Golf Dawgs Set to Continue Spring at Gators Invite

By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Looking for its third consecutive top-five finish, Mississippi State men's golf will spend the weekend competing at the Gators Invitational on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 15-16).

The 15-team field will play two rounds, 36 holes, on the opening day before competing in a final round on Sunday. MSU student-athletes will tee off between holes 10-13 with an 7 a.m. CT shotgun start. Live results are available via Golfstat.

"This is a great event and one we always look forward to competing in because it will show us exactly where we are as a team," MSU men's golf coach Dusty Smith said. "It is a demanding course that requires your full attention on every shot. This week is going to test our patience and toughness.

"We had two full weeks of preparation and look forward to this next step as a team. My challenge to the guys is to be locked in on our mission this week and to be the most together team."

Despite a 12th place team finish at the 2019 event, MSU returns two of three top-20 individual finishers from a year ago in Ford Clegg and Garrett Johnson.

The Golf Dawgs are led out by Johnson, who is coming off of a tied-for-13th placement at the Arizona Intercollegiate in January.

"We are very excited for this week," Johnson said. "We are ready to get back to a course that most of us are familiar with. Our attention to detail will have to be at an all-time high for us to be successful. We have had a good two weeks preparing for this event, and we are excited for this opportunity ahead of us."

Johnson's 70.80 stroke average leads the team, while the senior has collected three top 20s in five events this season. He finished tied for 18th after shooting 2-over at the 2019 Gators Invite.

Clegg shot 1-over for a tied-for-15th placement last season in Gainesville. The sophomore capped the 2019-20 fall campaign with his first-career win, coming at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational.

Johnson and Clegg will be followed by junior Cameron Clarke, redshirt sophomore Ben Nelson and freshman Hunter Logan.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateMG.

Gators Invitational
Coastal Carolina
Florida
Georgia Southern
Jacksonville
Liberty
Mississippi State
Missouri
Penn State
UCF
North Florida
USF
Toledo
Vanderbilt
West Virginia
Wichita State

Golf Dawgs Set to Continue Spring at Gators Invite

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Clarke

Ford Clegg

Garrett Johnson

Hunter Logan

Ben Nelson

Mississippi State University Athletics