TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The second-ranked Alabama men’s golf team travels to Dalton, Ga., this weekend to defend its title at the 19th Annual Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic.
Last year the Crimson Tide shredded the 18- and 54-hole course records at The Farm en route to its first victory of the season. Alabama coach Jay Seawell returns to the 18-team tournament with four of the five golfers from last season’s squad.
PING All-American Michael Thompson headlines a veteran group intent on improving upon last year’s fourth-place finish at the NCAA championship. Thompson, a senior from Tucson, Ariz., led Alabama last season with a 71.89 stroke average in 12 tournaments.
In late August, Thompson finished second in the 2007 U.S. Amateur. Thompson tied for sixth at last year’s Carpet Capital and tied for third last week’s TOPY Cup in Japan.
“If we are going to be successful [Thompson] needs to play well,” Seawell said.
Georgia native Mark Harrell is entering the 40th tournament of his college career. The 6-foot senior tamed a treacherous Oakmont course at the 2007 U.S. Open Championship and recorded the lowest score of any amateur in the field. Later in the summer, he finished first in stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links.
Gator Todd finished 9th last year at the Carpet Capital. The son of former Tide quarterback Richard Todd returns for his senior season with high expectations.
“In my mind we are the best team in the country,” Todd said. “We’ve got a really good team this year, and I think we can do some really good things if we stay patient and take it one step at a time.”
Todd’s 64 in last year’s first round of the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate was the second-lowest round in program history.
Junior Matthew Swan will make his first tournament appearance of the season. The Montgomery native and three-time junior state champion boasts a career stroke average of 73, second on the team to Thompson. At last year’s Carpet Capital, Swan’s double eagle on the par-5 12th hole helped deliver the championship for the Tide.
Rounding out the Tide’s five-man team is senior Matt Hughes, a Dalton native whose experience at The Farm could give him a considerable advantage.
“The Farm is a very local knowledge golf course,” Seawell said. “First time players really struggle there so I do believe [experience] is a huge asset for us this week.”
The par-72, 7,012-yard course is nestled along a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains 95 miles north of Atlanta. The Farm is draped with thick deep green bentgrass which players say allows for a “true” roll on the putting greens. Properly navigating the greens will be a priority for the Tide this week.
“The course has very undulated greens very similar to Augusta National,” Seawell said. “You have to be on the correct side of the hole. You can get a good shot in there and have no chance to make par because the greens are so fast.”
“You got to keep the ball in play and the team that putts the best is probably going to win,” Hughes said.
The Tide will be challenged by one of the strongest fields of any tournament they’ll play this year. Four other top-10 teams are in the field: Georgia (third), Florida (fourth), Georgia Tech (eighth) and Clemson (ninth). Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia State, South Carolina and defending SEC champion Tennessee also are ranked in GolfWorld’s Top 25.
“I think the field is so strong that anybody at this tournament can win, so we need to go out there and take care of business and play like we can play. The trophies and stuff like that will take care of themselves,” Seawell said.
The four lowest-scoring players on each team make up the team’s score for each of three rounds. Individual strokes are counted and an individual champion will be crowned.
The Tide will need strong performances from all five players if it hopes to match last year’s record-setting win.
“That’s the key to college golf: You got five guys, and you’ve got to get everybody playing well at the same time on the same page,” Swan said.