Monday, March 18
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Liberty University
vs
General Hackler Championship
Flames Finish Spring Break Swing at General Hackler Championship
3/17/2024 8:50:00 AM | Men's Golf
The Flames wrap up their Spring Break trip with a return visit to the General Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C., starting on Monday morning.
The three-day event is hosted by Coastal Carolina at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club (par 72, 7,233 yards).
The event will be Liberty's first spring tournament outside of the state of Florida this season. Liberty visited the "Sunshine State" for three straight events in February and early March.
This tournament has been played each year since 2002 in the greater Myrtle Beach area and at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club since 2015.
No. 15 ETSU enters the event as the defending champion after claiming a six-stroke victory over Virginia at last year's tournament. ESTU posted a winning score of 24-under par 840 (274-282-284).
Play gets underway on Monday morning, starting at 8 a.m. The Flames will be paired with golfers from UNC Wilmington and College of Charleston with their first group going off the No. 1 tee at 9:30 a.m.
Now on The Tee – Liberty's Starting Five (2023-24 Stroke Average)
Tournament Reflections – Previous Showing at the General Hackler Championship:
From the 18th Green – Recapping Liberty's Last Time Out:
Birdies and Bogeys – Liberty Team Notes
Looking at the Latest Rankings (Scoreboard National Rankings as of March 13):
Charleston Southern (No. 205)
Chattanooga (No. 33)
Coastal Carolina (No. 136)
College of Charleston (No. 71)
ETSU (No. 15)
Furman (No. 92)
Kent State (No. 89)
Liberty (No. 87)
Little Rock (No. 93)
Louisville (No. 48)
North Florida (No. 28)
San Francisco (No. 82)
UNC Wilmington (No. 79)
Western Carolina (No. 153)
Course Information:
Following the Flames at the General Hackler Championship:
The three-day event is hosted by Coastal Carolina at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club (par 72, 7,233 yards).
The event will be Liberty's first spring tournament outside of the state of Florida this season. Liberty visited the "Sunshine State" for three straight events in February and early March.
This tournament has been played each year since 2002 in the greater Myrtle Beach area and at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club since 2015.
No. 15 ETSU enters the event as the defending champion after claiming a six-stroke victory over Virginia at last year's tournament. ESTU posted a winning score of 24-under par 840 (274-282-284).
Play gets underway on Monday morning, starting at 8 a.m. The Flames will be paired with golfers from UNC Wilmington and College of Charleston with their first group going off the No. 1 tee at 9:30 a.m.
Now on The Tee – Liberty's Starting Five (2023-24 Stroke Average)
- Josh Ryan (70.38)
- Brett Reid (72.61)
- Isaac Simmons (72.94)
- Ike Joy (73.00)
- Austin Barbin (73.92)
- Individual: Pascal Gunther (74.57)
Tournament Reflections – Previous Showing at the General Hackler Championship:
- The General Hackler Championship has appeared on Liberty's schedule each of the last six seasons.
- Liberty's best showing at the Championship was a runner-up finish in 2020 where the Flames carded an 8-under par 856 (288-283-285).
- The 2020 event was the last tournament Liberty participated in prior to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the remainder of the season (March 9-10, 2020).
- Liberty was scheduled to play in the 2021 event, but they were unable to participate.
- The Flames finished the 2023 Championship in seventh place with an 8-under par 856 (290-275-291).
- Liberty placed a pair of golfers inside the top 10 in 2023 with both Jonathan Yaun (72-67-72) and Josh Ryan (71-66-74) finishing tied for 10th place with a 5-under par 211.
- Isaac Simmons also finished the event in red figures, sharing 20th place with a 1-under par 215 (73-70-72).
From the 18th Green – Recapping Liberty's Last Time Out:
- Liberty opened its Spring Break schedule with a 10th place finish at The Hayt, March 9-11.
- The Flames carded a 35-over par 899 (297-308-294), battling some blustery days at the Sawgrass Country Club (par 72, 6,966 yards) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
- Brett Reid and Josh Ryan posted top-20 finish at the North Florida hosted event.
- Ryan finished tied for 15th place with a 2-over par 218 (74-75-69), marking the seventh event he has led Liberty in during the 2023-24 season.
- Reid's best finish of the spring season and second-best of the year was just two shots behind Ryan.
- Reid finished tied for 20th place with a 4-over par 220 (74-75-71).
Birdies and Bogeys – Liberty Team Notes
- The Flames enter their fourth tournament of the spring ranked No. 87 in the latest Scoreboard national rankings.
- The General Hackler Championship will be Liberty's first spring event played outside of the state of Florida.
- Liberty finished the fall with a team stroke average of 285.08.
- The Flames enter the spring season looking to capture their eighth conference title since 2011 and their first as a member of Conference USA.
- Liberty closed out its time in the ASUN Conference by winning the title in record fashion when the Flames posted a 53-under par 811 (275-261-275) in the championship event.
- Liberty captured the conference title five times as a member of the Big South Conference (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018) and twice as a member of the ASUN Conference (2021 and 2023).
- The Flames have advanced to the NCAA Regionals 11 of the last 12 regional events and to the NCAA Men's Golf Championship four times in program history (2012, 2019, 2021 and 2022).
Looking at the Latest Rankings (Scoreboard National Rankings as of March 13):
Charleston Southern (No. 205)
Chattanooga (No. 33)
Coastal Carolina (No. 136)
College of Charleston (No. 71)
ETSU (No. 15)
Furman (No. 92)
Kent State (No. 89)
Liberty (No. 87)
Little Rock (No. 93)
Louisville (No. 48)
North Florida (No. 28)
San Francisco (No. 82)
UNC Wilmington (No. 79)
Western Carolina (No. 153)
Course Information:
- The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
- Par 72, 7,233 yards
Following the Flames at the General Hackler Championship:
- Live stats will be available at Golfstat.com
- Twitter @LibertyGolf
- Instagram @LibertyGolf
- Round 1 Tee Time: Monday at 9:30 a.m./EST (No. 1 tee)
Players Mentioned
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