Wednesday, August 11, 2010

KOHLER, Wis. (August 11, 2010) - Former ETSU All-American Rhys Davies (Bridgend, Wales) is set to tee off in golf's final major of the year on Thursday morning when he will begin the opening round of the 92nd PGA Championship.

Davies has already participated in the U.S. Open Championship and the British Open Championship this season. This year's PGA Championship is being held at picturesque Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin. Davies will begin his first round at 9:40 a.m. (EST) and will be paired with Ben Crane and Mark Sheftic. Crane is currently 16th on the PGA Tour Money List and Sheftic is a PGA Teaching Professional at famed Merion Golf Club. The same group will be paired together on Friday as well when they tee off at 2:55 p.m. (EST) on the 7,507 yard, par-72 layout.

Coming into the week, Davies ranked as the No. 52 player in the world and is coming off a tie for 71st at last week's Bridgestone Invitational. He is also fighting for a spot on the European Ryder Cup Team. The event is held the first week in October and features ten of the top players from Europe against ten of the top players from the United States.

Designed by Pete Dye, Whistling Straits emulates the great old seaside links courses of the British Isles, invoking an image of the game founded more than 400 years ago. The Straits Course is open with rugged and windswept terrain. A more mature course than one would expect, golfers encounter huge sandy areas, deep pot bunkers,grass-topped dunes, big and undulating greens and majestic views of Lake Michigan from each of its 18 holes. The dramatic par-3 17th, the course's unofficial signature hole, features a green precariously perched over water and sand.

Television coverage of the event on Thursday and Friday will be shown live on TNT. Coverage on Saturday and Sunday will be shown on TNT in the morning and will switch over to CBS in the afternoon.

For more information on the ETSU men's golf team go to ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's golf page.