The Eastern men’s golf team will return to the links April 1-3, where they will take part in the Arkansas State Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark.

The team is feeling strong halfway through the season with two invites under their belt. They hope to carry on the momentum from their second place finish at the Butler Bulldog Florida Invitational. The Arkansas State Invitational comes after nearly a three-week break between tournaments. 

Head coach Mike Moncel says the layoff has been beneficial for the team. They have used it to full advantage, preparing for the fast greens at the Ridge Point Country Club by practicing putting on his roof.

“It’s a really strong field,” said Moncel. “We will have to play great to be competitive. The Green speeds are fast. It’s like trying to stop the ball short of the gutter when you putt from the top of the roof. We have been putting on top my roof in preparation.”

All the preparation will be needed as the team looks to improve their results in the tournament this year. When they visited Jonesboro last year, the men placed 15th out of a total of 18 teams.

Junior Tommy Ponce led the team last year, shooting a four-over-par 148, placing himself 50th individually. Not far behind Ponce were seniors David Lawrence and Gino Parrodi who both tied for 62nd place individually, with a 150 (+6).

When the men return from the Arkansas State Invitational, they will have two weeks off before heading to Nashville, Tenn., for the Tennessee State Invitational on April 15-17.

After that they will have a short week to prepare for the OVC Championships which will take place April 25-28 and will also be held in Nashville, Tenn.

Anthony Catezone can be reached at 581-7942 or 

at aecatezone@eiu.edu.