For the fifth year in a row, the N.C. State men’s golf team left the country to compete in the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The tournament, featuring some of the best teams in the country, started Sunday and will conclude on Tuesday.

The 18-team field includes 15 teams in the top-45. This highly competitive tournament marks the first time the golf team played this spring.

State arrived Thursday night and played practice rounds on Friday and Saturday, according to assistant coach Brad Garner.

“I’m looking for us to get off to a good start,” junior Jerry Richardson said. “We didn’t do as well as we wanted to in the fall. We’ve got a really good team … I hope we can get off to a good start and finish really good down here because it’s such a good field.”

Among those making the trip to Puerto Rico are the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 teams in the country.

“I feel like we’ve got the best team … since I got here,” senior Taylor Crosby said. “We really don’t have any weak links on our team right now. I think we’re really ready to move up the rankings and start establishing ourselves as a top team again.”

The challenging field gives the Wolfpack a chance to prove themselves nationally with a good finish. However, State finished no higher than ninth in any fall tournament.

“I think we’re a really talented team we just haven’t put it all together this year,” Garner said. “It’ll be real tough to win it but I can see us, if everybody plays what they’re capable of playing of, having a top-5 finish. It’ll be the toughest field of the spring.”

When the Pack placed 13th in the tournament a year ago, Georgia native Crosby led the team with a five-over par, including shooting an opening round of 70.

“It’s a course where the key is to keep it on the fairway. It’s not all that long of a golf course you just have to keep it in front of you,” Crosby said.

He added he was eager to get an opportunity to duplicate last year’s success.

“I couldn’t wait; this is probably my favorite tournament of the spring,” Crosby said. “It doesn’t get much better than getting to hang out in Puerto Rico while it’s cold in Raleigh. I think everybody looks forward to this tournament.”

Few places in the United States could hold a tournament in February where great weather is virtually guaranteed for every day of the tournament. The players said they have already taken notice.

“It’s about 85 [degrees], and it’s really hot and nice and windy,” Stephen Lewton said Saturday. “We haven’t played in competition in about four months, so I’m looking forward to it.”

While most people at the resort may be interested in hitting the links for their relaxation, the golf team’s down time is spent doing something else.

“Coach really wants us to practice a little more while we have a chance to with the nice warm weather,” Lewton said. “So we’ll play and then practice afterwards and have a couple hours to go to the beach and stuff.”

Some players have been preparing for the short fairways of the River Course at Westin Rio Mar Country Club by focusing on their play around the green.

“I’ve been working on my short game, just hitting some balls and playing,” Burlington native Richardson said.

Heading into Tuesday, State is in ninth place after the first round.