RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men's golf program is set to tee off the 2023-24 season hosting the Colonel Shootout on Thursday and Friday at The University Club at Arlington.
 
EKU is hosting its first Colonel Shootout, formerly known as the EKU Intercollegiate, in over two seasons due to severe weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. EKU's last showing came in 2021 where the Colonels placed fifth out of 16 teams and were led by Lake Leroux, who shot two-under to tie for a sixth-place finish.
 
Thursday's Colonel Shootout is the first home tournament under head coach Justin Tereshko.
 
This week's home opener at The University Club at Arlington is the first NCAA Division I 54-hole tournament of the season and will play at par-72 over 5,986 yards. Format for the event will be 36 continuous holes on Thursday, with an additional 18 holes on Friday to determine the winners.
 
EKU is scheduled to tee off at 8:30 a.m. on the front nine, fans can follow along on Spikemark, the NCAA's new scoring partner for live scoring updates and the full team/individual leaderboards. 
 
Tereshko submitted a starting lineup consisting of Pablo Carrascosa Vivas, Justin Begley, Reese Sexton, Kannon Tucker, and Zach Watterson. 
 
EKU will have 12 total student-athletes playing in the event, as Jason Kolbas, Deacon Pinson, Camden Robertson, Isaac Meador, Malik Dao, Joe Benton, and Gehrig Sexton are listed as individual participants. The seven individuals are scheduled to tee off on holes 13-18 beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Tucker, Watterson, Kolbas, Pinson, and Meador are making their first career appearance for the Colonels. Begley enters his second season in the maroon after being selected to the ASUN Conference All-Freshman team last year.
 
Other participating schools in the field consists of Alabama State, Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Belmont, Butler (Individuals only), Campbellsville Harrodsburg, Chicago State, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, and Tennessee State. The final field consists of 13 schools and 92 participants.
 
The Colonel Shootout marks the first tournament of the 2023-24 season for EKU, who is scheduled to compete in seven events this fall from late August to early November.