March 25, 2006

AWANDAW, SC -  Wake Forest, coming off a pair of disappointing finishes with a shorthanded roster, should be at full strength when the Demon Deacons begin play in the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate here Sunday through Tuesday.  The 54-hole, three-day event includes 14 teams and will be played at the Bulls Bay Golf Club.

The 19^th-ranked Demon Deacons finished 14^th and 15^th in their last two tournaments. Last week Wake Forest played without sophomore Andrew Simpson, who was participating in the PGA Tour's Bay Hill Classic, and junior Sean Moore, who did not play one round because of illness.

Wake Forest should be back at full strength for the "Hootie," the second annual event where proceeds go to the Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation, which benefits educational needs in South Carolina. Seniors Kyle Reifers and Doug Manchester, Moore, Simpson and sophomore Chris McCartin make up the five-man Deacon team.

The Deacons will face strong competition. Co-hosts Clemson, ranked 14^th nationally, and South Carolina, ranked 21^st, will be the favorites. The 14-team field includes six SEC teams and six ACC schools in addition to Charleston and UCF.

Teams will play 18 holes each day beginning Sunday morning.