Sept. 18, 2011

RUSTON - The Louisiana Tech golf team will head to Fort Worth to compete in the 2011 UTA Waterchase Invitational as the 17-team event will be held at the Waterchase Golf Club and will be hosted by Texas-Arlington.

Tech is coming off an eight-place finish last week at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate in Hattiesburg as head coach Jeff Parks and Co. will look to take a step forward as they play the second of four fall tournaments.

For the second week in a row, Tech will be represented by a five-man team comprised of Cody Santone, Jonathan Bale, Sam Forgan, Travis Wilmore and Jack Lempke.

"I'm looking for some good golf," Parks said. "The same five guys (as last week) qualified again. They obviously got some experience last week, and I think they learned some things from playing in that event. All but one of the five has played at this course and are familiar with it. I am more concerned about playing the golf course ... not necessarily the competition. I think the course will be extremely dry and will play a little different from what it has played in years past."

In last week's event in Mississippi, all five LA Tech competitors fired at least one round of par or better led by Bale's career low round of 66 in the third and final round. Forgan led the Bulldogs last week with a 34th place finish as he shot three over for the competition.

The 17-team field for the event consists of host UT-Arlington, Arkansas State, UT-Pan American, UL-Monroe, Southern Miss, Southern Illinois, Mercer, Wichita State, Kansas State, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Stephen F. Austin, UT-San Antonio, Sam Houston State and LA Tech.

Monday's competition will begin at 8 a.m. and will consist of 36 holes at the Waterchase Golf Club in Ft. Worth, which is a 7,289-yard, par 72 course. The event will conclude Tuesday with the final 18 holes.