Golf Opens 2016-17 Season at Sam Hall Intercollegiate
9/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
By: Tim Andrzejewski (tim.andrzejewski@rice.edu)
Live Scoring | Round One Pairings 
| Round Two Pairings
HOUSTON--Rice golf opens the 2016-17 campaign this Monday-Tuesday, September 12-13, when it travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., for the 14th annual Sam Hall Intercollegiate, hosted by Southern Miss. The tournament will be played at the par-71, 6,902-yard Hattiesburg Country Club.
"These first few weeks of school have flown by and the team is settling in nicely," said Rice head coach Justin Emil. "They are all getting into a good routine and process, which is what we are primarily focusing on this season. Our first qualifier was competitive and it made our decision very difficult as to who will tee it in the lineup for the Sam Hall. That's a really good thing and is a testament to the depth on our roster. Both of our freshmen made a statement these first few weeks. This team has a lot of potential and we are looking forward to seeing them compete this week at Hattiesburg Country Club, a golf course we are very familiar with and enjoy."
This will be the seventh consecutive year that Rice will participate in the tournament.
Joining Rice in the field are Conference USA foes host Southern Miss, UTSA and WKU. Also competing are in-state foes Sam Houston State and Texas State as well as Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Georgetown, Little Rock, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State, Samford and Southeastern Louisiana.
Junior Mario Carmona will lead the Owls in the No. 1 position. Last year, he led the squad with a stroke average of 73.82, while earning two runner-up finishes. In six career-rounds at the Sam Hall, the Houston, Texas native is averaging 71.83 strokes.
Freshman Trevor Brown will be making his first career start. In the summer, Brown earned a runner-up finish at the Western Junior Championship and participated in the Western Amateur.
In the No. 3 position will be sophomore Will Voetsch, who is coming off a campaign in which he earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors. Voetsch was second on the team last year with a 74.06 stroke average while earning one top ten and a team-high five top 20 finishes.
Mitchell Meissner tees off in the No. 4 spot. Meissner averaged 75.63 strokes per round and picked up his first career collegiate victory at the Jim West Intercollegiate.
Freshman Nicholas Duggan, playing in his first collegiate tournament, will be in the No. 5 position while senior Kevin Reilly will participate as an individual. The Oviedo, Fla., native averaged 75.27 strokes last year while adding two top ten finishes.
Play begins at 8:30 a.m. Rice is paired with Georgetown and Southeastern Louisiana. Fans can follow all the action at golfstat.com.
Rice Lineup
1. Mario Carmona
2. Trevor Brown
3. Will Voetsch
4. Mitchell Meissner
5. Nicholas Duggan
Individual - Kevin Reilly
Players Mentioned
