*** UPDATED LATE EVENING ON SEPT. 30 DUE TO BETHUNE-COOKMAN WITHDRAWING FROM THE FAU MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP ***

JUPITER, Fla. – On the weekend of the Ryder Cup, the FGCU men's golf team is set to compete in its own head-to-head event as the Eagles tee it up in the FAU Match Play Championship at Abacoa Golf Club Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1-2.
 
The non-traditional collegiate tournament will pit three Florida schools against each other: FGCU, FAU and Stetson. Action begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with players going out in groups of three. The three players in each group will be competing head-to-head against each other, with two matches occuring in each group (example: Player 1 vs. Player 2; Player 1 vs. Player 3).

The lowest score on each hole wins, with ties just carrying over to the next hole with no impact. Each match is worth one point, and any match that ends tied after 18 holes will go to sudden death.
 
Action will continue on Sunday again at 11:30 a.m. with the same format. The team with the most points won after two days will be declared the winner.
 
That format breaks down into the following matchups for FGCU, based on team lineups:
#1 Keaton Jones vs. Adam Friedman (FAU) & Tate Smith (Stetson)
#2 Casper Howells vs. Ricky Hendler (FAU) & Tyler Dierwechter (Stetson)
#3 James Leadbetter vs. Caleb Sibley (FAU) & Christopher Williard (Stetson)
#4 Grant Renegar vs. Brian Dolehide (FAU) & Spencer Turner (Stetson)
#5 Robert Renner Jr. vs. Luke Campbell (FAU) & Baylor Payne (Stetson)

There is no live scoring available for this match-play event. Updates as best as possible will be provided through the team's official Twitter account by following @FGCU_MGolf. Brief recaps with results will be posted on FGCUAthletics.com following the conclusion of play each day.
 
The tournament – which will be played at the par-72, 7,220-yard layout of Abacoa GC – will be a break from the traditional stroke-play scoring used in collegiate golf while also preparing the team for potential postseason play. The NCAA now uses match play in the final round of its championship following stroke play the first three rounds.
 
Jones (Kitchener, Ontario/St. Mary's HS) enters as FGCU's hottest player, coming off an ASUN Golfer of the Week honor Thursday after he finished tied for 3rd overall in a field of 110 at the Patriot Intercollegiate last weekend. The senior leads the Eagles in stroke average at 70.17 through the year's first two tournaments and has secured both of FGCU's rounds in the 60s and four of its five par-or-better rounds so far this season.
 
He will be teamed up with Casper Howells (London, England/Bradford College), who holds a scoring average of 74 through six rounds this campaign. Howells concluded the Patriot Intercollegiate on Monday with a round of 72.
 
Leadbetter (Bradenton, Fla./Arkansas/IMG Academy) will be making his debut for the Green and Blue this year. The redshirt junior participated in seven of FGCU's nine tournaments last year and posted the 4th-best scoring average on the club with a 76.05.
 
The lefty will be paired with Renegar (McComb, Miss./Meridian CC/Parklane Academy), who is in head coach Eric Booker's lineup for the second-straight weekend. Despite a tough start to the Patriot Intercollegiate, the junior transfer closed pretty strong with a 73.
 
Renner Jr. (Arlington Heights, Ill./Saint Viator HS) will be teeing it up in just his second collegiate event, with the first coming last year as a redshirt freshman at FGCU's Homewood/Hilton Garden Airport & FGCU Classic.
 
Following action at the FAU Match Play Championship, FGCU will be competing in its fourth tournament in as many weeks when the Eagles flock to Western Kentucky's Kenny Perry Invitational Oct. 10-11.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For schedule updates, news and information, visit FGCUAthletics.com. For the latest news and behind-the-scenes access to information, photos and videos, follow @FGCU_MGolf on Twitter and @FGCU_MGolf on Instagram.
 
COACH BOOKER
FGCU is led by 3rd-year coach Eric Booker, a member of the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Series) for portions of 17 years from 1990-2007. Booker finished in the top 5 three times in tournaments on the PGA Tour and also played in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He played in 62 career events on the PGA Tour, with his best finish being a tie for 3rd at the 1999 Honda Classic.
 
HELP THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.