OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The Arkansas men’s golf team will be part of a loaded 15-team field at this weekend’s Olympia Fields CC/Fighting Illini Invitational when play gets underway on Friday at the North Course. Sitting at No. 21, Arkansas is one of 10 teams in the field that appeared in the preseason Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) poll.
The Razorbacks will begin Friday’s first round going off the 10th tee on the North Course from 9:45-10:21 a.m. Arkansas will play alongside Michigan and Stanford. Live scoring will be available at www.Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.
With junior Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia) and freshman Alvaro Ortiz (Mexico) in Japan playing in the World Amateur Team Championships, Arkansas will sport a different lineup in its second event of the fall with junior Taylor Moore, redshirt junior Kolton Crawford, freshman Emil Soegaard, junior Gonzalo Rubio and redshirt sophomore Zach Coats.
Moore has been a big part of Arkansas’ two trips to the Fighting Illini Invitational over the last two years, producing a counting score in all six rounds with a stroke average of 71.3. As a freshman in 2012, Moore tied for 12th overall as the Razorbacks won the event by 12 strokes over a field that also included 10 ranked teams. The Edmond, Okla. native was Arkansas’ top finisher last year, tying for fourth place while the Razorbacks also finished fourth.
Dating back to last spring’s NCAA Columbia Regional, Crawford has shot even-par or lower in seven of his last night rounds. Crawford was Arkansas’ low-man all three rounds at the season-opening Carmel Cup, carding an under-par round three straight days for the first time in his career en route to tying for fourth place at five-under par.
Olympia Field Country Club’s North Course will play as a par 70 over the three rounds, measuring out at 7,142 yards. For more information on Arkansas men’s golf, follow @RazorbackMGolf on Twitter.
@RazorbackMGolf Lineup (First RD Tee Time)
Taylor Moore, Jr. (10:21 a.m.)
Kolton Crawford, R-Jr. (10:12 a.m.)
Emil Soegaard, Fr. (10:03 a.m.)
Gonzalo Rubio, Jr. (9:54 a.m.)
Zach Coats, R-So. (9:45 a.m.)
@RazorbackMGolf Lineup Quick Nine
• Moore will make his 28th consecutive start and has a counting score in 28 straight rounds.
• Moore tied for fourth at the Fighting Illini Invitational in 2013.
• Moore has finished in the top 20 of six of his last eight events.
• Crawford finished under-par all three rounds at the Carmel Cup, a career-first.
• Crawford has double figure birdies in seven of his last eight tournaments.
• Soegaard turned in a counting score in each round at the Carmel Cup.
• Rubio made his debut as a Razorback at the Carmel Cup after transferring from North Texas.
• Coats will make his first start of the season, but was in the lineup at the SEC Championship and NCAA Regional last spring.
Olympia Fields CC/Fighting Illini Invitational (GCAA Preseason Ranking)
Alabama (1)
Arkansas (21)
Baylor
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida State (17)
Illinois (6)
Indiana
Michigan
Oklahoma (11)
Oklahoma State (2)
Stanford (7)
Texas (4)
Texas A&M(19)
Virginia Tech (23)