Men's golf hosts Titan Winter Invitational this week at Suntree Country Club

The Eastern Florida State College men's golf team will open the spring season Monday with the Titan Winter Invitational at Suntree Country Club.

The Titan Winter Invitational has always been the home opener for the Titans and the men's golf team has finished in the top four in the tournament for the past seven seasons, winning the title twice.

"We are a week earlier than last year starting in January this year and we will have 13 teams coming into town. It will be a good field," Eastern Florida State College men's golf coach Jamie Howell said. "We have been in the hunt each year forever there and finishing second to Keiser was never anything to hold your head about. It has always been a good, competitive tournament."

The defending champion Keiser University, who had won the title the past three years, will not be at the Titan Winter Invitational this season but will have four teams in the NJCAA Division I National rankings including the No. 1 team New Mexico Junior College. Wallace State will be at the tournament and is tied with the Titans at No. 8 in the poll. Central Alabama is No. 12 and will be at Suntree as will four-year schools Southeastern University and Webber International all competing for the Titan Invitational title.

"I think at the end of the day we want to win but as a team we are a little more hungry this spring because we haven't won anything. We haven't even come close. We want to win," sophomore Brandon Boncore said.

Boncore and Robert Greninger both competed in the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament and will lead a talented group this season.

"Getting Greninger back into the lineup is huge for us, he recognized right away that he needed to show up and perform after missing the fall season," Howell said. "Adam Vermut is going to be a stalwart and Brandon should be there but then it is going to be a real battle for the fourth and fifth spot. It will be a pretty good scrap to see who will be four or five all season because we have a lot of talented players."

The Titan Winter Invitational will tee off at 8 a.m. at Suntree Country Club's Classic Course.

"I feel like it is a different type of grass and you have to be familiar with the greens to be able to read them. It is an advantage for us since we play there all the time," Greninger said.

Boncore added that the course is always in great shape, the pins can be put in difficult positions that make you pick your spots and that is the key to really shooting well.

Teams will play 36 holes on Monday and then 18 holes Tuesday morning.