hosted an annual PGA Tour event since 1946, the longest running non-major tour event to be held at the same venue. The club was started in 1936 and hosted the 1941 U.S. Open, the 1975 Tournament Players Championship and the 1991 U.S. Women's Open. The course sits along the bank of the Trinity River and is located less than a mile from the campus of TCU. During the 2023-24 season, Colonial was closed for course redesign but opened in time for the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge.
Players Mentioned
