So far, throughout the short NCCGA season, poor weather conditions have been a recurring theme. Not only has winter postponed regionals, but it has forced me to shorten my NCCGA Spring Preview considerably. The cold temperatures and snow have drifted as far south as Texas and Alabama, causing postponements in both the Ozark and South Regions. With that being said, the only tournament play this weekend will take place at Hunters Creek Golf Club where the competitive Southeast Region will play in their first Regional Tournament.
Last year this region was won by Clemson University, who went on to be crowned Co-National Champions last fall. Clemson is once again the favorite to win this region based on the NCCGA Spring Preview Rankings where they were ranked 3rd. There are several other teams capable of upsetting the Tigers. Last year the Professional Golfers Career College-Hilton Head and the University of Georgia both finished within ten strokes of Clemson at each regional, displaying the potential to win these close match-ups. The region also added two new teams, College of Charleston and the Golf Academy of America-Myrtle Beach, who are both eager to compete in their first NCCGA tournament.
Make Your Southeast Regional Predictions
The tournament will follow traditional NCCGA Regional rules and format taking place this Saturday and Sunday. The course will be a true test of character according to Regional Coordinator Ethan Lambert, “It’s a true Tom Jackson design. He tends to make the bunkers true hazards by making them pretty deep; as if golf wasn’t hard enough!” On top of the difficult hazards, the players will face tough conditions on Sunday with a 60% chance of rain. Expect the winning team to have a low Saturday score because playing conditions will only get worse as the weekend progresses.
**Jack Stephens (@NCCGABlog) is the Director of Communications and will continue with the NCCGA Spring Previews as the season continues.