Marshall University Athletics
43rd Annual Marshall Invitational Tees off Monday
9/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall men's golf will get its season started as it plays host for the 43rd annual Marshall Invitational starting Monday at Guyan Golf & Country Club.
The tournament will also be the debut of the Thundering Herd's new head coach, Matt Grobe. He replaces former coach Joe Feaganes, who retired after 40 years on the job. This year's invitational will be just the fourth in its history that coach Feaganes will not be involved with as a coach.
Grobe is a former golfer for the Herd. He was coached by Feaganes when he donned the green and white from 1993-95.
Marshall returns all but two golfers from a season ago. The top returner is Nathan Kerns, the team's lone senior. The Ironton, Ohio native is coming off a productive summer which saw him capture two wins, including the Ohio Amateur Championship.
Additionally returners for Grobe include juniors Brian Anania, a 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship participant and Jeremy Rogers who finished third in the West Virginia State Amateur.
The 54-hole event is played at Guyan Golf Club, a par-71, 6,673-yard course in the east end of Huntington.
Action gets under way Monday at 8:30 a.m. with 36 holes of competition. The final 18-hole round gets underway at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. A practice round will be conducted on Sunday.
There will be a field of 16 teams that includes Marshall plus Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Miami (OH), Ohio, Ohio State, Richmond, Toledo, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky, William & Mary, Wright State and Xavier. MU and Ohio have played in each invitational.
Ohio State is the two-time defending champions. The Buckeyes have won the event 19 times, the most of any participant. Marshall had an eighth place finish in last year's tournament. The Herd has only won the invitational once, in 1977.
