VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a strong opening tournament at the Cougar Invitational last week, the Valdosta State men's golf team returns home to host the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional, Oct. 4-5, at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga.  The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. each day.  
 
The Regional Preview will feature 12 teams including the Blazers and Gulf South Conference members Christian Brothers, Montevallo, Shorter and West Georgia. Also competing in the tournament are Carson-Newman, Clayton State, Eckerd, Georgia College, Miles, Newberry and Truett-McConnell who participates in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).  
 
The regional preview is free and open to the public.  Fans not able to attend in person can click on the link to the right of this story for live stats for the tournament.  Check back with vstateblazers.com each day for complete results of the tournament and daily recaps.
 
In the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division II rankings, Georgia College is 16^th and West Georgia is tied for 22^nd, while VSU is the second team among other receiving votes (27^th).  Carson-Newman, Clayton State and Newberry also are among others receiving votes.   Truett-McConnell is 15^th in the latest NAIA Poll.
 
The Blazers finished eighth in the Cougar Invitational hosted by Columbus State last week in Columbus, Ga.  The Blazers carded a 54-hole score of 880 on the par 70, 6,512-yard Green Island Country Club Course.  VSU opened with a 292 and closed with a 292 sandwiched between a 296.  No. 7 Lee fired a final round 277 (838 overall) to overtake clubhouse leader No. 12 Columbus State to win the tournament.  Delta State finished second with an 857 score, while the host Cougars were third at 859. 
 
VSU senior Gage Smith finished tied for 12^th to lead the team as he carded rounds of 74, 71 and 71 for a 6-over 216 score.  Junior Chase Weathers tied for 32^nd with a 220 score, while sophomore Ryan Pollman finished tied for 41^st with a 222 score, highlighting the top three finishers for the Blazers.
 
For this week's tournament, the Blazers will feature a lineup of G. Smith at the top spot, followed by Weathers and Pollman.  Junior Davis Smith is fourth and graduate student Wesley Hanson is fifth.  The Blazers also will have eight individuals playing in the tournament and a good majority of them will be playing in their first collegiate tournament.  
 
Last year, VSU was awarded hosting duties for the NCAA South/Southeast Regional scheduled for May 5-7, 2022, at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club.  The Blazers have qualified for each of the last two NCAA South/Southeast Regionals in 2019 and 2021 (2020 championship cancelled due to COVID).  
 
"First, we are excited to be hosting the NCAA Super Regional in May 2022," VSU head coach Jared Purvis said.  "We are happy to host a second event of the season and give some additional teams a chance to our home golf course and site of the regional.  Kinderlou is in phenomenal shape.  It will be a good test for all."
 
The Blazers have qualified for the NCAA regional 18 times as a team, marking the second-most qualifications among current GSC members and third-most in league history overall.  VSU has reached the national championship round 11 times, tying for the third-most all-time in league history and second-most among current league members.  VSU finished national runner-up in 1989 and has finished third, fourth and fifth once each.  Former Blazer Briny Baird won back-to-back national championships individually in 1994 and 1995.