ANDERSON, S.C. - On the heels of a two-week layoff, the Anderson men's golf team is set to return to the links for the three-day 2016 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which begins on Sunday.

After being held at Firethorn Country Club in Marvin, N.C. last year, this year's championship will be hosted by Brevard at the Etowah Valley Golf and Resort in Etowah, N.C., with a par-72 6,892-yard layout.

Tusculum is the defending SAC Champion after claiming its' first-ever title a year ago, while Catawba will be searching for its fifth conference championship, but first since sharing the title with Presbyterian in 2000. Newberry has earned three league championships, most recently in 2011, with five different teams claiming the title in the last five years. The Trojans finished 12th a year ago in a rain-shortened event, while posting their highest finish since joining the SAC in 2011 with a fourth-place showing in 2012.

Forrest Fowler and David Wachter each carded 165s and shared the 53rd spot to pace the AU returners from a year ago. Payton Whitlock wrapped up the Trojan contingent in 59th after posting a two-round 172.

This year's Black and Gold squad features four freshmen who will be looking compete in the SAC Championship for the first time after Wachter paced the Trojans to a sixth-place finish at the Tennessee River Rumble two weeks ago.
Wachter tied for fifth, while Whitlock shared 12th place and freshman Cole Jefferys finished in a tie for 37th. Sophomore Forrest Fowler and freshman Grayson Bell each finished in a tie for 53rd.

Wachter leads the Black and Gold with a 77.63 stroke average in eight events this season, while tying for fourth at the Emmanuel Invitational last September and sharing fifth place at LMU's Tennessee River Rumble. Bell posted a tie for third to pace the squad's win at the AU Invitational last September and led the team on two occasions, as did Wachter and Jefferys.

Fowler, Wachter, Jefferys and freshman David Monroe each share the Trojans' low round of the season with 72's.