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2015 Terra Cotta Preview: Davis Riley looking to defend in 2015
Defending champion Davis Riley
Defending champion Davis Riley

NAPLES, Fla. — Naples National Golf Club will host the 20th annual Terra Cotta Invitational beginning Friday, with Alabama commit Davis Riley in the field attempting to repeat last year's winning performance.

The defending champion, who signed a letter of intent to play for the Crimson Tide last November, headlines the 2015 field, along with last year's runner-up Hayden Wood, a freshman at Oklahoma State. Wood, a native of Edmond, Okla., finished just one stroke behind Riley a year ago, shooting rounds of 71-70-72.

A number of 2015 winners will be in the field, as well. Let's take a look at a few notable participants who could keep Riley from repeating this weekend.

Todd White of Spartanburg, S.C. is the current Azalea Invitational champion, winning last month as a 47-year-old to become the first non- junior or college golfer to win at the Country Club of Charleston since 2000. White might have secured his spot on the 2015 Walker Cup team with that win, and will be one of a few top mid-amateur players in the field including Gene Elliott, Kenny Cook, Bill Williamson, Colby Harwell, and 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Mike McCoy.

Florida junior golfer Gabriel Lench finished off 2014 with a bang, winning the South Beach International Amateur by a stroke over recently turned-pro Adam Svensson of Canada. Lench, who has signed to play collegiately for Liberty University in Virginia, captured the 2015 AJGA Carlton Woods Invitational, as well, beating No. 1-ranked junior Sam Burns and raising his own ranking to No. 17 in the Golfweek Junior Rankings.

Another Florida high-schooler, Sam Horsfield, went head-to-head with 2014 U.S. Amateur winner Gunn Yang to win this year's New Year's Invitational in St. Petersburg, Florida. He edged LSU golfer Brandon Pierce with a chip-in on the final hole to win by a single stroke. Horsfield, originally from England, has signed to play collegiately for the University of Florida. In last year's event, he tied for eighth after opening with 77.

The highest-ranked amateur in the field is SMU junior Bryson DeChambeau, currently sitting in the No. 11 spot in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings. DeChambeau, of Clovis, Calif., will be gearing up for his collegiate team's American Athletic Conference Championship, taking place just a week later in Florida. DeChambeau's teammate Austin Smotherman is also in the field. DeChambeau was the 2013 Trans-Miss champion and was as member of the 2014 World Amateur Team.

Originating in 1996 as a match play event, the Terra Cotta has developed into a top-tier amateur event. In 2006, the format was changed from match play to a 54-hole stroke play event with 50 players. Currently, the field is 78 with a combination of juniors, mid-amateurs and foreign players.

Notable past champions of the event include current PGA Tour players like Matt Kuchar (1997), Bud Cauley (2008), and Justin Thomas (2010).

Results: Terra Cotta Invitational
1VenezuelaJorge GarciaVenezuela70064-68-70=202
2MSDavis RileyHattiesburg, MS50070-72-71=213
T3OHBill WilliamsonCincinnati, OH40072-74-68=214
T3CABryson DeChambeauClovis, CA40071-74-69=214
T5Chinese TaipeiChun An YuChinese Taipei40073-75-67=215

View full results for Terra Cotta Invitational

ABOUT THE Terra Cotta Invitational

54-hole stroke play tournament with no cut. Caddies are required. A Sponsor/Contestant tournament is held before the event.

The Terra Cotta is an invitational. However, they do encourage applications and players can submit their golf resume for consideration.

View Complete Tournament Information

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