The U golf team will be in action today and Tuesday at the Pat Hicks Invitational in St. George, Utah.
The tournament, hosted by Southern Utah University, will serve as a warm-up before the Utes travel to a tournament with better competition in Hawaii later in the month.
“This tournament serves as a good chance to tune-up our game after the long winter break,” Utah head coach Randall McCracken said.
The team has been practicing indoors since last November and looks forward to playing in St. George.
“Our guys have been working hard all winter,” McCracken said. “We have a couple of practice facilities here where we putt and hit balls. It will be nice to play on real grass.”
Eighteen schools will be at the tournament, including top-70 team Kentucky. Six schools from Utah will make the trip in hopes of winning the tournament. Schools from Oklahoma, California, Idaho and other states will hope to oust the defending champions, SUU. The University of Denver hopes to capture another title after they won the inaugural tournament in 2005.
The Utes have five seniors who will put them in a good place to make a run. Leading the way is senior Dustin Pimm, who averaged 70.1 strokes in nine rounds last fall. Pimm won the last tournament he played in, beating 90 players.
“Dustin is the nucleus of the golf team and is one of the best players in the country,” McCracken said.
Senior Nic Larson, who averaged 71.9 strokes in 15 rounds last fall, will try to continue playing well this spring.
“Senior Chris Gresh is a player who you can always count on for good scores,” McCracken said. Gresh averaged 72.6 strokes in 15 rounds last fall.
Senior Steven Broker, junior Chance Cota and freshmen Derek Adams and Chase Hite will round out the team when they travel to St. George. Senior Nick Carter is currently injured and hopes to return later this spring.