Razorback Golf Team Travels To Gary Koch Invitational

TAMPA, Fla. – Matt Bortis leads the Arkansas men’s golf team into the Gary Koch Invitational at the Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 10-11.

The University of Florida and University of Kentucky will co-host the event and welcome 12 teams to the 54-hole event. Joining the Hogs, Gators and Wildcats will be Central Florida, the College of Charleston, Florida State, Georgia State, LSU, North Florida, Texas A&M, South Florida and Toledo.

The teams will play the first two rounds on Monday (36 holes) and conclude the tournament with the final 18 holes on Tuesday morning. The Razorbacks enjoy the tournament’s first tee time at 7 a.m. (CDT) Monday and will play with the University of Central Florida.

Six of the 12 teams in the field are ranked in the top 30 in the latest Golfweek rankings, including No. 9 Florida, No. 11 Georgia State, No. 16 Kentucky, No. 17 LSU, No. 24 Florida State and No. 29 Texas A&M. The Razorbacks come in this week at No. 58.

Bortis, the Hogs’ junior leader is Arkansas’ top-rated golfer at No. 55 with a 69.68 stroke average. He is coming off of his second career tournament victory at the Wolf Pack Invitational just two weeks ago. Bortis fired a career-low 63 (-9) in the final round to seal the win.

Joining Bortis on the Razorbacks’ five-man team is junior Beau Glover, who tied his low-54-hole score at the Wolf Pack Invitational with a 1-under-par 215 to finish in a tie for 20th.

True freshman Jordan Payne will look to continue his impressive play just over four months out of high school. The West Memphis, Ark., native has the Hogs’ third-best scoring average at 72.7 through his first two tournaments, including a 4-under-par 68 in the opening round of the Wolf Pack Invitational last week.

Eric Shriver will also get his second start of the 2005 fall season at this week’s Gary Koch Invitational. He shot a 3-over-par 219 at the Wolf Pack Invitational two weeks ago to tie for 34th with Payne.

Following the Gary Koch Invitational this week the Razorbacks will travel to the CordeValle Collegiate in San Martin, Calif., on Nov. 1-2 to close the fall schedule. The Hogs will open the spring schedule on Feb. 8-10, 2006 at the TaylorMade/Waikoloa Intercollegiate in Waikoloa, Hawai’i.