After six competitive qualifying rounds against eight teammates, Honeycutt, son of former major league pitcher Rick Honeycutt, wound up the low qualifier and will play in the Vols’ first match this weekend, the Ridges Intercollegiate, hosted by East Tennessee State.

Three players were exempt for the first tournament, leaving the other nine on the roster to battle it out for the right to making the traveling team. When Honeycutt shot an opening 67 at Holston Hills, his confidence soared.

The qualifying trail took the Vols to Fox Den, Willow Creek and Oak Ridge Country Club and also made a swing to The Honors Course, where Honeycutt is a member and where he qualified in July for the U.S. Amateur.

"He was very pleased," Rick Honeycutt said. "That 67 got him off to a good start and kind of took the pressure off a little bit. He’s pumped up and ready to go."

The younger Honeycutt’s game began to reach a higher level during his spring season at Cleveland State, during which he finished fourth in the NJCAA Division II championship and was chosen an All-American. After that, Honeycutt won two local tournaments and also qualified for the U.S. Amateur. He didn’t make match play at rugged Oakmont, but the fact Honeycutt qualified for the tournament impressed Tennessee coach Jim Kelson, who after several months of talking, finally offered Honeycutt a chance to become a Vol.

"Ricky has rapidly become a very fine player," Kelson said when he announced Honeycutt’s signing on Aug. 22. "He is a competitive person that knows how to win. His rate of development has been impressive and we look for Ricky to make a positive contribution to our program."

Little did Kelson know how quickly Honeycutt would contribute.

Tennessee, which advanced to the NCAA Championships last spring, will field a strong team this fall. Led by All-American David Skinns, who helped lead the European team to a win in the Palmer Cup this summer, the Vols are talented and experienced.

Besides Skinns, a junior, several Vols had productive summers. In addition to Honeycutt, Tennessee’s Andrew Pratt and John Scott Rattan also played in the U.S. Amateur. And junior Ross McGowan, who like Skinns hails from England, played well in Europe. McGowan advanced to the first round of the English Amateur, finished third in the Berkshire Trophy event and won the St. Mellion International Amateur Trophy event, where he shot 75-67-72-78—292.

"Ross had a terrific summer," Kelson said. "He's obviously got the capability to play at a really high level, and his play this summer is indicative of the type of player that we believe Ross is. He's capable of winning major international tournaments. He has developed and has kept progressing, and that's a good sign for Ross and also a good sign for our team."

Honeycutt has already been accepted by the Vols’ veteran players.

"He’s fit in," Rick Honeycutt said. "They’ve got a good group of guys up there and they all seem to be supportive. Ricky’s looking forward to making some contributions."