MEN’S GOLF OPENS SPRING SLATE IN HILTON HEAD AT WEXFORD INTERCOLLEGIATE

RADFORD, Va. – Finishing with a 293.3 stroke average through four tournaments, which included two Top-5 showings, the Radford men's golf team returns to the links Monday and Tuesday for the eighth edition of the Wexford Intercollegiate hosted by Francis Marion at Wexford Plantation in Hilton Head, S.C.

In addition to the Highlanders and the host Patriots, this year's field includes Campbell, Connecticut, Davidson, Dayton, DePaul, Elon, Georgia Southern, Ohio, Presbyterian College, Richmond, Samford, USC Aiken, South Florida, Western Carolina, William & Mary, and defending team champion Georgia State.

As the spring slate gets underway, redshirt senior Weston Eklund looks to continue his phenomenal play from the fall. The Charlottesville, Va. native enters the first tournament of 2013 as the Big South leader in scoring average at 70.83. Eklund, who recorded three straight Top-4 showings to open the fall, carded seven sub-par rounds in all.

At the ODU/OBX Invitational, Eklund tied for medalist honors with his career-best 54-hole total of 9-under-par. That performance earned him Big South Golfer of the Week and allowed Eklund to soar to 28th in the Golfstat individual rankings.

Not to be overshadowed, Callum Tarren also fared well in the fall, especially at the Joe Agee Invitational. Hosted by William & Mary at the Williamsburg Club, the junior shot a course record 7-under-par 64 in his first round en route to a career-best 54-hole ledger of 6-under-par to finish second individually.

Tarren's first round scorecard is tied with Eklund for the lowest round shot by a Big South golfer this season. At 72.5, the England native carries the sixth-best scoring average in the conference with him to Hilton Head.

Competing in his fifth tournament as a freshman, Conner Hayden has the fifth-best scoring average for Radford at 76.3. The local product from Chilhowie, Va. made a splash in his season-opening debut at the Raines Development Intercollegiate. Hayden shot a season-best 6-over-par 222, which included a final-round 1-under-par 71.

Also making the trip to the Palmetto State is Matt Harman and Ryan Rettberg. Harman, who will be making his fourth appearance this season, has the sixth-lowest scoring average on the team (76.6). Rettberg has the third-best scoring average for the Highlanders at 75.3, finishing tied for 23rd at the Joe Agee Invitational in his only action this season.

Being played at the 6,828-yard, par 72 layout designed by Arnold Palmer, the tournament will consist of 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday. Both days will commence with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.

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