GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's golf team travels to the Country Club of Bristol this week for the 2019 King University Invitational. The opening round will be held on Monday followed by Tuesday's final round of the 36-hole tournament.
The Pioneers will play in its second straight tournament within the State of Tennessee as TU competes at the King Invitational for the first time in program history.
Tusculum tied for first place honors at last week's season-opening Mars Hill Invitational. The Pioneers finished with a two-day total of 569 (-7) but lost to Belmont Abbey College on the second hole of the team playoff. TU's 569 is tied for the ninth lowest 36-hole score in school history.
The Pioneers were paced by junior Jeffery Perez who claimed medalist honors with a seven-under par 137 including a final-round 65 last Tuesday at the Johnson City Country Club. Perez's 65 is tied for the second-lowest round in program history matching former South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Brent Dyson's round at the 2002 Patton Intercollegiate. Perez is leading the SAC this year with his 68.5 scoring average while his 137 is tied for the 10th-best 36-hole score in TU history.
Tusculum junior Bennett Noe claimed a top-10 finish as he tied for ninth place with his even-par 71-73=144. Cork, Ireland sophomore Mark Healy will be competing this week in his second event for the Pioneers. Healy tied for 13th place at the MHU Invitational with 72-73=145 (+1), while sophomore teammate Noah Jones also tied for 13th with 71-74=145 (+1).
Sophomore Kyle Engelbert will be in the starting five in Bristol this week as the Fort Worth, Texas product finished in 16th place with 74-72=146 (+2).
Following this week's tournament in Bristol, Tusculum will be back in action on Oct. 7-8 at the State Farm Intercollegiate in Tazewell, Tennessee. The course layout at Woodlake Golf Club will be the host venue for the SAC Championship his April.
