The Stetson men's golf team hit the road on Friday morning for its first event of the spring season. The Hatters will compete in the 2020 Pizza Hut-Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational at the Sunbrook Golf Club in St. George, Utah.
 
The Hatters, who are playing in the event for a second consecutive year, will play a practice round on Saturday and will then play in a College Am event on Sunday before opening play in the tournament on Monday. Play in the tournament, which will include two 18-hole rounds, will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. (MT) on Monday and Tuesday.
 
Senior Chris Williard leads Stetson into the event to open his final semester of collegiate golf. He is one of three members of the squad who played in this event last spring, helping Stetson to a sixth-place finish in the 11-team event. Williard struggled in the opening round last year, posting a 79, before bouncing back with an even par 72.
 
Sophomores Carson Tewell and Benjamin Resnick will also play in the event for a second time. Tewell posted an opening round score of 70 in the tournament last year before finishing with an 83. Resnick had rounds of 83 and 78 in the event last year.
 
Freshmen Jon Lumley and Mason Quagliata will get their first taste of playing in the Utah mountains, which should feel like home for Quagliata, who is from Scottsdale, Arizona.
 
Defending event champion Northern Colorado is back in the field to try to defend its title. The Bears are ranked 149^th in the nation heading into the tournament according to GolfStat, which is the second highest ranking in the field. The University of Seattle, which did not compete last year, comes in with a ranking of 134 to lead the way.
 
Others in the 12-team field this year include the hosts from Southern Utah (243), Air Force (175), Creighton (232), North Dakota (277), Utah State (155), Utah Valley (233), Weber State (168), Western Illinois (266) and Youngstown State (212). The Hatters enter the spring season ranked at 245 by GolfStat.
 
There will not be live scoring available during play, but updates will be posted on GoHatters.com after each round of competition.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.