The University of Tennessee men’s golf team is set to compete in the Mason Rudolph Invitational in Franklin, Tennessee, beginning Friday, Apr. 2. The event marks the penultimate regular season tournament for the No. 12-ranked Volunteers before they head to the Southeastern Conference Championships later this month.
This tournament is important as it provides Tennessee with a final opportunity to compete against top conference opponents and fine-tune their lineup ahead of postseason play. Five top-25 teams are scheduled to participate, including No. 1 Auburn, No. 11 Vanderbilt, and No. 14 Ole Miss.
The three-day event will be held at Vanderbilt Legends Club South Course, a par-71 course designed by Bobb Cupp and Tom Kite that measures approximately 7,100 yards. The competition begins with an opening round on Friday and continues through Sunday, with live video coverage of Sunday’s final round available via SEC Network+ at 4 p.m. EST.
Tennessee enters the weekend following a strong performance at the Pauma Valley Invitational where they secured their second team victory of the season by finishing at 16-under-par over three rounds against a field that included eight top-15 teams.
Returning Vols Josh Hill and Lance Simpson both competed in this event in its last edition in 2023; under coach Brennan Webb’s leadership, Tennessee has finished among the top three teams each time they’ve played here previously.
The team’s lineup features redshirt senior Lance Simpson—who recently won his first collegiate individual title—veteran Josh Hill with consistent spring finishes, freshman Chase Kyes who posted five sub-70 rounds this spring, Bruce Murphy returning after missing last week’s contest due to injury but having earlier won an individual title this year, Luke Smith who contributed key scores during their recent win despite challenges mid-tournament, and Reed Lotter making his second straight appearance as an individual competitor.
Other participating schools include Ball State (164), Charlotte (21), Furman (123), Kentucky (49), Middle Tennessee State (124), Mississippi State (71), NC State (57), Northern Illinois (133), Princeton (89), Vanderbilt (11) and Western Kentucky (159). Rankings are provided by Clippd.
