The men's golf team will compete against some of the nation's most competitive teams this weekend at the prestigious Southeastern Collegiate Invitational.

The 18-team tournament begins tomorrow and runs until Sunday at the Oak Hill Golf and Country Club in Montgomery, Ala.

"Outside of the NCAA Championships, this is the most competitive field we'll face," Coach Mary Kennedy said. "The course is excellent and we are excited to play on it."

"We are jelling very well as a team," captain Dan Braun said. "That is our strength."

The championships are important, Kennedy said, because the team will find out how good it is in comparison to their rivals.

The field includes official tournament host Alabama, Auburn, Central Florida, Columbus College, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Kentucky, Memphis State, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, South Alabama and Vanderbilt. Columbus College is currently the No. 1 team in Division II.

Even though the team will face its toughest competition of the year it is confident. Kennedy said that each golfer has a strategy designed around his skills.

"We have accomplished gameplans for every person," Kennedy said. "If we pay attention to those plans we should do well as a team. Expectations of any individual are dangerous. We need to work as a team; that is our strength."

Kennedy also is confident because four of the team's five golfers have played the course.

"We have had a good week of practice," Braun said. "I think we can win it; we are as good as anyone else. Because of the warm weather we got to hit some balls outside and play in other places beside Holuba. Everyone was happy about that."

The team left Wednesday for Montgomery in order to play a practice round at the course yesterday.