Cullowhee, N.C. – Six tournaments opening in late February and culminating with the 2021 Southern Conference Men's Golf Championship in late April comprise Western Carolina men's golf spring schedule announced by head coach Tim Eckberg.
 
The Catamounts will compete in three events in Georgia, bookending the schedule with the opener at the Savannah Harbor Golf Course and the conference championship at the Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. WCU will also host the Sea Palms Invitational at the resort that lends its name to the tournament in St. Simons Island, Ga. Two additional tournaments will be held in South Carolina and one in North Carolina over the spring semester.
 
"We have a lot of good vibes going into this spring season. The schedule is a little different than what it was originally going to look like, but I'm excited about the way it has come together," said Eckberg. "Starting out at an event we have experience with in Savannah will only help us get the season off on the right foot. The fact that we finished 10th last year, but only 17 shots back of the win isn't lost on this group. We know we are better in every aspect now, and look forward to getting into contention and trying to bring hardware back to the 'Whee in Savannah and throughout the spring season."
 
Eckberg added, "This group is close to putting it all together and showing off the incredible talent we have top to bottom; it's just a matter of time."
 
Western Carolina, which competed in three events in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season, opens the spring at the Invitational at Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Ga. The three-round, two-day event is scheduled for Feb. 20-21. The Catamounts finished 10th at the event back in with Pierre Villaneix finishing tied for 17th and Louis Theys in a tie for 23rd overall to lead the squad.
 
Three events in March opens March 4-6 as the Catamounts host the Sea Palms Invitational in St. Simons Island, Ga., with three days of competition with a single round each day. Less than two weeks later, WCU heads to eastern North Carolina for the Seahawk Intercollegiate, hosted by UNC Wilmington at the River Landing Golf Course in Wallace, N.C., before closing the month at the Furman Intercollegiate at Furman University's home golf course March 26-28.
 
In the final tune-up before the conference championship, WCU is slated to play in the Wofford Invitational at the Country Club of Spartanburg April 12-13. The Catamounts finished 16th at the event as a part of the 2018-19 season after last spring's tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. The SoCon Championship is scheduled for three rounds over two days, April 19-20, at the Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.
 
Western Carolina returns eight players on its 2020-21 roster including a pair of seniors in Zach Caudill and Michael Coe. Sophomore Pierre Viallaneix led the squad through eight rounds in the fall with a team-best 73.00 stroke average – the second-best scoring average in the conference among golfers with at least eight rounds. Junior Tumi Kúld (75.63), sophomore Magnus Pedersen (75.75), and junior Louis Theys (76.38) also ranked among the conference leaders through the fall.
 
The Catamount roster also includes sophomore Quinton Metz, who played five rounds in the fall, and true freshman Presten Richardson from Miller, Mo., who competed in all three events and eight rounds in the fall portion of the schedule.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountMGolf), as well as video updates on the department's YouTube channel (CatamountSports).
 
Western Carolina Men's Golf – Spring 2021 Schedule:
Feb. 20-21: Invitational at Savannah Harbor – Savannah Harbor Golf Course in Savannah, Ga.
March 4-6: Sea Palms Invitational – Sea Palms Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga.
March 15-16: Seahawk Invitational – River Landing Golf Course in Wallace, N.C.
March 26-29: Furman Intercollegiate – Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C.
April 12-13: Wofford Intercollegiate – Country Club of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, S.C.
April 19-20: 2021 Southern Conference Men's Golf Championship – Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.