The men’s golf team plans to take the Insperity Augusta State Invitational seriously this April Fools’ weekend, head coach Bill Montigel said.

After practice this week, the Horned Frogs will head out to the Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

The invitational should provide the players with a feel for the kind of teams TCU will face in the national tournaments that begin in May, Montigel said. 

The team will play Saturday and Sunday against nine of the 16 teams ranked in the top 50 in the nation. TCU will compete against future Big 12 rivals, which include No. 1 Texas, No. 22 Oklahoma State and No. 27 Baylor. 

Last time out on the course, the Horned Frogs finished at No. 6 at the Barona Collegiate Cup in Lakeside, Calif.

The five golfers who represented TCU in California came back to Fort Worth, caught up on homework and then packed their bags, Montigel said.

“By now, they’re used to playing one weekend, regrouping for a couple of days and then playing again,” Montigel said. “I am looking for them all to step up.”

Many players have struggled with minor injuries and for some, sickness throughout the season, he said.

Junior Daniel Jennevret said freshman Julien Brun, who finished in the top 20 in the Barona Collegiate Cup, suffered from pain in his wrist, but his wrist no longer bothered him. Junior Pontus Gad has sat out the last two tournaments because of pain in his right knee and will stay home for a third time to make sure he fully recovered.

Freshman Thomas Mantovanini and sophomore Ian Phillips will be two underclassmen traveling to Augusta, Montigel said. Although Mantovanini and Phillips did not have as much experience as Gad, they both had improved their game rapidly, he said.

With the right focus, Montigel said he hoped TCU would show up and play a competitive tournament in Georgia.

Insperity Augusta State Invitational

When: All day Saturday and Sunday

Where: Augusta, Ga.