Cullowhee, N.C. – Before the PGA TOUR returns to western North Carolina for the first time in more than eight decades, some of the nation's top collegiate golfers will take center stage in the mountains.
 
Western Carolina University and the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club welcome a combined 16 teams and 20 individuals to Haywood County this weekend for the 2026 JT Poston Invitational, one of the premier fall events in the region and a tournament that annually features one of the most distinctive trophies in collegiate golf.
 
The Catamounts' home tournament serves as the opening act for a landmark week of golf in western North Carolina. Just days later, the PGA TOUR arrives in Asheville for the Biltmore Championship Asheville (Sept. 17-20) at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, marking the TOUR's first appearance in the area in 84 years.
 
Competition at the JT Poston Invitational begins Sunday, Sept. 13, and continues through Tuesday, Sept. 15, on the historic Waynesville Inn & Golf Club Championship Course. The 54-hole event will be contested over the par-71, 6,735-yard layout with tee times beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday and Monday and 7:10 a.m. for Tuesday's final round.
 
Tournament practice rounds are scheduled for Saturday morning, followed by the event's popular Collegiate-Am in the afternoon, an experience unique to the JT Poston Invitational that allows participants to share the course with the collegiate competitors.
 
The tournament is free and open to the public. Spectators are encouraged to attend throughout the three-day event while observing golf course etiquette and appropriate golf attire. Live scoring will be available through the Scoreboard app, powered by Clippd, and through links at CatamountSports.com.
 
"What started as an exciting new chapter for our tournament has grown into a tremendous partnership," WCU head coach Tim Eckberg said. "The Waynesville Inn & Golf Club has been an incredible host, and we're grateful for the support we've received over the past two years. This event allows us to showcase a first-class golf course, welcome outstanding teams to the mountains, and celebrate everything that makes western North Carolina such a remarkable place to compete."
 
"The ownership, staff, and membership at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club have been incredible partners, and they've helped create an experience that players, coaches, and fans genuinely enjoy.
 
This season's event will again work to support the WIGC Charitable Foundation, an organization designed to support junior golf and grow future leaders within western North Carolina. Tournament namesake, Poston, and venue owners Grey Raines and David Tart are each involved with the Foundation.
 
Defending Champions and Familiar Faces Return
Western Carolina senior Tyler Jones enters the week with a chance to make tournament history. After rallying to capture medalist honors a year ago, Jones seeks to become the first golfer to win the JT Poston Invitational individual championship in consecutive seasons.
 
The tournament additionally serves as a tune-up for the Jacksonville, N.C., native, as Jones received a sponsor exemption to compete in Asheville's PGA TOUR event as an amateur later next week.
 
The Poston field also features seven programs that have previously lifted the team trophy.
 
Defending tournament champion Southern Miss returns after claiming last year's title at Waynesville, while Lipscomb, the 2024 champion, also rejoins the field. Former champions from the tournament's years at the Country Club of Sapphire Valley include Drexel (2023), South Carolina (2021), Western Carolina (2016, 2007), Wofford (2015, 2013), and Jacksonville (2010).
 
Adding another layer of intrigue are the returns of two former Catamount head coaches. Carter Cheves, who led Western Carolina from 2015-18, brings his James Madison squad back to the mountains in his seventh season with the Dukes. Meanwhile, Bryant Odom, WCU's head coach from 2013-15, returns with Kennesaw State, a program that finished runner-up by just one stroke at last year's event.
 
Other teams competing include Elon, Francis Marion, Middle Tennessee, NC State, UT Rio Grande Valley, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.
 
Honoring One of WCU's Greatest
Originally contested as the WCU Intercollegiate in 2004 and 2007 before becoming the Hummingbird Intercollegiate in 2008, the tournament adopted its current name in 2019 to honor one of the most accomplished players in program history.
 
The event celebrates former Catamount standout JT Poston, a four-time PGA TOUR winner and Western Carolina's all-time scoring leader. In tribute to Poston's TOUR nickname, "The Postman," both the team and individual championship trophies feature purple mailboxes mounted atop a pedestal.
 
A Historic Mountain Venue
The 2026 tournament marks the third consecutive year the event has been played at the historic Waynesville Inn & Golf Club.
 
The venue traces its roots to 1926, with portions of the original course designed by legendary architect Donald Ross. Once a 27-hole facility featuring three distinct nine-hole layouts, the property has since been transformed into an 18-hole championship course complemented by a modern practice facility that reopened in 2023.
 
One of the unique aspects of the JT Poston Invitational is that participating teams are able to stay on-site at the resort, creating a championship atmosphere and making the event a favorite among coaches and competitors alike.
 
The course also holds a longstanding connection to Western Carolina golf, having hosted numerous editions of the Great Smokies Intercollegiate and many memorable moments in Catamount women's golf history. Under the leadership of former women's coach and WCU Director of Golf, the late Steve Lott, the women's event grew into one of the region's largest collegiate tournaments, attracting as many as 24 teams.
 
Catamount Lineup
Ten Catamounts, as both an 'A' and 'B' team are slated to compete at the home event beginning on Sunday. Senior Jace Butcher and defending event champion Tyler Jones headline WCU's primary scoring five as the No. 1 and No. 2 seed. That duo is flanked by junior transfer Connor Warren, returning senior Andrew Korytoski, and freshman Brewer Lael, who finished tied with Butcher in a tie for eighth in his debut last week at the Augusta Invitational last week.
 
WCU's second unit will be led by sophomore Charlie Coe and classmate Connor Williams as the top two seeds. Seniors Michael Bevins and Dalton Payne are joined by transfer senior Andrew Perry to round out the two Catamount lineups.
 
Special Thanks to our Tournament Sponsors
Raines Hospitality
Waynesville Inn and Golf Club
MCG Workforce Solutions
Sekulow Family Foundation
CDC
Vannoy Construction

 

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Tournament Information
Venue: Waynesville Inn & Golf Club
Course: Championship Course
Par/Yardage: Par 71, 6,735 yards
Defending Champion: Southern Miss (827)
Southern Miss returns after edging Kennesaw State by one stroke in last year's championship. The Owls closed with a tournament-best final-round score of 273 before finishing at 828.
 
Event Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 12

• 8 a.m. – Practice Round
• 1:30 p.m. – Collegiate-Am

Sunday, Sept. 13

• 9 a.m. – Round 1 Tee Times (Nos. 1 & 10)

Monday, Sept. 14

• 9 a.m. – Round 2 Tee Times (Nos. 1 & 10)

Tuesday, Sept. 15

• 7:10 a.m. – Final Round Tee Times (Nos. 1 & 10)

Participating Teams (17)
Western Carolina, Drexel, Elon, Francis Marion, Jacksonville, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Middle Tennessee, NC State, South Carolina, Southern Miss, UT Rio Grande Valley, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina 'B', Wisconsin, and Wofford.