No. 8 Texas is full of optimism as it heads into this weekend’s Aggie Invitational. The fifth-annual 54-hole tournament held in Bryan begins with two rounds on Saturday, with the finals on Sunday.

The field is very similar to the one Texas faced in Austin last week when it won the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin, including top-ranked Oklahoma State, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 16 Texas Tech and 24th-ranked Oklahoma.

The Traditions Club in Bryan boasts one of the most scenic courses in Texas. Designed by PGA legend Jack Nicklaus, it is a 7,146 yard par-72 course.

“It’s fun for us to play a highly charged competitive tournament close to home,” said Texas head coach John Fields.
The Aggies swept last year’s event, winning both the team and individual titles. They finished a record 38-under and A&M junior Jordan Russell shot a 10-under to claim the individual title in 2010.

Texas will use senior Bobby Hudson, junior Dylan Frittelli, sophomores Julio Vegas, Jonathan Schnitzer and Cody Gribble, along with freshman Toni Hakula as its starters. Junior Alex Moon will also be competing as an individual. Each team will field six players in the tournament, with the best five scores counting toward the team total.

“We hope to maintain the momentum we took from the Morris Williams Intercollegiate and get even more momentum going into the Big 12 Championships,” Fields said.