Men’s Golf Returns to Action Friday at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 16-ranked Alabama men's golf team, fresh off a season-opening tournament victory at the Folds of Honor Collegiate last weekend, will return to action Friday morning when they tee off at the Olympia Fields Country Club/Fighting Illini Invitational (OFCC). The three-day, 54-hole event will be contested at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.

The OFCC Invitational will take place Friday through Sunday, Sept. 20-22, at the Olympia Fields Country Club North Course. The famed par-70, 7,310-yard track has served as host for two U.S. Opens (1928, 2003) and two PGA Championships (1925, 1961).

The Lineup

Alabama's lineup will feature the same starting five as last week's victory-winning team at the Folds of Honor Collegiate
Leading the Crimson Tide's line up is Dominic Clemons, Jonathan Griz and Jack Mitchell, who all secured top-10 finishes at last week's season opener
Following earning medalist honors in his Crimson Tide debut, Clemons was named SEC Player of the Week
Griz finished tied for seventh in the field, marking his 10th career top-10 result
Jack Mitchell also made his Crimson Tide debut with a top-10 finish, tying for seventh overall at 2-under par, including a tournament-opening low round of 64
Free also joins the Tide after collecting his seventh top-20 finish last week, finishing tied for 16th
Freshman Nick Gross rounds out the starting five, respectively, as he will compete in his second career collegiate event

Tournament Preview

The 15-team field features 14 squads ranked or receiving votes in the GCAA Preseason Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll released Aug. 30
Programs in the 2024 tournament field have combined to account for 18 of 30 spots in the 15 NCAA Championship match play finals since the current format began in 2009
14 of 15 teams in the field competed in the 2024 NCAA Regionals
In addition to No. 16 Alabama, the field includes No. 2 Arizona State, No. 3 Florida State, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 8 Texas, No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 Florida, No. 11 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 20 Oklahoma State and No. 23 Stanford
Baylor, Michigan and Northwestern round out the tournament field