Preview: #12/12 Vols Make Short Trek to Mason Rudolph Championship

Friday, April 3

Franklin, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

Mason Rudolph Championship - Round 1

Preview: #12/12 Vols Make Short Trek to Mason Rudolph Championship

April 02, 2026 | Men's Golf

Results Round 3 Stream

Two tournaments remain for the No. 12/12 Tennessee men's golf team ahead of the SEC Championships later this month. The Vols head to Franklin, Tennessee, this weekend for their penultimate regular season contest at the Mason Rudolph Invitational.

The three-day, three round event will begin with the opening 18 holes on Friday, before rounds two and three are played on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Live video coverage of round three will be available at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday afternoon via SEC Network+.

The tournament will be held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club South Course, where it is typically played on an annual basis. The course, designed by Bobb Cupp and Tom Kite, is a par-71 that will play around 7,100 yards.

Tennessee will face stiff SEC competition this weekend, with five conference foes headlined by No. 1 Auburn, No. 11 Vanderbilt, and No. 14 Ole Miss. A total of five top 25 squads are in the Mason Rudolph field, counting the Vols, as No. 21 Charlotte is also set to compete.

The Vols carry serious momentum into the weekend, as they closed their last outing at the Pauma Valley Invitational with an impressive team victory over a field consisting of eight top 15 teams. Tennessee posted a 16-under-par 54-hole score in the tournament for win number two of the 2025-26 season.

This weekend will mark a return to the Mason Rudolph Championship for the Vols, who last competed in the event in 2023. Josh Hill and Lance Simpson are the only remaining current Vols who competed, both finishing in the top 26 individually. Tennessee has partaken in the event on three prior occasions, all under the leadership of Brennan Webb, recording a top three team finish each time.

Tennessee Lineup
Lance Simpson
Simpson carries serious momentum into this weekend after winning the first individual title of his collegiate career at the Pauma Valley Invitational. The redshirt senior fired three consecutive rounds in the 60s to close at 10-under-par. Simpson leads the team with a 69.71 scoring average this season.

Josh Hill
A veteran presence for the Vols, Hill has quietly had a very strong start to the spring with three consecutive top 25 finishes. At the Pauma Valley Invitational, the senior tied for 22^nd place behind a final-round 3-under-par 68.

Chase Kyes
Kyes has impressed in his first collegiate spring season for Tennessee, notching five rounds in the 60s in just eight rounds completed. The freshman helped the team to a win at the Pauma Valley Invitational, opening with a 4-under-par 67 before tying for 41^st place at 2-over-par.

Bruce Murphy
After missing the Pauma Valley Invitational, Murphy returns to the team lineup for the Vols. The redshirt junior won the Coach Sykes Individual back in February, before finishing tied for 49^th in his most recent outing at the Cabo Collegiate.

Luke Smith
Despite a difficult second round at the Pauma Valley Invitational, Smith played a crucial role in helping the Vols to a team victory. The freshman opened the tournament with an even-par 71 in round one, before closing with a 1-under-par 70 in round three to play a vital part in clinching the team win.

Reed Lotter (i)
Lotter will make his second consecutive appearance as an individual for the Vols. The senior had a solid outing last time out at the Pauma Valley Invitational, tying for 29^th place at even-par, highlighted by a 2-under-par 69 in round two.

Participating Teams
Auburn (1)
Ball State (164)
Charlotte (21)
Furman (123)
Kentucky (49)
Middle Tennessee State (124)
Mississippi State (71)
NC State (57)
Northern Illinois (133)
Ole Miss (14)
Princeton (89)
Tennessee (12)
Vanderbilt (11)
Western Kentucky (159)

Rankings via Clippd