Eastern’s men’s golf team will compete this weekend in the unique Southeast Missouri Four Ball event at birdie-friendly Kimbeland Golf Club.

The course in Jackson, Mo. isn’t very long at 5,402 yards and a par-72. However, this four-ball format is what will create the drama involved in the event. Four-ball is a style that is used in other exciting events, like the Ryder and Presidents’ Cup competitions.

The event starts on Sunday with the random seeding of the eight competing teams and first round action.

The eight teams will send three groups of two players as teammates to compete in a bracketed form of competition. The three pairs will compete in a head-to-head format and the winner of at least two matches moves on to the next round.

Four-ball is a form of play where two teammates play their own ball and the lowest score of the two is the team’s score for the hole.

“We’re really excited about this format and I feel like a Ryder Cup captain trying to find pairs that will play well together,” Eastern head coach Jay Albaugh said.

Albaugh stated he’s still unsure who will play together in the three teams he will send Sunday, but the projected players are seniors Dave Rella and Matt Holmes, juniors Kyle Awkerkamp and Kyle Maxwell, sophomore Ryan Lambert and freshman Dustin Sloat.

Every Panther struggled in Houston, but Rella was particularly disappointing at the Bearkat Invitational by opening the spring season with an 88-83-171. Rella has struggled with a problem in his swing over the last couple of weeks, but Albaugh is confident he will return to usual form.

“We expect our seniors to lead the team, but Dave went down there struggling with his swing and didn’t play well at all,” Albaugh said.

The Panthers finished 16th out of 17 teams involved in the Bearkat Invitational, which frustrated Albaugh as the Ohio Valley Championship looms.

“It was horrible, everything that could go wrong did,” Albaugh said. “It was an early wake up call for this team before the OVC.”

The Panthers will look to use this event to build up confidence before they hit the stretch of meets in April.

“It’s the same as every other tournament because we want to win, but it is a fun format,” Albaugh said.

One team considered to be one of the favorites in this event is Western Illinois. Western finished second at the Bearkat Classic, and senior Sandy McClintock tied for first individually after posting an even-par 142.

Other notable teams in the event will be the host and OVC foe Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Bradley, University of Missouri at Kansas City and Saint Louis