Feb. 13, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After completing a strong fall campaign in November, the 24th-ranked UCF men's golf team will open its spring slate Saturday at the SunTrust Gator Invitational in Gainesville. Rounds one and two will be played Saturday at the Mark Bostick Golf Course, and the final 18 holes are set for Sunday.
The 14-team field includes 10 squads ranked in the top-50 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Host Florida (14) tops the list. Other teams in the event include Duke, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, North Florida and Wake Forest.
Head coach Nick Clinard's Knights competed in five events in the fall. UCF recorded a pair of top-five finishes and concluded the slate by winning The Hummingbird Intercollegiate in North Carolina in early November.
Senior David Johnson (Palm Bay, Fla.), junior Simon Ward (County Monaghan, Ireland), sophomore Jed Dirksen (Hampton, Iowa), redshirt freshman Brad Schneider (Valrico, Fla.) and freshman Blayne Barber (Lake City, Fla.) will be in the lineup for the Knights. Junior Mike Stern (Miami, Fla.) is slated to compete as an individual.
Johnson posted a pair of top-10 showings in the fall, including a second-place finish at the tournament in North Carolina. He led the squad with a 73.14 stroke average. Schneider placed third in North Carolina, and Ward tied for fourth.
A transfer from Arizona State, Dirksen will be making his UCF debut at the event. He joined the Knights at the start of the spring semester.
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