Long road trip starts for No. 7 Gulf Coast

PERKINSTON — No. 7 Mississippi Gulf Coast will try to make it 2-for-2 this week when it plays in the second MACCC tournament of the season starting Thursday. 

The Bulldogs travel to Natchez to play in the Copiah-Lincoln Fall Invitational. It's being played at Beau' Pre Country Club, which coach Brad Thornton hasn't ever stepped foot on.

"I expect it to be a typical, old-school country club-type setup," he said. "It's going to be pretty tight off the tees, and from what I understand, the course conditions are really good. The greens roll well and the rough sticks, so hopefully, it's a good test." 

Gulf Coast edged No. 5 Meridian by one shot in the Northeast Mississippi Invitational, which teed off the season. Chase Kaiser (So., Natchez/Cathedral) and Andrew Zielinski (Fr., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs) finished tied for second, and Will Burnham (Fr., Jackson/Jackson Prep) was tied for fourth to the lead the team.

Those three will again be joined by Alessio Graziani (So., Johannesburg, South Africa/Beaulieu College) and Jackson Wise (Fr., Pontotoc/North Pontotoc) on the five-man team.

That will just be the first leg of a weeklong road trip, with the Bulldogs heading north after Friday's final round. They will make the trip up to Allendale, Mich., where the team will play in the Folds of Honor Challenge, which starts Monday. Hosted by Grand Valley State University at The Meadows, the two-day, 54-hole event includes a great field on a tough course with what looks like will be great weather. 

"Getting that invitational to such a prestigious event is recognition for what the program has accomplished," Thornton said. "Also, it's a chance to see where we're at. There's many different levels of competition. We're very excited for it."

The Bulldogs will also stop on the way back in Plymouth, Ind., to play at Swan Lake Resort, which hosts the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship in May.

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