In its final event of the fall season, the No. 19 Tennessee Men’s Golf team travels to Biloxi, Mississippi, for the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational on Saturday.
Hosted in collaboration by three Mississippi collegiate programs at Fallen Oak Golf Course – Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss welcome the Volunteers into one of the nation’s premier invitationals with top golf programs present.
Six teams inside the Clippd/Scoreboard top-25 rankings will compete with eight SEC foes represented in the tournament. Individually, seven golfers with a top-25 PGA TOUR University ranking will take the course. For Tennessee, senior Lance Simpson moved up four spots – making him the 10th-ranked senior collegiate golfer.
The tournament consists of three total rounds – each played on a different day, with the final round concluding on Monday afternoon.
Designed by ‘America’s greatest living golf course architect,’ Tom Fazio, Fallen Oak Golf Course is an 18-hole, 7,487-yard championship course with a par-72 layout. In 2022 and 2023, the course was ranked by Golfweek as the top resort course in the country and has earned various other accolades throughout its 18-year history.
This marks the first time the Volunteers will tee off in the Fallen Oak Collegiate, which is in its third year of existence.
Tennessee has already secured a victory this fall season, winning the team championship at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate – also moving head coach Brennan Webb one tournament closer to sole possession of second place all-time for team wins during his eight seasons on Rocky Top.
Each school will compete for the team championship during the three-day, 54-hole event.
THE VOLS’ LINEUP
Lance Simpson
The Knoxville native is coming off a Fighting Irish Classic where he notched his highest career finish with a tie for second place with a 6-under overall score. Simpson has appeared in the lineup for all three tournaments to start the season as the most consistent golfer.
Jackson Herrington
The Dickson, Tennessee native has been a part of the lineup in every tournament this fall and posted a top-5 finish in the Visit Knoxville Classic to open his sophomore campaign. Last tournament at the Fighting Irish Classic, he scored a tournament total of 5-over and finished tied for 29th.
Josh Hill
Competing in his 21st tournament as part of the lineup, Josh Hill earned a top-10 finish to open the season at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, along with his 12th career top-25 finish at the Invitational at the Honors Course. The senior logged a tournament total of 7-over at the Fighting Irish Classic last tournament and tied for 39th.
Reed Lotter
The senior Auburn transfer returns to the lineup for the second time this season. In his Tennessee debut to open the season, Lotter tied for first at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate, competing as an individual.
Luke Smith
Set to make his debut in the Tennessee lineup, Smith competed as an individual to start the season at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate and finished tied for 78th.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (rankings according to Clippd/Scoreboard)
Mississippi State, No. 7 Ole Miss, Southern Miss, No. 20 Alabama, No. 5 Arkansas, Chattanooga, Georgia, No. 18 Illinois, Iowa, No. 9 LSU, South Carolina, No. 19 Tennessee, UNLV, and Wisconsin
