TIFTON — Golf is now underway at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The Stallions played their first tournament Feb. 4-6 and head coach Larry Byrnes believes it was the start for a successful season.

“I feel strong about the talent we have, the work ethic we put in,” said Byrnes, who has led ABAC to two straight national tournament appearances.

ABAC first hit the links this year at the Titan Winter Invitational at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla. The Stallions fared well against several bigger schools, just a few shots off an eighth place finish.

Byrnes’ 2018 roster consists of three sophomores and two freshmen.

Sophomore Andrew Nagel is the Stallions’ No. 1 player. At the Invitational, he had the team’s best finish at 24th, according to Golfstat. Nagel shot below 80 all three days. He was also ABAC’s low scorer at the national tournament last year, including a final round score of 75. Byrnes thinks Nagel is good enough to play at the next level

No. 2 for ABAC is freshman Adam Park, a Canadian (as is Nagel).

“Park has played well,” said Byrnes. Park finished in a tie for 51st in Florida.

Ryan Walters, Trevor Dailey and Kyung-Hwan Chung are among the other top golfers for ABAC who competed at the Titan Winter Invitational. Austin Bowman, said Byrnes, nearly qualified as well.

Byrnes said success was a matter of the Stallions putting together three good rounds. They will have their next opportunity to do so Feb. 25-27 in an invitational hosted by Georgia Southwestern State at Albany’s Doublegate Country Club. Other tournaments this season are the Ron Marshall Spring Flint in Alabama and the district tournament, which will take place in April in Helen.

“We’re starting to get some tradition built up,” Byrnes said. And by tradition, he wants his players to be as successful in life as they are on the golf course. The future is looking bright, too, as he said he is looking at “a really good recruiting class.”