It's my continued belief that we're on the verge of seeing a men's college golfer shoot a 59 in competition in the near future. Washington senior Zach Bixler nearly did it with his NCAA-record tying 60 at the Meadow Club during the Alister MacKenzie Invitational in October. And if anybody is looking for another sign that we're close, consider that USC junior Tom Glissmeyer (right) set the course record at Bel-Air CC yesterday by shooting a nine-under 61 in the third and final round of team qualifying for next week's USC Collegiate Invitational. The Trojans host the tournament at North Ranch CC in Westlake Village, Calif., March 3-5.

The 21-year-old Colorado Springs, Colo., native, who some will remember played in the 2003 U.S. Open as a high schooler, shot an front-nine 28 and needed only 20 putts for the entire round. "He barely slipped in," joked USC coach Chris Zambri, regarding Glissmeyer making the starting five that will compete for USC in the tournament.

"It was an unbelievable short-game performance on the front, and he played well on the back," Zambri noted. "It was just an incredible round."

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Alabama (Last week's ranking: 1)
When the Crimson Tide play in Puerto Rico this weekend, amazingly it will be the first time in 2007-08 that they'll be playing with the five golfers--Michael Thompson, Mark Harrell, Joseph Sykora, Gator Todd and Matthew Swan--who competed for the school at last year's NCAA Championship, where they finished sixth.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

2. UCLA (2)
The Bruins' Blue (junior varsity) team had five players finish in the top 14 at the CSU-Bakersfield Invitational, including Erik Flores claiming his first individual college victory. A promotion to the Gold (varsity) team might not be far off for the junior.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 7-9

3. Charlotte (3)
Despite failing to win their first stroke-play event of the season with their fifth-place showing at the John Hayt, the 49ers have the second lowest adjusted stroke average (71.14) and second lowest average drop score (75.36) of any Division I school.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 7-9

4. Tennessee (4)
Don't be surprised if the Vols get off to a fast start in California next week; the team leads the country in first-round scoring average with a 71.57 individual player average. Additionally, four Tennessee players have posted a 64 or better this season.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., March 3-4

5. Georgia (5)
Long rest is finally over for the Bulldogs as they start their spring season in Puerto Rico. Suffice it to say, it's time to prove it wasn't too long a break.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

WOMEN
1. Duke (2)
Blue Devils fans expect wins, but the runner-up finish at this week's Arizona Wildcat Invite to start the spring wasn't too bad, particularly with Amanda Blumenherst earning her 10th career individual win.  "We were two shots back and for this being our first tournament, it was a good finish," said coach Dan Brooks. "This tournament is always one that we try to prepare, get ready for the season and access where we are at. I am pretty happy with what I saw."
Next event: UCF Invitational, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 9-11

2. UCLA (1)
A sixth-place showing at Arizona Wildcat wasn't the way the Bruins wanted to follow up their convincing win at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. However, given the horrible winds in Tucson, the team's uncharacteristically high second-round scores at the tournament was an aberration (see "Stat of the Week" below).
Next event: UCF Invitational, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 9-11

3. USC (3)
Impressive final-round charge at the Arizona Wildcat was too little too late to win, but did give the Trojans a share of second with Duke. Could Belen Mozo be a sleeper to beat Blumenherst and/or Arkansas' Stacy Lewis at the NCAA Championship? You bet!
Next event: UCF Invitational, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 9-11

4. Florida (4)
The Gators just keep impressing, this time with a victory at their home event, the SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational, last Sunday. Seven tournament start, seven top-five finishes despite now missing their two best players from last year's squad.
Next event: UCF Invitational, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 9-11

5. Oklahoma State (NR)
The Cowgirls proved they can play with anyone after an impressive victory at the Arizona Wildcat, the team's first of the year. "I think the difference this week was the way our girls finished rounds two and three," coach Laura Matthews said. "The course was playing tough with the windy conditions and slow play, but the fact we were able to finish strong set us apart in the end." Addition of January freshman Jaclyn Sweeney proved particular important here considering her T-2 individual finish.
Next event: UCF Invitational, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 9-11

STAT OF THE WEEK
80.14
The second-round scoring average at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

Suffice it to say, the carnage that took place Feb. 26 at Arizona National GC--thanks to some serious wind that blew upwards of 20 mph--will not be forgotten for quite a while. The average was nearly four strokes higher than for the first round (76.38) and almost two strokes worse than the final round (78.3). Consider that the starting five for UCLA had broken 80 in 73 of 75 competitive rounds during the 2007-08 season entering this week's three-day tournament. In the second round, however, just one player broke 80: Sydnee Michael's 77. This on a team that includes a U.S. Curtis Cup team member (Tiffany Joh) and the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur champion (Maria Jose Uribe). Only Joanne Lee of USC broke par on the day (shooting a 70) and sadly for the Trojans, she was playing as a non-counting individual.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Purdue junior Maria Hernandez, last season's Big Ten player of the year, was going to try to play through the pain of a sore back this past week at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Yet, when spasms occurred while she was warming up for the first round Feb. 24, the native of Pamplona, Spain, had to be scratched from the Boilermakers line-up. Purdue coach Devon Brouse said that Hernandez has dealt with soreness in her back for a while but it began to become an issue in early February when she was preparing for the team's spring opener. While preventing her from playing in Puerto Rico (the team subbed Camie Mess in the starting five and finished fifth, eight strokes back of champion Alabama), the injury isn't expected to sideline Hernandez long-term. "We feel with some rest she's going to be good to play at Central Florida [the UCF Invitational, March 7-9]," Brouse said.

Interestingly, Brouse contends that Hernandez might, in the long run, benefit from taking a tournament off. Unable to play, Hernandez was asked by Brouse to follow freshman Maude-Aimee Leblanc during the competition. In doing so, Brouse believes Hernandez gained a different perspective in how to think her way around a golf course. (Not like she's really struggled at doing that this season, as Hernandez does have a 72.08 stroke average). Leblanc, meanwhile, had her best college finish, coming in second to Arkansas' Stacy Lewis with a four-under 212 showing at Coco Beach GC in San Juan.

* The Florida State men's team finished second in its spring opener, the Gator Invitational, losing to the host school by 12 strokes. With that the Seminoles moved up one spot in the most recent Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, to No. 10, as they get ready to hold the annual Seminole Invitational next week. Some will argue that might be too high a spot in the poll considering the team has a 73.23 individual player stroke average, the second highest among all top 25 programs. Thankfully for FSU fans, however, the coaches' have recognized that Trey Jones' squad has played some extreme difficult golf courses so far in the 2007-08 season. They opened in the Inverness Invitational, finishing first at Toledo's Inverness Club, then played the Ping/Golfweek Preview at Purdue's Kampen Course (seventh place) before competing at the Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields outside Chicago (fourth place). Their final stroke play event in the fall was Isleworth CC (T-14).

Highly touted freshman Drew Kittleson only has a 73.77 average in five stroke-play starts, a disappointment for some although not to Jones. "Think of the courses he's played to start his college career," Jones said recently. "There have been no push overs. I think this will help him in the long run, and the rest of our team. We've had a chance to really test our games and I'm proud of our record.

* Southern California's Jamie Lovemark swept most of the significant collegiate-golf national player of the year awards after his impressive 64-64 finish to win the NCAA individual title last June at Golden Horseshoe GC in Williamsburg, Va. His stellar play, however is getting recognition outside of the golf world as the 20-year-old from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., was named one of 11 finalists last week for the Sullivan Award, awarded by the AAU to the top overall amateur athlete for a given year. The general public can participate in the vote (fan voting counts for one-third of the overall voting) by going to USAToday.com (here is a direct link to the voting page). The winner will be announced April 1. Only twice has a golfer claimed the prestigious award: Bobby Jones (1930) and Lawson Little (1935)

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
Puerto Rico Classic
River Course at Rio Mar CC (Par 72, 6,902 yards)
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Feb. 29-March 2
Host: Purdue
Field: Alabama, Clemson, Duke, East Tennessee State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Michigan, Minnesota, N.C. State, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Texas, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Georgia (14-under par) by one over Clemson and Stanford; Roberto Castro, Georgia Tech and Joseph Bramlett, Stanford (seven-under 209)
Skinny: Six of top 13 teams in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll make their way to Puerto Rico. No. 1 Georgia, No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 13 Clemson are all playing their first tournament of the spring semester.

Ron Smith/USF Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
South Course at Lake Jovita GC (Par 72, 7,084 yards)
Dade City, Fla.
Feb. 29-March 2
Host: South Florida
Field: Arkansas State, Austin Peay State, Columbus State, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Florida Southern, Jacksonville State, Marquette, Middle Tennessee State, Missouri, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Florida, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas-San Antonio, Troy, VCU, Xavier
Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State (five-over 869) by 12 over Jacksonville State; Mike Van Sickle, Marquette (three-under 213) by one over Rhode Island's Ben Spitz and New Orleans' Jose Toledo
Skinny: The Blue Raiders are two-time defending champions of the event, being held for the 16th time. They also are coming off a one-shot victory this week at Houston's All-American Classic after passing four schools on the final day.

Seminole Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Golden Eagle CC (Par 72, 6,965 yards)
Tallahassee, Fla.
March 2-4
Host: Florida State
Field: Alabama-Birmingham, Auburn, Charleston, Florida State, LSU, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia
Defending champion: Auburn (one-over 865) by five over North Carolina; Rhys Davies, East Tennessee State (six-under 210) by two over UAB's Zack Sucher
Skinny: Auburn has momentum after the Tigers' 11-shot victory at the John Burns Collegiate in Hawaii last week, in which the team broke the 54-hole school record by 14 strokes with a 44-under 820 showing.

USC Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
North Ranch CC (Par 71, 6,742 yards)
Westlake Village, Calif.
March 3-4
Host: Southern California
Field: BYU, California, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Southern California, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA, Washington
Defending champion: Stanford (four-under 848) by five over Southern California; Rory Hie, Southern California (five-under 208) by two over teammate Jamie Lovemark and Loyola Marymount's Brian Locke
Skinny: The Volunteers, winners in Tucson at the end of January, head west again, but face UCLA and USC on their home turf, and a Stanford squad that appears to be getting better. Winless thus far in 2006-07, I think the time is right for the host Trojans to hoist the hardware.

WOMEN
San Jose State Spartan Invitational
Almaden CC (Par 72, 6,192 yards)
San Jose, Calif.
March 3-4
Host: San Jose State
Field: California, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Idaho, Long Beach State, North Carolina, Oregon State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, UC Irvine, Washington
Defending champion: San Jose State (13-over 877) by 15 over California and Colorado; Selanee Henderson, UC Irvine (six-under 210) by two over SJSU's Janelle Gomez
Skinny: While SJSU is the two-time defending champion, local rival California is the only ranked team in the field. Meanwhile, North Carolina heads west after a fifth-place finish at the Lady Gator, the Tar Heels best finish of the 2007-08 season.

USA Lady Jaguar Invitational
Azalea City GC (Par 72, 5,821 yards)
Mobile, Ala.
March 3-4
Host: South Alabama
Field: Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas State, Austin Peay State, Belmont, East Tennessee State, Jackson State, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Lamar, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Middle Tennessee State, Nicholls State, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy, Winthrop
Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State (15-over 591) by 14 over Jacksonville State; Taryn Durham, Middle Tennessee State (two-under 142) by two over Western Carolina's Malin Fryk
Skinny: The Blue Raiders return to defend their title with a new coach, Chris Adams, who is making her debut with the team after being hired in December. Meanwhile, host South Alabama returns to the course after an unusual finish at the McNeese Invitational earlier in February: the Jaguars were deemed the tournament winners but after posting a final-round 312, but the McNeese staff misread the scoreboard and Florida International had actually won the event with South Alabama finished second. The mistake wasn't found out until late that night.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Alabama (Last week's rank: 2)
Crimson Tide proved a few points with four-shot victory at the John Hayt Collegiate: 1.) Michael Thompson appears to be recovering just fine from the broken hand. 2.) This team isn't going away any time soon.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

2. UCLA (5)
Second-place finish at John Hayt after the cross-country trip to Florida is pretty solid. Jason Kang's second-place finish individually is also a bright spot. If Philip Francis or Lucas Lee can start getting hot, the Bruins could be very dangerous.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 7-9

3. Charlotte (1)
A tie for fifth at the John Hayt marks the first time stroke-play event the 49ers have competed in that they haven't won. Only one player (Trevor Murphy) finished in the top 10 individually. Not a huge cause for concern, but their trip to Las Vegas next month just got a little more interesting.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 7-9

4. Tennessee (3)
It tells you something about the mid-set in Knoxville when the team finished T-3 at the John Hayt, against a very strong field, and coach Jim Kelson described it as a "mediocre week." These guys are for real.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., March 3-4

5. Georgia (4)
The Bulldogs are the 1,000-pound gorilla in this whole "who's No. 1 thing?" They've kept they're No. 1 ranking in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll but need to be sure not to come out flat next week in Puerto Rico.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
Four top-10 finishes at the Northrop Grumman en route to their team title. I'm still digesting just how good a performance that was in the spring opener.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

2. Duke (2)
Three likely scenarios for the Blue Devils next week in the desert: 1.) They win the event by 10 strokes with Amanda Blumenherst going nuts on the greens. 2.) They win the event by two strokes with Blumenherst holing a couple long putts. 3.) They lose the event by three strokes to a talented West Coast squad whose nickname rhymes with Gruin with Blumenherst putting only average (but still shooting three 67s). One likely scenario you won't see: Blue Devils lose by anything more than five strokes.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

3. USC (3)
I just wrote a story in this week's Golf World about teams getting a boost by adding freshmen to their line-ups midseason. The Trojans' addition of Purdue transfer Stefanie Endstrasser will likely work much the same way, as her T-10 finish at the Northrop Grumman tournament hinted.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

4. Florida (4)
I picked California's Nancy McDaniel for my mid-season coach of the year on the women's side, but when all is said and done I've got to think Gator coach Jill Briles-Hinton is going to get a lot of consideration. After losing Mallory Blackwelder in the off-season (transfer to Kentucky to play for her mom) then Sandra Gal during the winter break (to the LPGA Tour), having Florida continue to contend nationally is nothing short of amazing.
Next event: SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational, Mark Bostick GC at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 22-24

5. Arizona State (5)
The search for a viable fifth player continues in Tempe. On the plus side, the development of junior Azahara Munoz is very impressive, with her stroke average rising from 74.0 last season to 71.73 this season after her T-2 finish at the Northrop Grumman. The Sun Devils are also two-time defending champions in Tucson.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

STAT OF THE WEEK
4
Of the six best 54-hole scores posted in Michigan State women's golf history held by senior Sara Brown after the 22-year-old from Tucson won the Central District Invitational Tuesday with a four-under 212 total, seven shots better than runner-up Julia Potter of Missouri. Brown's 212 was the second lowest score behind Rachel Meikle's 210 at the Northwestern Invitational in April 2006. She also has finished with a 215 score in three other tournaments. (For a link to a podcast from Sara Brown, click here.)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Could there be a method to Michigan State women's coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll's madness? There wasn't much time to knock the rust off when the Spartans traveled to Southern California earlier this month for the first start of the spring season at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. Not surprisingly, they finished 14th out of 15 teams. But when they headed to Florida for the Central District Invitational the chance to start their competitive season earlier than most of the others in the field at River WIlderness CC in Parrish, Fla., was evident in the Spartans' 10-shot win over Texas A&M.

Give credit to Slobodnik-Stoll, not a bad player in her own right after having won the Golf Association of Michigan women's player of the year award in 2007, for being willing to accept not being at 100 percent in the first event to make sure her team was better prepared for the rest of the season. Don't be surprised if Michigan State remains a step ahead of the rest of its Midwestern/Northern competitors.

* The Baylor men's two-shot victory at the Rice Intercollegiate this past week was more impressive than you'd think at first blush when you realize that the Bears played with only four golfers in the final round. Colton Williams, who had shot 67-77 to hold a share of the 36-hole lead, withdrew from the event after the death of a close friend to his family. The rest of the team shot a nine-over 297--led by Jeff Gerlich's two-under 70--to hang on and beat a hard charging UC Davis squad for Baylor's second victory of the 2007-08 season.

"I thought that our guys handled themselves well today," said coach Greg Priest. "There was a little bit of pressure since all the scores were counting today, but we played well. Jeff played well to shoot 70, and I though that he had a solid tournament. Cody [Paladino] made a quadruple-bogey on the fifth hole, but he hung in there and really battled. Wes [Williams, no relation to Colton] and Bill [Allcorn] just had really solid days on Monday and Tuesday."

While sad for their teammate, the rest of the Bears raised their games. It's a performance that will galvanize them the rest of this spring. Don't at all be surprised to see this Big 12 team continue to play well and be a sleeper pick to reach the NCAA Championship.

* This week's SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational will be a return to competitive golf for Florida redshirt junior C.J. Kim, who has been out of action for more than a year still recovering from a horrific car accident she was in 2 1/2 years ago. She fractured her femur in the accident, an injury that she continues to rehabilitate. She couldn’t practice during an initial six-month hiatus and when she made a first attempt at returning to the course, she felt pain shoot up her leg. Kim went to see a doctor and had to have surgery. She continues to experience pain walking, but with the Gators playing at home she said she is grateful for the chance to try and resume her college career.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
UCF/Rio Pinar Invitational
Rio Pinar CC
Orlando
Feb. 25-26
Host: Central Florida
Field: Arkansas State, Central Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Mercer, Mississippi, North Florida, Ohio State, Old Dominion, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Tenn.-Chattanooga, Texas-Arlington, Tulsa, Wichita State
Defending champion: Tenn.-Chattanooga (two-under 862) by one over Tulsa; Brett Myers, Tulsa (eight-over 208) by three over UTC's Bryce Ledford
Skinny: It will be interesting to watch the defending champions, ranked 16th, in their spring opener as it's one of the first times since they've become a top-ranked school where they'll be the hunted rather than the hunters

All-American Golf Classic
Tradition Course at Cypresswood (Par 72, 7,220 yards)
Spring, Texas
Feb. 25-26
Host: Houston
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Baylor, Houston, Jacksonville State, Kansas, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, North Texas, Texas Southern, Texas State
Defending champion: Kansas (eight-over 872) by one over Lamar; Gary Woodland, Kansas (five-under 211) by four over Kansas' Tyler Docking
Skinny: Should be a shootout between Lamar and Baylor. Watch for Cardinal All-American candidate Casey Clendenon to pick up where he left off in the fall.

Anteater Invitational
Santa Ana CC (Par 72, 6,542 yards)
Newport Beach, Calif.
Feb. 25-26
Host: UC Irvine
Field: Arizona (JV team), Cal Poly, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, Oral Roberts, Idaho, Santa Clara, Portland, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco
Defending champion: UC Irvine (20-over 884) by 28 over St. Mary's (Calif.); Domingo Jojola, San Francisco (four-under 212) by four over UC Irvine's Kenny Kim
Skinny: The tournament is in its 28th year.

Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate
Wexford Plantation GC
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Feb. 25-26
Host: Francis Marion
Field: Bowling Green, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, George Washington, Kennesaw State, Marshall, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Presbyterian, USC-Aiken, Winthrop, Wofford
Defending champion: Tenn.-Chattanooga (33-over 897) by three over Marquette; Mike Van Sickle, Marquette (three-under 213) by five over Toledo's Ciaran McAleavey
Skinny: This will be the first college event in any sport that Northern Illinois will be competing in since the tragic shooting on the school's DeKalb, Ill., campus Feb. 14.

WOMEN
SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Mark Bostick Course at the University of Florida (Par 70, 5,927 yards)
Gainesville, Fla.
Feb. 22-24
Host: Florida
Field: Augusta State, Colorado, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia State, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Oregon, South Florida, Tenn.-Chattanooga, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Florida (36-over 876) by 14 over TCU; Sandra Gal, Florida (even-par 210) by five over TCU's Catherine Matranga
Skinny: Can Wake Forest produce a third-straight medalist in a tournament, after having Natalie Sheary and Nanette Hill win the past two events that the Demon Deacons have played in? It's a tall task considering a solid Florida team is playing at home.

Lady Puerto Rico Classic
Coco Beach GC (Par 72, 6,000 yards)
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Feb. 24-26
Host: Purdue
Field: Alabama, Arkansas, Central Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa State, Kent State, LSU, Michigan, Minnesota, N.C. State, Oklahoma, Purdue, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Wisconsin
Defending champion: Auburn (nine-over 873) by five over Georgia and Oklahoma State; Alina Lee, Georgia, Jenny Suh, Alabama, Mariana Macias, Auburn, Pernilla Lindberg, Oklahoma State, Valentine Derrey, TCU
Skinny: Last year there was a five-way tie for medalist, pretty rare for a tournament that went the full 54 holes. Don't expect the same this time.

Kitahara Fresno State Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Copper River CC (Par 72, 6,004 yards)
Fresno, Calif.
Feb. 25-26
Host: Fresno State
Field: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Kansas, Long Beach State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Portland State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Tulsa, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Defending champion: Fresno State (20-over 596) by two over UC Irvine; Kay Hoey, Long Beach State, (two-over 146) by one over Colorado's Lindsay Caljouw
Skinny: Hoey not only is the defending champion, but has a chance at winning the event for a third time after claiming the inaugural title in 2005

Arizona Wildcat Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Arizona National GC (Par 71, 6,238 yards)
Tucson, Ariz.
Feb. 25-27
Host: Arizona
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, BYU, California, Duke, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Southern California, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Washington
Defending champion: Arizona State (16-over 868) by eight over Duke; Amanda Blumenherst, Duke (three-under 210) by four over ASU's Anna Nordqvist and USC's Dewi-Claire Schreefel
Skinny: Six of the nation's top seven teams are in the field, but the tournament's impact on women's golf is even greater considering it's the last time Duke competes against West Coast titans UCLA, Arizona State and USC until the postseason. The Bruins can even their record versus the Blue Devils at 2-2, plus bruise the three-time defending NCAA champ's psyche, with a W. Conversely, Duke keeps its air of invincibility with a solid performance at Arizona National GC. The tone for the spring will be set in Tucson.

The Golf Coaches Association of America officially announced the watch list for the 2008 Ben Hogan Award presented by Chesapeake Energy. The Hogan is presented annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last 12 months.

Like I said last week, not big surprises here. Had Jhared Hack not decided to leave Central Florida after the fall semester, the list would have had 25 players.

All this said, one name that might not be so familiar is Sonoma State's Jarin Todd. The junior was the Division II player of the year last season and had two wins, two runner-ups and a seventh-place finish in five starts last fall.

The Hogan Award semifinalists will be announced April 16. Three finalists, named May 7, will be invited to Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Hogan Award presentation the evening of May 18. The 1964 U.S. Open winner and former CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi will be the keynote speaker.

Ben Hogan Award Watch List
Jonas Blixt, Florida State
Ryan Brehm, Michigan State
Kevin Chappell, UCLA
Jonas Enander Hedin, Charlotte
Harris English, Georgia
Derek Fathauer, Louisville
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
Rob Grube, Stanford
Chesson Hadley, Georgia Tech
Seung-su Han, UNLV
Brian Harman, Georgia
Mark Harrell, Alabama
Billy Horschel, Florida
Lucas Lee, UCLA
Jamie Lovemark, Southern California
Clayton Rask, Minnesota
Webb Simpson, Wake Forest
Joel Sjoholm, Georgia State
Kyle Stanley, Clemson
Michael Thompson, Alabama
Jarin Todd, Sonoma State
Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech
Drew Weaver, Virginia Tech
Stefan Wiedergruen, Charlotte

The Golf Coaches Association of America has named its coaches for the U.S. squads that will compete in three international competitions this summer.

Headlining the announcements is the selection of Stanford men's coach Conrad Ray to lead the American squad at June's Palmer Cup over in Scotland (Glasgow GC's Gailes Links).

Barry University's Jimmy Stobs will lead the U.S. side in the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship in July. And Lamar's Brian White will oversee the Americans in the Toyota World Junior Gofl Team Championship.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Charlotte (Last week's rank: 1)
The 49ers will have waited 102 days between the last round of the fall season at the Pacific Invitational and their first round of the spring season at the John Hayt. By contrasts, the layoff from the final round of the NCAA Championship last June to the first round of the fall season was 101 days.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

2. Alabama (2)
In defending titles from the 2006-07 season, the Crimson Tide is 2-0 entering this week's John Hayt Collegiate, with wins at the Carpet Capital and the Jerry Pate.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

3. Tennessee (3)
Before winning the Ping/Arizona event to start the spring, the Vols played their inter-squad Ryder Cup style tournament back in Knoxville. The Europeans claimed victory over the Americans, winning 5-3.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

4. Georgia (4)
The Bulldogs have gotten impressive performances of freshmen Harris English (two wins, 70.78 avg.) and Russell Henley (two top-10s, 71.0 avg.)--both of whom attended Georgia summer golf camps at ages 12 and 11, respectively). But as I wrote about in this week's issue of Golf World, the tricky part now is for them in the spring is to maintain their confidence while not feeling too much pressure to duplicate their fall performances.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

5. UCLA (5)
The Bruins should have good vibes in Florida next week, an event they won in 2006. Still, it will be curious to see how the Bruins bounce back from their third-place finish at the spring opener in Tucson. 
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

WOMEN
1. UCLA (3)
While no player broke par individually, the Bruins had four post top-10 finishes—Glory Yang, Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels and Maria Jose Uribe—en route to a seven-shot victory at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge to open the spring. UCLA still hasn't finished out of the top three in five starts.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

2. Duke (1)
When the Blue Devils travel to Tucson in two weeks, it will be the last time they compete against the West Coast powers until the NCAA postseason. It also will be the last time they travel farther than Georgia.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

3. Southern California (4)
A T-10 finish from senior All-American Paola Moreno at the Northrop Grumman, where the team finished third behind UCLA and Florida, is welcome news for Trojan fans after three fall starts with just one other top-10 showing. A T-10 from sophomore Stefanie Endstrasser, making her first start for USC since transferring from Purdue, is another shot in the arm.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

4. Florida (NR)
The Gators demonstrated in their runner-up finish at the Northrop Grumman that they were deeper than just the departed Sandra Gal, with Jessica Yadloczky and Whitney Myers sharing runner-up honors individually with three-over 219s, (one back of medalist Natalie Sheary of Wake Forest). Still the question remains if they can replace Gal's low scores week in and week out.
Next event: SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational, Mark Bostick GC at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 22-24

5. Arizona State (2)
Slow starts (302 in first round put them in eighth place) keeps Sun Devils from being able to defend their title at Northrop Grumman. Clawing back to fourth place by tournament's end is impressive (as was Azahara Munoz's runner-up finish), but ASU can't stake quality opponents to such large leads. That's what happened at nationals last year, if I'm not mistaken.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

STAT OF THE WEEK
5
Number of golfers in the last four playings of the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational who have finished under par after 54 holes at Sawgrass CC
2005: Matt Every, Florida, one-under 215
2004: Jason Hartwick, Texas, five-under 211; Erik Johansen, South Carolina, two-under 214; Gregg Jones, Clemson, one-under 215; Jake Thompson, South Carolina, one-under 215

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Could Stanford's NCAA Championship hangover finally have ended? The No. 8 Cardinal men won their first event since the national title at last week's UH-Hilo Intercollegiate, posting a 27-under 813 at Waikoloa Village GC, three strokes better than Arizona State and Southern California. In five fall starts, Stanford had four top-fives but lacked the drive that pushed it to seven wins in 2006-07. Coach Conrad Ray hopes the team has turned a corner, but he still has work to do to get return the group to last year’s form. Only senior Rob Grube and freshman Sihwan Kim cracked the top 25 in Hawaii, quite different from the balanced scoring the championship team displayed. First order of business: Get slumping sophomore Joseph Bramlett back on track. The 19-year-old didn’t qualify for Hawaii but his experience is something Stanford could use in the postseason.   
    Editor's note, Feb. 18: Bramlett actually did not miss the Hawaii by not qualifying. He's out 6 to 8 weeks with wrist injury.

* The Watch List for the Ben Hogan Award will be released next week. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm on the committee to help that helps pick the winner. All I can say at this point is there's no real surprises at this point. Semifinalists will be picked April 16 and the three finalists will be selected announced May 7, with the winner named at the black-tie award ceremony at Colonial CC in Fort Worth on May 18.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Sawgrass CC (Par 72, 6,895 yards)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Feb. 17-19
Host: North Florida
Field: Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgia State, Indiana, North Florida, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, Vanderbilt
Defending champion: Alabama (17-over 881); Kevin Chappell, UCLA (two-under 214)
Skinny: The tournament, previously known as the Queen's Harbor Intercollegiate and the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate before being named after Jacksonville businessman and longtime UNF golf supporter, enters its 17th year with arguably its strongest field ever. Seven of the 15 teams are ranked in the final fall Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, including No. 2 Charlotte, No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 UCLA.

Rice Intercollegiate presented by Srixon
Westwood GC (Par 72, 7,184 yards)
Houston
Feb. 18-19
Host: Rice
Field: Baylor, Charleston, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Nebraska, Pacific, Rice, Southern Utah, UC Davis, William & Mary, Winthrop
Defending champion: Sam Houston State (36-over 900); Aaron O'Callahan, Southeastern Louisiana (one-over 217, won playoff over Harrison Moore, Charleston)
Skinny: eighth year of the event

UT-San Antonio Oak Hills Intercollegiate
Oak Hills CC (par 71, 6,691 yards)
San Antonio
Feb. 18-19
Host: UT-San Antonio
Field: Air Force, Central Arkansas, DePaul, Illinois State, Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, McNeese State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, San Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Tech, UT-San Antonio, Wichita State
Defending champion: Sam Houston State (13-over 865); Matt Miller, Illinois State (five-under 208)

John Burns Intercollegiate
Leilehua GC
Wahiawa, Hawaii
Feb. 20-22
Host: Hawaii
Field: Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, BYU, California, Denver, Fresno State, Hawaii, Hawaii-Hilo, Long Beach State, Nagoya University of Commerce, Nevada, New Mexico, SMU, San Diego, San Diego State, San Jose State, Texas A&M, UC-Santa Barbara, UNLV, UTEP, Utah.
Defending champion: BYU (30-under 834); Frank Wrenn, SMU (13-under 203)
Skinny: Fourteen different American schools (and two Japanese universities) have won the tournament in its 31-year history, with Oklahoma State the leader with six team titles. Of the teams in the field this week, Arizona, BYU and UNLV each have won three times.

WOMEN
Qdoba Invitational
Don Shula's Golf Resort
Miami Lakes, Fla.
Feb. 16-18
Host: Miami (Fla.)
Defending champion: Louisville (60-over 924); Cindy LaCrosse, Louisville (10-over 226) 

Central District Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
River Wilderness CC
Parrish, Fla.
Feb. 18-19
Host: Michigan State
Field: Baylor, Indiana, Kansas State, Kent State, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M
Defending champion: Texas A&M (10-over 874); Ashley Knoll, Texas A&M (seven-under 209)
Skinny:

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Charlotte (Last week's ranking: 1)
The 49ers currently have the best winning percentage in the country (60-2, .968) and the lowest adjusted scoring average of any team (70.49). Plus, they hit 77.8 percent of their fairways as a team and 69.6 percent of greens in regulation.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

2. Alabama (2)
Including play in junior varsity events, eight of the nine Crimson Tide players to compete in the fall posted top-10 finishes. Meanwhile, the squad has a final-round stroke average of 71.55 (286.2 team total).
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

3. Tennessee (3)
After closing the fall with a victory at the Turtle Bay Classic, the Volunteers picked up where they left off with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Ping/Arizona Intercollegiate last week Best news of all for coach Jim Kelson: all five players finished in the top 21 individually.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

4. Georgia (4)
The Bulldogs' average drop score through the fall was 75.03, best in the country. Only concern would be that the team started slow in the fall (sixth-place showing in the Carpet Capital Classic).
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 29-March 2

5. UCLA (5)
The Bruins are perfect no more with a third-place finish at the Ping/Arizona event, 15 strokes off of Tennessee's winning pace. (Blame it on a poor first round.) Senior Kevin Chappell held up his end of the bargain, however, with a 15-under 198 showing that included a closing-round 64, good enough for his fourth college title.
Next event: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 17-19

WOMEN
1. Duke (1)
Give the Blue Devils their due: Their schedule is ranked third in the country, lowest of all but one school in the latest Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll. Moreover, just one other top-five team has a schedule ranked better than 10th.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

2. Arizona State (2)
In the last two seasons, the Sun Devils have won or finished second in their first two tournaments of the spring. 
Next event: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 11-13

3. UCLA (3)
The Bruins went 34-4 against top-25 opponents this fall, second only to Duke.
Next event: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 11-13

4. USC (4)
Two Trojans--Belen Mozo and Lizette Sales--have hit more than 90 percent of their fairways in the fall, according to Golfstat.
Next event: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 11-13

5. Auburn (5)
The Tigers have the benefit of a new practice facility that's just opened in the past few months to help them during the off-season.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 25-27

STAT OF THE WEEK
62
The new 18-hole scoring record for the Southern California men's golf team after sophomore Rory Hie posted the number in the second round of the UH-Hilo Invitational. The school's old mark of 63 was held by Hunter Mahan (2000 Jerry Pate Intercollegiate) and Jamie Lovemark (2007 NCAA West Regional).

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* With 36 holes in the books at the UH-Hilo Invitational, defending champion Stanford has a five-shot lead on Arizona State, after posting a 22-under 538 score at the Waikoloa Village GC on the Big Island. The Sun Devils have benefited from the debut of freshman Stephan Gross, who has posted a 64-68 in his first two rounds. He is one-shot back of teammate Jesper Kennegard and USC sophomore Jamie Lovemark in the individual competition.

* Like on the men's side, there are a few notable January additions to rosters for various top-ranked women's team. Notable is 13th-ranked Pepperdine, which adds Martine de Gannes a native of Trinidad & Tobago, to the lineup when the Waves play at the Northrop Grumman early next week. She replaces Nicole Montgomery, an Aussie who left school after the fall semester and turn pro.

TOURNAMENTS TO FOLLOW
MEN
SunTrust Gator Invitational
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of Florida GC (Par 70, 6,701 yards)
Gainesville, Fla.
Feb. 9-10
Host: Florida
Field: Alabama-Birmingham, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Florida, South Alabama, South Florida, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Florida (10-over 850); Manuel Villegas, Florida (six-under 204)
Skinny: Entering its 31st year, the Gator Invite has seen Florida play the role of bad host on numerous occasions. UF has won the last four titles, seven of the last nine, 16 of the last 19, and 21 of 30 overall. Still, the Gators, ranked 10th in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll aren't the top ranked team in the 14-school field this week, with No. 9 Duke owning that designation. No. 11 Florida State and No. 17 Wake Forest are the other two ranked teams set to play.

WOMEN
Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Palos Verdes GC (Par 71, 5,912 yards)
Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Feb. 11-13
Host: Ohio State
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Denver, Florida, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Southern California, Stanford, TCU, Texas A&M, UCLA, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Pepperdine (30-over 882); Misun Cho, Pepperdine (five-over 218)
Skinny: The spring opener for the women is no event to just ease your way out of spring break as 12 of the 15 teams are ranked in the top 25 in the latest Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll, including five of the top 10.

In the Amateur Spotlight section of this week's Golf World, I wrote about the latest "mid-major" men's program to contend on the national level: the 14th-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga squad. As impressive as the Mocs have looked through the first half of the 2007-08, however, you could make the argument the UTC women's program actually has had the better season after winning their first three tournaments of the fall with a roster of three sophomores and two freshmen, and climbing to 49th in the Golfstat women's ranking. Making the feat all the more remarkable is the fact that this is the first season the school has fielded a women's team in 23 years.

Credit Colette Murray, a 26-year-old native of Scotland, for ignoring the conventional wisdom that first-year programs have to crawl before they walk. Hired in February 2006 after working as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Jacksonville State, Murray (right) worked overtime in the months between arriving at Chattanooga and the team's first tournament. She played in dozens of amateur events in the Tennessee, hoping to run into a few home-grown players to help field her first squad, eventually attracting Katie Taylor and Kayla Stewart. Her international connections helped her get Christine Wolf (of Austria), Emma de Groot (of Australia) and Kelly Brotherton (of Scotland) to campus.

"I knew I had some [good players] coming in," Murray said. "Did I think we could win three tournaments? Yes, I did. ⿿ I've got a great bunch of girls here with a huge amount of talent and even a greater amount of heart. You put those two things together and I believe great things can happen."

The challenge now is to maintain their success, a tougher task with recent news that Brotherton, who had the team’s second best scoring average, a individual victory and two top-10s in the fall, has returned home to be with her ailing father. Down to four on her roster, Murray recently held an open call for players on campus and has Finland's Milla Junni, the starting goalie on the UTC women’s soccer team, set to play this spring to fill in before three solid recruits arrive next fall.

"She mentioned that she's never been more than a Sunday golfer," said Murray, noting Junni's handicap was around a 10, "but right now she's practicing every day with the girls and she’s come just so far in a few weeks.

"It's a real shame the way things worked out [with Brotherton], but It's working out well for us," Murray continued. "We've got a tremendous attitude on the team. We're not letting any of that hold us back in any fashion."

The Lady Mocs open their spring season at the Lady Gator Invitational Feb. 22.