Cards Return to Action at the John Hayt Invitational

UofLMGOLF: Cards Return to Action Saturday at the John Hayt Invitational
Cards face another difficult field, which includes top-ranked North Carolina.

Contact: Rocco Gasparro, rocco@gocards.com, 502-262-2258
Date: March 8, 2024

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - The University of Louisville returns to action on Saturday at The Hayt Collegiate Tournament presented by AriZona Arnold Palmer Half & Half.

Played at the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., this annual event has become a hallmark of collegiate golf, attracting top-tier teams and individual players from across the nation. The tournament will take place from Mar. 9-11, 2024, and is scheduled to feature an impressive field of teams.

This year's participating schools include:

University of North Florida
University of Alabama
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Coastal Carolina University
Duke University
Jacksonville University
Liberty University
Louisville University
University of North Carolinas
Ohio State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Texas San Antonio
University of Virginia

The tournament features a competitive group of schools, with North Carolina holding the top spot in the country. Standout players Austin Greaser and Dylan Menante, both in the top 10 of PGA Tour U and Walker Cup participants, headline the UNC team. Virginia, ranked 10th, showcases Ben James, who represented the US in the Walker Cup. The University of Alabama, ranked 11th, features Nick Dunlap, a recent PGA Tour winner, and top 25 PGA Tour U player Canon Claycomb.

The Cardinals, who finished 13^th at the Prestige two weeks ago, enter the tournament ranked 51^st nationally, while North Florida also ranks 25^th. Fellow ACC foe Duke is ranked 24th, and Ohio State and USF stand 27^th and 36^th, respectively.

In their last time out for the Cards, Easton Johnson and Clay Claycomb led the way by finishing at even-par over the three-day event to end the week in a tie for 38th-place. Johnson shot 69-70-74=213, while Claycomb finished at 74-68-71=213.

Clay Pendergrass and Max Kennedy each finished at 2-over-par to tie for 53rdoverall. Pendergrass shot 70-71-74=215, while Kennedy carded rounds of 67-75-73=215.

Sebastian Moss rounded out the top five by finishing in a tie for 66thplace with scores of 71-73-74=218.

All five players return to action, with Mads Roddick playing as an individual to pace the Cardinals.

John Hayt, tournament founder and namesake, shared his enthusiasm about the event's growth and the support received, stating, "I am so excited to have AriZona Arnold Palmer Half & Half come on board as our presenting sponsor. The legend's name alone greatly enhances the annual event hosted by the University of North Florida while providing an outstanding beverage to participants and attendees!"

Reflecting on the tournament's rich history, John Brooks, former UNF Men's Golf Coach (1990-2003), noted, "The University of North Florida men's golf team has conducted an annual spring collegiate golf tournament since 1992, and it has been held at Sawgrass Country Club since 2000. In 2006, the event was renamed 'The Hayt' to honor Mr. John Hayt for his countless contributions to both UNF and the sport of college golf. UNF is proud to co-host one of the nation's premier collegiate golf tournaments with Sawgrass; a long-term collaboration that has had a meaningful impact on the development of UNF's highly competitive NCAA Division I golf program."

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Players Mentioned

Easton Johnson

Max Kennedy

Sebastian Moss

Clay Pendergrass

University of Louisville Athletics