GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College will host 18 collegiate men's golf teams at the 19th annual Tusculum Invitational this weekend at Link Hills Country Club.

The first round begins at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, followed by Sunday's final round which is slated to tee off at 8 a.m. on the par 71, 6,733-yard lay-out.

The Pioneers are the defending champions and have won this event five times (1995, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2011). Tusculum has recorded one tournament title this season capturing the Anderson Invitational in September.

This year's tournament field will include South Atlantic Conference members Tusculum, Anderson University, Brevard College, Catawba College, Lincoln Memorial University, Mars Hill College and Wingate University. NCAA Division II teams also competing in this year's tournament include: Bluefield State College, King College, Limestone College, and Tiffin University. Other participants include: Marian University (Ind.), USC Lancaster, Spartanburg Methodist College, Tennessee Wesleyan College, Tri-County Technical College, Virginia Intermont College and Walters State College.

Walters State won the inaugural Tusculum Invitational in 1994, while Wingate captured the team championship in 2001.

Five of the teams in this year's tournament field are ranked in the top 50 in the latest Golfstat head-to-head standings, including No. 24 Wingate (NCAA II), No. 27 Lincoln Memorial (NCAA II), No. 33 Tennessee Wesleyan (NAIA), No. 39 Marian (NAIA) and No. 45 King (NCAA II).

Three of the last six TC Invitational medalists have come from Tusculum including Nick Kinzer (2006), Darren Christie (2007) and Chris Wynne (2008). In all, six Pioneers have captured the individual title at this event. Lincoln Memorial's Jamie Chapman is the defending medalist of the Tusculum Invitational as he won the title with a two-under 70-70=140.

Admission to the 36-hole tournament is free and open to the public.

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