Sept. 11, 2006

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.- The University of Memphis men's golf team will have a new-look lineup in the team's season opener today at UT-Chattanooga's Scenic City Shootout at The Honors Course. Arkansas transfer Jordan Payne, Tulane transfer Kyle Ritchie and true freshman Hugo Lauzon will make their Tigers debuts after the team played qualifying rounds last week.

"We are very excited to get the season started," head coach Grant Robbins said. "The Honors Course is an outstanding course, and we look forward to competing against a strong field to start the year."

Rounds one and two will be played today, with the final 18 holes coming on Tuesday. The Tigers feature a lineup of sophomore Jordan Payne, senior Lewis Clarke, junior Ian Rochester, freshman Hugo Lauzon, and junior Kyle Ritchie.

Among the group the Tigers will take to Chattanooga, Rochester had the most time with the Tigers last season. The Cordova, Tenn., native carded 12 rounds for Memphis last year and recorded one top-10 and four top-20 finishes.

Clarke also saw regular tournament play with the Tigers last year, playing eight tournaments and finishing fourth on the team with a 75.5 stroke average.

Memphis will be bolstered by incoming transfers Payne and Ritchie. Payne, a native of West Memphis, Ark., was third on the Razorbacks with 24 rounds played his freshman season. Payne averaged a 75.7 stroke average and had his best finish at the Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions, where he finished tied for 30th as the second-lowest Razorback.

Ritchie joins the Tigers from Tulane after playing his first three seasons with the Green Wave. The Bedford, Iowa, native has shown steady improvement during his college career, as his scoring average has dropped from 76.9 to 74.62 in two years.

Lauzon, a Montreal, Quebec, native, will be looking to break through in his first college tournament.

The Scenic City Shootout will conclude on Tuesday with the third and final round. The Tigers will return to action when they return home to host the Memphis Intercollegiate Oct. 2-3 at Colonial Country Club.