For the third time in the last month, the two leading national women's player-of-the-year candidates-- Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis and Duke junior Amanda Blumenherst--competed in the same tournament, the duo wrapping up the final round of the Bryan Park National Collegiate in Brown Summit, N.C., this afternoon.

Long story short: Lewis (five-over 77/even-par 216 overall) hung on in challenging weather conditions (rain, temps in the high 30s) to her four-stroke lead to start the day, outlasting Blumenherst (74/217), who bogeyed her final hole, and claiming the individual title at Bryan Park's Players Course. The two players are now 2-2 head-to-head for the year (including last fall's Stanford Invitational).

Short story long: It's still unclear who has the edge for player-of-the-year honors. While Lewis' stroke average is higher than Blumenherst (71.88 to 70.67) and her worst finish is also well worse than Blumenherst's (T-23 to T-5), Lewis did win two of the four events that the two players both played in. Likewise, she holds the advantage in individual wins on the season, having claimed five individual titles to Blumenherst's three.

Check out their updated stats here:

AMANDA BLUMENHERST, Duke
Starts: 8
Wins: 3
Stroke average: 70.67
Rounds/Sub-par: 24/13
Percentage of rounds counting for team: 100%

Event                     Score            Finish        Team Finish
Mason Rudolph        66-68-69        Win            3rd
NCAA Preview         73-68-67        2nd            Win
Lady Tar Heel         71-68-70        Win            Win
Stanford                 66-73-76         T-5            2nd
Ariz. Wildcat          68-72-73         Win            T-2
UCF Challenge         69-68-74            T-3               Win
Liz Murphey              74-72-74           T-3             T-5
Bryan Park Nat'l        70-73-74        2nd                2nd

STACY LEWIS, Arkansas
Starts: 9
Wins: 5
Stroke average: 71.88
Rounds/Sub-par: 26/13
Percentage of rounds counting for team: 100%

Event                     Score            Finish        Team Finish
Ky. Wildcat             69-76-71        T-3            3rd
Mercedes-Benz        69-71-71        3rd             3rd
Stanford                 69-72-70        Win            4th
UA/Ann Rhodes       68-76-69        Win            Win
Puerto Rico             68-70-70        Win            T-5
UCF Challenge         70-76-72         T-23             12th
Betsy Rawls                74-77                 Win              4th
Liz Murphey                75-74-76           T-10             4th
Bryan Park Nat'l       70-69-77            Win              4th

Not unlike the Democratic party's race for a presidential nominee, this contest between Lewis and Blumenherst is still too close to call. Both players have their respective conference championships (Lewis in the SEC at Tennessee National in Louden, Tenn., April 18-20, Blumenherst in the ACC at Florida's LPGA International April 18-20) and then will wait for the NCAA postseason to begin.

Bottom line: The most exciting POY race in a decade is only likely to get more exciting.

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

MEN
1. Alabama (Last week: 1)
The Crimson Tide's tournament win steak ends at three with their third-place showing at the U.S. Collegiate outside Atlanta. The team could be a little disappointed that Oklahoma State passed them for second place over the final nine holes Wednesday, but the bottom line was Alabama only finished eight strokes behind victorious USC.
Next event: Morris Williams Intercollegiate, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, April 7-8

2. USC (5)
The most impressive part of the Trojans' highly impressive victory at the U.S. Collegiate Wednesday was that the team went out and a won the tournament with its five-under 283 final-round performance. USC might be young (it started two sophomores and three freshmen this week) but looks to be quite hungry.
Next event: Stanford Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., April 19-20

3. Georgia (3)
An under-par final round at the U.S. Collegiate was nice, but a little late to help the Bulldogs finish better than ninth place, the team's worst showing since March 2006. There's a lot of talent here, but this isn't the kind of momentum you like to see build with the postseason approaching.
Next event: The Administaff Augusta State Invitational, Champions Retreat GC, Evans, Ga., March 30-April 1

4. Charlotte (2)
A first-round 304 at the U.S. Collegiate was the worst 18 holes from the 49ers all season, explaining the 10th-place showing overall. A home game in a couple weeks is just what Jamie Green needs to get his group back on track.
Next event: Palisades Collegiate, Palisades CC, Charlotte, N.C., April 14-15

5. Tennessee (4)
The Vols were the lone team among the nation's elite missing from all of last week's top events (U.S. Collegiate, Hootie at Bulls Bay and the National Invitational Tournament). Guess they were catching their breathe before the stretch run here in April.
Next event: The Administaff Augusta State Invitational, Champions Retreat GC, Evans, Ga., March 30-April 1

WOMEN
1. Duke (1)
The Blue Devils' T-5 finish at last weekend's Liz Murphey Collegiate, amazingly, was the worst finish since October 2006. They should be able to rebound pretty easily, though, seeing as they're playing an event they're familiar with in the Bryan Park National Collegiate.
Next event: Bryan Park National Collegiate, Bryan Park GC, Brown Summit, N.C., March 28-30

2. UCLA (2)
Can a first-team All-American be an underrated player? Junior Tiffany Joh just might be. Consider that in her seven starts, she has six top-10 finishes and a share of a tournament title. Her worst showing? T-13 at Stanford in October.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

3. USC (3)
Question for the Trojans (as well as their crosstown rivals the Bruins): Will there be any rust with a three-week break from their last start at the UCF Challenge to next weekend in Arizona?
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

4. Florida (4)
Want another sign of how well the Lady Gators have been doing despite the loss of Sandra Gal? Consider that Gal, now on the LPGA Tour, still ranks No. 10 in the Golfstat Cup ranking.
Next event: Bryan Park National Collegiate, Bryan Park GC, Brown Summit, N.C., March 28-30

5. Oklahoma State (5)
Junior All-American Pernilla Lindberg has improved her finish in every event this spring (16th, T-12, T-5, second). Guess we know who's going to be medalist outside Phoenix next week.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

STAT OF THE WEEK
394
Number of days since a round from Florida junior Billy Horschel hasn't counted toward the Gators' team score. Prior to Horschel posting a final-round 74 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Invitational in South Carolina Tuesday, the two-time first-team All-American's last non-counting round was a 73 in the second round of the Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 26, 2007.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
1.) I haven't gotten a definitive word on this from the NCAA, but my hunch is that if Arizona senior Alison Walshe goes on to win the Pac-10 player-of-the-year award this season the 2008 U.S. Curtis Cup team member would be not just the first golfer but the first athlete in any sport to have earned such an honor in three different conferences during her college career.

Walshe, a Westford, Mass., native, started at Boston College, where she won Big East player-of-the-year as a freshman in 2005. That summer she transferred to Tulane, and there she won the Conference USA's top honor as a sophomore in 2006. When Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans school to temporarily shut down the women's program, Walshe transferred to Arizona where she was a first-team All-American as junior. This season, she has a 72.08 stroke average, two wins (including last week's Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational), five top-fives and seven top-10s in eight starts. Her toughest competition will come from UCLA's Tiffany Joh.

2.) Don't look now, but USC sophomore Jamie Lovemark is starting to get on a role. Granted, the reigning NCAA player of the year and the defending NCAA champion hasn't won an event during the 2007-08 season. Still, the way he played the final round of the U.S. Collegiate Wednesday--six birdies, no bogeys for a 66 and a T-2 finish with a seven-under 209 overall--showed he's on his game.

"Every team needs their best players playing well and we really need Jamie to perform like he did today."

I hadn't seen Lovemark in person in a while, but the 6-foot-4 20-year-old from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., has filled out his previously lanky frame and become an imposing figure on the course, literally. We haven't seen a repeat individual winner at the NCAA Championship since Arizona State's Phil Mickelson in 1990. (Ironically, Lovemark and Mickelson play out of the same club, with Mickelson serving as a bit of a mentor to Lovemark.) This could be the year that drought ends.

3.) Alabama senior Michael Thompson, along with Crimson Tide coach Jay Seawell, heads to Augusta National GC this weekend for what will be his final tune-up before tournament week at the Masters. Thus far this year, Thompson says he's played seven practice rounds on the course, noting that any weekend he hasn't had a college tournament he's made the five-plus hour drive from Tuscaloosa.

Not since 2005 has an amateur made the cut in the year's first major, but I think Thompson will buck that trend this year. The U.S. Amateur runner-up has had a very impressive college season, posting a 70.1 stroke average, five top-five finishes and seven top-10s (including at T-8 at the U.S. Collegiate). His worst showing has been a T-10, and he has shown no ill effects from the broken left ring finger he suffered last fall.

Thompson, who had several agents following him on the course this past week at the GC of Georgia, told me this past week he will remain an amateur through the U.S. Open, having also earned a spot at Torrey Pines thanks to his performance at last year's Amateur. He also hopes to play on the U.S. Palmer Cup team, which will be named on, interestingly enough, his birthday (April 16). He intends to turn pro after the U.S. Open and hopes to receive some sponsor's exemptions into PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour events in preparation for a trip to Q school in the fall.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
Furman Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Furman University GC (Par 72, 6,800 yards)
Greenville, S.C.
March 28-30
Host: Furman
Field: Appalachian State, Charleston Southern, Chattanooga, Clemson, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Marshall, North Florida, Ohio State, Old Dominion, Presbyterian, Rhode Island, Samford, South Carolina, UNC Wilmington, USC Aiken, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Wofford
Defending champion: Virginia Tech (nine-over 873) by four over Elon; Jayson Judy, Elon (five-under 211) by three over Rhode Island's Ben Spitz, Jacksonville's Duncan Stewart and Charleston Southern's Stuart Carrihill
Skinny: With a 24-team field, you've got to hope Mother Nature looks kindly on South Carolina this weekend. A few heavy hitters--Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia Tech--are making an appearance in the 39th annual event and could pick up a lot of wins for their three-days work.

Adidas Hoosier Invitational
Indiana University GC (Par 71, 6,813 yards)
Bloomington, Ind.
March 29-30
Host: Indiana
Field: Ball State, Bowling Green, Butler, Cleveland State, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, George Washington, IPFW, IUPUI, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Purdue, Toledo, Western Illinois, Youngstown State
Skinny: The tournament was revived after first being played in September 2003, when former IU All-American and future PGA Tour player Jeff Overton won the event by five strokes and the Hoosiers captured the team title by 33.

Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic
Wichita CC (Par 71, 6,814 yards)
Wichita, Kan.
March 31-April 1
Host: Wichita State
Field: Denver, Florida Gulf Coast, Hartford, Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Northeastern State, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma City, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio, Virginia Commonwealth, Wichita State
Defending champion: UT Arlington (39-over 891) by two over Oklahoma City; Bobby Massa, UT Arlington (six-over 219) by one over Arkansas' Andrew Landry and Kansas State's Robert Streb
Skinny: Having gone largely unnoticed by many is the fact that Wichita State has five wins (Gene Miranda, Adams Cup, Stephen F. Austin, Sycuan Collegiate, Callaway Invitational) this season. Says here the Shockers are about to get No. 6 come next week.

Ogio Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Rancho San Marcos GC (Par 71, 6,814 yards)
Santa Barbara, Calif.
March 31-April 1
Host: UC Santa Barbara
Field: Boise State, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, Idaho State, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Sacramento State, San Francisco, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, Weber State
Defending champion: Cal Poly (37-under 827) by five over Denver; Chris Kirk, Cal Poly (17-under 199) by four over Idaho's Russell Grove
Skinny: If you're looking for an individual favorite, consider Boise State's Troy Merritt. He has won three titles this year and is coming off a school-record performance at the Ron Moore Invitational.

Wofford Invitational
Carolina CC (Par 72, 6,877 yards)
Spartanburg, S.C.
March 31-April 1
Host: Wofford
Field: Akron, Appalachian State, Charleston Southern, Elon, Furman, High Point, Presbyterian, Radford, Stetson, USC Beaufort, USC Upstate, Wofford
Defending champion: Elon (seven-under 857) by 10 over Charleston Southern; Andres Cuenca, Western Carolina (eight-under 208) by two over Wofford's John Gault and Elon's Justin Newton
Skinny: Three of the past four team champions (Elon, 2006 champ Charleston Southern and 2004 champ Furman) are competing in the 21st playing of the event.

WOMEN
Bryan Park National Collegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Players Course at Bryan Park GC (Par 72, 6,319 yards)
Brown Summit, N.C.
March 28-30
Host: UNC Greensboro/Wake Forest
Field: Arkansas, Auburn, Charleston, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Furman, Michigan State, North Carolina, N.C. State, Penn State, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Purdue (23-over 887) by seven over Florida; Sandra Gal, Florida, and Maria Hernandez, Purdue (one-under 215) with Hernandez winning a playoff
Skinny: The event has turned into a great final preparation before conference championships for East Coast schools. It's also become a favorite for the Duke Blue Devils, who have won the event six times in its 10 years. That said, for only the second time it will be contested on the Players course as the Champions course is undergoing renovations for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Mountain View Collegiate
Mountain View GC (Par 72, 6,178 yards)
Tucson, Ariz.
March 29-30
Host: Colorado
Field: Arizona, Baylor, Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, East Carolina, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma, San Jose State, Texas Tech
Defending champion: Nebraska (two-over 866) by four over Northwestern; Elaine Harris, Indiana, (seven-under 209) by five over Denver's Katie Kempter, Oklahoma's Kendall Dye and Northwestern's Liliana Alvarez
Skinny: East Carolina heads west to see if it can keep its five-event winning streak alive. Toughest hurdle the Lady Pirates will face in this event that's celebrating its 10th year: sixth-ranked Arizona.

John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate
Eagle's Landing CC (Par 73, 6,145 yards)
Stockbridge, Ga.
March 30-April 1
Host: Georgia State
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Augusta State, Campbell, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Elon, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Maryland, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, Richmond, Western Carolina, Xavier
Defending champion: Maryland (nine-over 585) by five over Louisville; Stacey Tate, Memphis (four-under 140) by one over Maryland's Kelly Calkin and East Carolina's Lene Krog
Skinny: The event, being held for the 15th time, is named after the late John Kirk, a long-time supporter of the Georgia State women's program and a former pro at Northwood CC, where the tournament was first held. Meanwhile, Maryland got some long odds to beat if it wants to repeat as champions; in the last nine years, nine different schools have won the team title.

Sacramento State Invitational
Lincoln Hills GC (Par 72, 5,819 yards)
Sacramento, Calif.
March 31-April 1
Host: Sacramento State
Field: Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, Colorado, Denver, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Idaho, Nevada, Northern Arizona, Oregon, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UNLV, Washington State
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: Tourney gets a fair amount of interest in that it's played on the course that will host the NCAA West Regional in May.

BYU Dixie Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Entrada at Snow Canyon (Par 72, 6,216 yards)
St. George, Utah
April 1-2
Host: BYU
Field: BYU, Colorado State, Idaho State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Portland State, Redlands CC, Southern Utah, Texas Tech, Utah Valley State, Weber State, Wyoming
Defending champion: BYU (14-over 878) by 16 over TCU; Alison Walshe, Arizona (two-under 214) by two over Denver's Stephanie Sherlock
Skinny: The host Cougars are the clear favorites, particularly after coming off their first victory of the 2007-08 when they shared the team title with Washington State at the UNLV Spring Invitational earlier this month.

ALPHARETTA, GA.--At a tournament where organizers bend over backward for participants (limos to and from the airport, Escalades to and from the golf course, caddies to and from the first hole to the 18th) should it really be much of a surprise that the U.S. Collegiate Championship offered up not just one but several feel-good stories for the week?

For starters, there's the Southern California men and their impressive three-shot victory over Oklahoma State. The Trojans were propelled by a final-round five-under 283 at GC of Georgia's Lakeside Course, that gave them an even-par 864 for the three days. It was USC's second victory of the spring, but considering how stout the field was here in suburban Atlanta--the top eight teams in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll were on hand, and 10 of the top-25--this one carries a little extra juice.

"Hopefully this lets these guys know they belong at the highest level," said USC coach Chris Zambri of his sixth-ranked squad. "Not only to win, but to win with a great round means a lot."

Leading the way was defending NCAA champion Jamie Lovemark, who closed with a smooth 66. Still, the most inspiring performance might have come from Gavin Reid, a freshman from Northern Ireland who won a qualifier back home to get his spot in the lineup for only his fourth college start (and keep Tom Glissmeyer back in L.A.). Reid struggled the first two days, not counting during either round (77-83) for the Trojans and leaving himself T-70 individually entering Wednesday's play before he "fought on" to shoot a two-under 70 and become feel-good story No. 2.

As USC took home the team hardware, literally--I saw the players (Rory Hie, Tim Sluiter and Matt Giles) walking through Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport this evening, Lovemark carrying a cardboard box that contained the tournament trophy--runner-up Oklahoma State's final-day performance (seven-under 281) gave the folks in Stillwater reasons to believe their 2007-08 squad might not be too young to get the job done.

Most importantly, the team's old man--junior Trent Leon--showed a great deal of maturity as he slept on the 36-hole lead, then weathered a birdie/double-bogey/bogey start to eventually shoot a final-round 70 and claim his first college individual title (feel-good story No. 3) with an eight-under 208 performance.

Leon had been striking the ball well since the fall, but his putter hasn't cooperated. He took the red-eye flight from San Diego to Orlando after the Barona Collegiate tournament two weeks ago to work with instructor Kevin Smeltz and then visited a friend in the Atlanta area to work out a few more kinks on the putting green.

With freshman Rickie Fowler giving more reason to believe he is a contender for player of the year (final-round 67 for a seven-under 209 total), Leon provided the additional low score the Cowboys had been missing much of the season. Leon says that it's patience that he's trying to practice now that he's the elder-statesment of the squad.

"Rickie told one of the guys the other day that I was the dad on the team," Leon said last week. "I've never been called a dad. I feel like I'm pretty damn immature.

"But it's been good. I had guys to look up to my first few years. I learned a lot, and now I think I can pass some things one. I like this role a little better."

"He's knocked on the door a few times," said OSU coach Mike McGraw. "This is a huge win for him. I'm hoping maybe this is the step he needs to get to where he needs to be."

******

So what did we learn this week?

1.) It can snow in Georgia in March (yep, those were flurries the first day).

2.) While tournament organizers would have liked the course to be a little greener--cold temps kept the bermuda from coming out of dormancy--and the greens a little firmer, they've got a course that is plenty challenging regardless of the time of year the tournament is played. (And GC of Georgia members more than likely will have the conditions they want next week when 2007 U.S. Amateur champ (turned pro) Colt Knost and 2007 British Amateur champ Drew Weaver contest the 11th Georgia Cup.)

3.) There is no separation among the top teams in men's college golf. Top-ranked Alabama finished a respectable third, eight shots back of USC, while No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Charlotte came in ninth and 10th, respectively. Come the NCAA Championship at Purdue's Kampen Course in May, it's really going to be anybody's title to claim.

With all the talk of Elite Eights, Final Fours and bracket mania coming to men's college golf in 2009, it seems appropriate to revive something I explored last year when I was struggling with my picks for the men's NCAA basketball tournament. (Not that anyone else cares, but this year my picks are going much better in the infamous 13th annual Johnny Quest Memorial NCAA Candy Bar Poll.) With men's hoops down to 16 teams, could we predict how the rest of tournament would go based on how good their men’s golf teams at these schools are?

The premise is a little outlandish, perhaps, but is it any more preposterous than somebody picking games based on their favorite colors? Or those who simply flip a coin for each game? A year ago, this system had USC winning the men's hoops championship, not Florida, although it did successful have the Gators and UCLA get to the Final Four.

Just to remember the ground rules: I go through this year’s brackets from the Sweet 16 on, picking each of the remaining games based strictly on how schools’ golf teams have done head-to-head in tournaments they’ve played against each other to see if this might be my new method to March Madness. In the event of ties, or the fact the teams haven’t faced each other, I’ll use their overall win-loss records on the season (versus all opponents), the better percentage advancing.

EAST REGION
Sweet 16
North Carolina vs. Washington State
    The Tar Heels tied for first at the Bank of Tennessee at The Ridge (lost a scorecard playoff for the title)but have three top-five finishes in seven starts with an overall record of 55-37-3 (.595).
    The Cougars tied for first at the Cuthbert Cup this spring (lost a scorecard playoff for the title) but have just two top-five finishes in eight starts with an overall record of 34-66-1 (.342).
    Winner: North Carolina

Tennessee vs. Louisville
    The Volunteers have two wins this season (Turtle Bay, Ping/Arizona) and seven top-five finishes in nine starts with an overall record of 95-24-3 (.791).
    The Cardinals have one win (UNGC-Bridgestone) and six top-five finishes in eight starts with an overall record of 78-35-3 (.685).
    Winner: Tennessee

Elite 8
North Carolina vs. Tennessee
    The Tar Heels and Volunteers have been in the same field in two events this season (Bank of Tennessee at The Ridges, Schenkel E-Z-Go). UNC finished T-1 and 10th, respectively, while Tennessee was T-5 and fourth, leaving the two teams tied head-to-head at 1-1. Using overall winning percentages to break the tie the winner is ...
    Winner: Tennessee

MIDWEST REGION
Sweet 16
Kansas vs. Villanova
    The Jayhawks have not won this season and have only one top-five finishes in nine starts with an overall record of 29-93-3 (.244).
    The Wildcats have not won this season and have only one top-five finish in nine starts with an overall record of 25-106-3 (.198).   
    Winner: Kansas

Wisconsin vs. Davidson
    The Badgers have not won this season but have two top-five finishes in seven starts with an overall record of 64-28-4 (.688).
     The Wildcats have not won this season and have not had a top-five finish in six starts, posting an overall record of 16-75-3 (.186).
    Winner: Wisconsin

Elite 8
Kansas vs. Wisconsin
    The Jayhawks and Badgers have played in one tournament together, the Prestige at PGA West in October (Kansas finished 16th; Wisconsin finished sixth).
    Winner: Wisconsin

SOUTH REGION
Sweet 16
Memphis vs. Michigan State
    The Tigers have one win (Charleston Southern Spring Invitational) and five top-five finishes with an overall record of 59-41-4 (.587).
    The Spartans have one win (Notre Dame Gridiron Classic) and three top-five finishes in six starts with an overall record of 44-27-1 (.618).
    Winner: Michigan State

Texas vs. Stanford
    The Longhorns and Cardinal both played in the Olympia Fields Illini Invitational (UT: second; Stanford: fifth) and the Isleworth Invitational (Stanford: ninth; UT: T-14).
    Texas has three top-five finishes in 10 starts and an overall record of 66-52-3 (.558); Stanford has one win (UH-Hilo Invitational) and five top-fives in seven starts with an overall record of 64-17 (.790).
    Winner: Stanford

Elite 8
Michigan State vs. Stanford
    There's a little Intrigue here, with former Stanford assistant coach Sam Puryear now the head coach at MSU. Since the schools haven't played in the same event, the winning percentages determine the ...
    Winner: Stanford

WEST REGION
Sweet 16
UCLA vs. Western Kentucky
    The Bruins have three wins (Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge, Callaway Match Play, CordeValle Collegiate) and six top-five finishes in six starts with a overall record of 56-7 (.889).
    The Hilltoppers have one win (Cobb-Ferrell Mean Green Classic) but it's their lone top-five finish. Their overall record is 40-40 (.500).
    Winner: UCLA

Xavier vs. West Virginia
    The Musketeers have no wins and two top-five finishes with an overall record of 43-56-2 (.436).
    The Mountaineers don’t have a varsity men’s golf team.
    Winner: Xavier

Elite 8
UCLA vs. Xavier
    The two schools haven't played in the same event this year, so the winning percentage gives the victory to ...
    Winner: UCLA

FINAL FOUR
Tennessee vs. Wisconsin
    The Volunteers and Badgers haven't squared off this season. The Volunteers' .791 winning percentage beats the Badgers' .688.
    Winner: Tennessee

Stanford vs. UCLA
    These Pac-10 rivals, interestingly, have played in just one common events: the CordeValle Collegiate. There, the Bruins won the team title by 11 strokes over the runner-up Cardinal.
    Winner: UCLA

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Tennessee vs. UCLA
    The battle for the national title is a good one with the Volunteers and Bruins have played in three tournaments together:
    Callaway Match Play: UCLA wins; Tennessee is fifth
    Ping/Arizona Invitational: Tennessee wins; UCLA is third
    John Hayt Collegiate Invitational: UCLA is second; Tennessee is T-3

And there you have it ⿿ you heard it here first ⿿ the winner of the 2007 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be the UCLA Bruins.

Thanks of course to their golf team.

While neither of the top national player-of-the-year candidates could pull out a victory at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic Sunday, Duke's Amanda Blumenherst (four-over 220) was five strokes better than Arkansas' Stacy Lewis (nine-over 225) at the University of Georgia GC in Athens this weekend. Blumenherst made three birdies over her last seven holes on Sunday for a final-round 74; Lewis double bogeyed her first hole and made four other bogeys along with two birdies for a Sunday 76.

Blumenherst's T-3 finish (two shots back of co-medalists Maria Hernandez and Christel Boeljon of Purdue) gives her a 2-1 head-to-head record versus Lewis (T-10) on the season and likely the inside track in their duel to be the NCAA's top player in 2007-08.

The two have one more face-off before the postseason when Duke and Arkansas compete in the Bryan National Collegiate this coming weekend in Brown Summit, N.C.

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

MEN
1. Alabama (Last week: 1)
The Crimson Tide set a single-season school win record with their fifth victory of the year at last weekend's Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational. Just how deep is Jay Seawell's squad? Stewart Whitt, playing in his first tournament since traveling with the team to Japan for the Topy Cup the first week of September, posts a T-18 finish last week to become the seventh different player to be in the line-up when Alabama won a tournament. Roll Tide indeed.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

2. Charlotte (3)
The 49ers' have hit 77.4 percent of fairways and have a 1.791 putts per greens in regulation average as a team. They're going to need to continue posting these numbers on a treacherous course this week in Georgia.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

3. Georgia (4)
Apparently Brian Harman was listening (or, more appropriately, reading) last week's syllabus as the junior did step up, finishing T-3 at the Linger Longer Invitational and helping the Bulldogs finish second in the event. If he can continue this, he'll take a lot of pressure off Georgia's youngsters--there are no seniors on this team--as the postseason draws near.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

4. Tennessee (2)
A fourth-place finish at the Schenkel isn't that bad, but it is the Volunteers' worst performance of the spring. My pitch for Chris Paisley as a dark-horse player-of-the-year candidate fell apart last weekend with a T-44 individual finish. Says here, though, that Tennessee will bounce back at Augusta State's event.
Next event: The Administaff Augusta State Invitational, Champions Retreat GC, Evans, Ga., March 30-April 1

5. USC (5)
The Trojans come cross country for the U.S. Collegiate, and we'll all get a better sense this weekend of just how much a threat this Pac-10 squad truly is.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

WOMEN
1. Duke (1)
The Blue Devils officially announced the signing of U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion Mina Harigae to a letter of intent for next fall. Exactly when this dynasty is going to start to slip remains to be seen.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 21-23

2. UCLA (2)
Bruins lead the nation in par-4 scoring (4.13) and have adjusted scoring average of 72.99, second-best in the country.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

3. USC (3)
The Trojans amazingly have an identical scoring average for the first round and the final round (73.97).
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

4. Florida (4)
The Gators thought they'd grabbed the team title at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational yesterday, only to see New Mexico clip them by one stroke. They're still a perfect nine-for-nine in top five finishes.
Next event: Bryan National Collegiate, Bryan National Champions GC, Brown Summit, N.C., March 28-30

5. Oklahoma State (NR)
The Cowgirls make it two wins in three starts with their 13-shot victory over Arizona at the Dr. Donnis Thompson in Hawaii. Most impressive was their strong final-round 293, the low score on Wednesday by 10 strokes.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part I
4
Number of men's teams in the latest Golf World/NIke Golf coaches' poll that have not yet won a tournament during the 2007-08 season: No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 14 Clemson, No. 22 East Tennessee State and No. 23. North Carolina).

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part II
10
Number of women's teams in the latest Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll that have not yet won a tournament during the 2007-08 season: No. 6 Arizona, No. 7 Purdue, No. 8 Auburn, No. 11 Georgia, No. 15 Pepperdine, No. 17 Tennessee, No. 20 Stanford, No. 22 Vanderbilt, No. 23 LSU, No. 24 Texas A&M

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* By playing at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational this week in her homestate of Texas, defending NCAA champion Stacy Lewis had a chance to visit her swing coach and try to figure out what was bugging the Arkansas senior at the UCF Challenge a few weeks back, when she posted her worst finish of the 2007-08 season (T-23). Lewis told me she feels pretty close to being back to the way she felt last fall, but was still a little loose with the swing at the Betsy Rawls. Could have fooled me, considering she won the rain-shortened event yesterday at the University of Texas GC in Austin.

After yesterday's final round, the Lady Razorbacks jumped on a flight to Georgia to play in this weekend's Liz Murphey Collegiate in Athens. It's the second tournament this month that Lewis will be in the same field with her primary competition for national player of the year, Duke's Amanda Blumenherst. While the Blue Devil evened their head-to-head record at 1-1 at UCF, Lewis looks like she's set to make it a little more competitive this weekend at the University of Georgia GC.

* It's not just Lewis who appears ready for a good weekend in Georgia, but the entire Lady Razorback team. The school is on spring break, allowing coach Shauna Estes-Taylor to schedule the two tournaments in one week for her squad. If anyone was afraid of Arkansas might be tired, Lewis feels like the team actually got a break when Tuesday's second round of the Betsy Rawls was washed out. Arkansas finished fourth and is trying to show it has a program that's deeper than just Lewis. For some reason, I think this weekend might be the time the Lady Razorbacks do just that.

* Got a chance to visit the University of Texas GC this week and can honestly say it's a most impressive facility, particularly the "Academy" building that the Longhorns' men's and women's teams practice out of. (My one problem: do you have to put the Longhorn logo on absolutely everything around the place? Tee boxes is one thing, but the "horns" are even all over the cart paths.) It was freaky weather, not the course itself, that produced the high scores at the Betsy Rawls (average individual score for the event: 82.24). In talking to women's coach Martha Richards, though, you realize that when the course plays host to the NCAA Central Regional in May, scores might be a little lower but not that much. Tricky greens put a premium on players short games, and the course is certainly no push over. If the winds act up like they did this week, it will be great preparation for the NCAA Championship in Albuquerque, where winds are likely to be a factor. Bottom line: if you're coming to Austin to try to advance to nationals don't expect to post a lot of red numbers.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Bulls Bay GC
Awendaw, S.C.
March 23-25
Host: Charleston/Clemson/South Carolina
Field: Auburn, Augusta State, Baylor, Central Florida, Charleston, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Lamar, LSU, N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Wake Forest and Baylor (12-under 840), Wake winning on the third hole of a playoff; Wallace Booth, Augusta State (eight-under 205) by one over UCF's Greg Forest and Wake Forest's Webb Simpson
Skinny: Clemson coach Larry Penley is a class act, but his Tigers have been disappointing this season with only three top-five finishes and no wins. It's time for Clemson to step up. Wake Forest has done it of late. Virginia Tech's got two wins. Time for Clemson to come back into the upper echelon of the ACC.

National Invitational Tournament
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Omni Tucson National Resort (Par 72, 7,033 yards)
Tucson, Ariz.
March 23-25
Host: Arizona
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Iowa, Kent State, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Sam Houston State, TCU, Tulsa, UNLV, UTEP, Virginia
Defending champion: Arizona State (24-under 840) by eight over UCLA; Niklas Lemke, Arizona State (nine-under 207) by one over Arizona State's Benjamin Alvarado and Tulsa's Ryan Henry
Skinny: The host Wildcats are below the .500 bubble right now, which makes them even more grateful that the field is a little more "diverse" this year with lower profile schools (Iowa, Sam Houston State, UTEP) coming to the desert. I like the Sun Devils to repeat here.

Oregon Duck Invitational
Emerald Valley GC (Par 72, 7,093 yards)
Creswell, Ore.
March 24-25
Host: Oregon
Field: Arkansas, Idaho, Northern Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, Portland, San Diego State, UC Davis, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion: Southern California (four-over 868) by six over Oregon State; Alex Prugh, Washington, Jamie Lovemark, Southern California and Kevin Chappell, UCLA (two-under 214)
Skinny: The event moves from Eugene CC--where the women's event is being played this week. A little less starpower in the field than a year ago. Considering Washington always seems to wake up and kickstart its season in March, I think we should all watch the Huskies.

U.S. Collegiate Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
GC of Georgia
Alpharetta, Ga.
March 24-26
Host: Georgia Tech
Field: Alabama, BYU, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Southern California, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA
Defending champion: Georgia (20-over 884) by eight over UCLA; Webb Simpson, Wake Forest (one-under 215) by three over Hudson Swafford
Skinny: An five-star field on an incredible course with wicked fast greens. It's as close to what you're going to see at the NCAA Championship in May as any tournament between now and nationals.

USA Mobile Bay Intercollegiate
Heron Lakes CC (par 72, 6,900 yards)
Mobile, Ala.
March 25-26
Host: South Alabama
Field: Eastern Michigan, Chattanooga, Davidson, Hartford, Louisville, Memphis, Mercer, Mississippi State, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Xavier
Defending champion: Chattanooga (17-under 847) by 12 over South Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana; Derek Rende, Chattanooga (12-under 204) by three over Memphis' Ian Rochester
Skinny: The Mocs of Chattanooga have regrouped and are my favorite here, although watch upstate Mississippi State as well.

Western Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Pasatiempo GC
Santa Cruz, Calif.
March 26-27
Host: San Jose State
Field: California, Colorado, Columbia, Fresno State, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Michigan State, Missouri, Nevada, Northwestern, San Jose State, Santa Clara, St. Mary's (Calif.), Texas Tech, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara
Defending champion: Purdue (nine-over 849) by 15 over California; John Streibich, Xavier (11-under 199) by one over Purdue's Pariya Junhasavasdikul
Skinny: A historic event on an great golf course. The field might not be incredible, but the winner here can be quite proud of its accomplishment.

WOMEN
Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of Georgia GC
Athens, Ga.
March 21-23
Host: Georgia
Field: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Central Florida, Duke, Florida State, Furman, Georgia, Kent State, Kentucky, LSU, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest  Defending champion: Auburn (29-over 881) by 11 over Florida; Leah Wigger, Virginia and Maria Hernandez, Purdue (two-over 215), Wigger wins playoff with a birdie on the first hole
Skinny: This event is always among the better tournaments in the spring, and the field is even more stout this year thanks to the fact the course hosts the NCAA East Regional and many top schools wanted a early looks-see. Hard to pick against Duke in any event the Blue Devils tee it up.

First Market Bank Intercollegiate
Ford's Colony CC (Par 72, 6,013 yards)
Williamsburg, Va.
March 22-23
Host: William & Mary
Field: Appalachian State, Bradley, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Detroit, Eastern Kentucky, Georgetown, James Madison, Lehigh, Longwood, Marshall, Methodist, Monmouth, Old Dominion, Pennsylvania, Radford, Richmond, Towson, Western Michigan, William and Mary
Defending champion: Western Michigan (41-over 617) by two over Methodist; Laura Bavaird, Western Michigan (two-over 146) by four over Methodist's Charlotte Williams and Winthrop's Sara Hester
Skinny: Last year, perennial Division III champ Methodist nearly won this Division I event. I think the Monarchs could close the deal this time.

Oregon Duck Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Eugene CC
Eugene, Ore.
March 24-25
Host: Oregon
Field: California, Colorado, Idaho, Long Beach State, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Texas-San Antonio, UC Davis, Washington, Washington State, Wyoming
Defending champion: San Francisco (55-over 919) by three over Washington State; Amy Eneroth, Washington State and Jessica Potter, San Francisco (six-over 222), Eneroth wins on first playoff hole
Skinny: This much is clear ... USF's Potter can't make it three straight years forcing an individual playoff with birdie on the last hole; the Dons aren't in the field up in Oregon this week.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--It was their own fault, as New Mexico women's coach Jill Trujillo openly admitted afterward. The ultimate result, mind you, was just fine with them.

When the windy second (and final round) of the rain-shortened 35th Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational finally came to an end this afternoon it appeared Florida and New Mexico had tied for the team title, with the Gators winning a tiebreaker thanks to having the lower fifth-golfer score Wednesday at the University of Texas GC. That was the scoop after coaches conferred with one another. The Gators ate collectively outside the clubhouse as they waited to receive their hardware, while the Lobos were off to their team van thinking it just wasn't their day.

Less than a minute before the start of the award ceremony, however, Trujillo was back from the parking lot and noticed that New Mexico's score of 47-over 623 was actually one stroke better than Florida's 624. Rather than a tie/loss situation, it was a win/win at the tournament officials were about to announce to those who remained for the presentation. The coach in her first full year at UNM ran back to the parking lot, literally, got her team--now dressed in street clothes--to be on hand to get their first-place trophy.

"Apparently we don’t know how second grade math works," Trujillo said afterward, who still wasn't sure exactly where the team had made its mistake in figuring out their team score. "We didn't add things up right."

As surprised as New Mexico was, so were the Gators. Florida women's coach Jill Briles-Hinton handled the miscommunication with grace. The scoreboard is ultimately the official result, she explained. Yet another reason why this woman deserves serious consideration for women's national coach of the year. Briles-Hinton set a tremendous example for her team, even if it was painful--and awkward--award ceremony.

What made this whole thing interesting, in my mind, was watching the Lobos come to the ceremony and learn they actually had won. You forget sometimes how exciting this can be, how meaningful a victory is to these college kids--Britney Choy (third place individually), Mikaela Backstedt (T-4), Alexandra Phelps (T-4), Jodi Ewart (T-18) and Morgan Grantham (T-68). It was the team's first win of the season and sets the 25th ranked team in the latest Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll up well for the upcoming postseason.

The Lobos, as did the entire field, had to deal with some incredible rain Tuesday that saw the second round begin, but not end as play was cancelled and the second round had a Wednesday restart. While skies were sunny, the conditions were still brutal with the winds of 25 to 30 mph creating incredibly trying conditions: The day's low score was a four-over 76 from Florida's Whitney Myers and Kansas State's Michelle Regan, and just 15 of 90 rounds were in the 70s.

Individually, Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis' 77 on the day and seven-over 151 total was enough to secure medalist honors. Perhaps no one was more surprised by the fact than Lewis herself. "When I was out there I didn't think it was playing all that hard," said Lewis, who also won this event as a redshirt freshman in 2005. "I was sure that somebody was shooting somewhere around par."

Playing in a shotgun format, Lewis made a six-foot birdie on her final hole (No. 3), while Myers, the eventual runner-up at eight-over 152, made a bogey on her last hole (No. 18).

The victory was Lewis' 10th of her standout college career, and yet she too demonstrated that winning is still pretty special, even if you've gotten the knack of it. "It's a nice feeling when your game isn't at its best and you can still win," Lewis said. "It's a pretty neat to know you can do that."

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

MEN
1. Alabama (Last week: 1)
Somehow only one Crimson Tide player is currently in the top 70 in the Golfstat Cup ranking (Michael Thompson at No. 2). Nevertheless, Alabama has five golfers with sub-73 stroke averages, three with individual victories and one with four top-five finishes--explaining their new spot atop the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll.
Next event: Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational, Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga., March 14-16

2. Tennessee (2)
The Volunteers are never out of a tournament, as they proved with their comeback second-place showing at the USC Intercollegiate. And they too have a balanced lineup, with four golfers with sub-73 averages, two with individual victories and one with four top-five finishes.
Next event: Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational, Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga., March 14-16

3. Charlotte (4)
The 49ers' runner-up finish, by two strokes to host UNLV, at the Southern Highlands Invitational was just what we needed to see to convince us that this squad is here for the long run. Another tough test awaits at the GC of Georgia before Charlotte can ease into the postseason.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

4. Georgia (5)
And to think how good the Bulldogs might be if Brian Harman actually was living up to his potential? How can this former U.S. Walker Cup player have the worst stroke average of UGa's starting five? Lefty, it's time to start playing like the All-American that you really are.
Next event: Linger Longer Invitational, Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, Ga., March 14-16

5. USC (3)
I just get this feeling that Jamie Lovemark is about ready to show us the goods again soon. Add that to the fact that Rory Hie, Tim Sluiter and Matthew Giles have all had impressive performances in recent weeks and you get the sense the Trojans are only going to improve.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., March 24-26

WOMEN
1. Duke (1)
Alison Whitaker's victory at the UCF Challenge, upstaging her Blue Devil teammates, demonstrates just why Duke is still the most dangerous team in the women's game. You're going to have to beat the Blue Devils if you're going to keep them from winning a fourth straight NCAA title.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 21-23

2. UCLA (2)
En route to a third-place finish at the UCF Challenge, 12 strokes back of winner Duke, the Bruins made it four straight tournaments with at least one player finishing in the top 10 individually.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

3. USC (3)
Great first round at the UCF Challenge (281) was followed up by so-so second and third round and, ultimately, a fifth-place finish. Would love to see senior Dewi Claire Schreefel be a bit more consistent.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Cse., Tempe, Ariz., April 4-6

4. Florida (4)
Ho-hum ... another top-five finish, this time a fourth at the UCF Challenge. That makes eight in eight tournaments. Only knock you can make against the Gators is that they're 0-5 head-to-head against Duke and UCLA this season.
Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, March 17-19

5. Arizona State (NR)
Sun Devils out of the penalty box this week and back in the top five, but they're going to have to show us something out in Hawaii.
Next event: Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, Kaneohe Klipper GC, Honolulu, March 17-19

STAT OF THE WEEK
6 out of the last 7
The number of years that the winner of the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational has gone on to be named either a first-team or second-team All-American by the National Golf Coaches Association. (The lone winner not named an All-American was Chris Brady of Vanderbilt in 2004.)

First team
2007--Maria Hernandez, Purdue
2006--Amanda Blumenherst, Duke
2005--Stacy Lewis, Arkansas
2001--Young-A Yang, Tennessee
Second team
2003--Jessica Reese, Texas
2002--Janice Olivencia, Texas

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The most-often heard complaint regarding the men’s D-I golf committee moving toward medal/match play to crown an NCAA champ starting in 2009 is that schools don’t compete in any regular-season tournaments that use such a format. To help remedy that the GCAA announced yesterday its Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play will be re-tooled for the 2008-09 season to follow whatever format the D-I committee adopts. The event will move to the spring (March 29-31) at The Farms GC in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and have all 16 teams play 36 holes of stroke play. The top eight advance to a championship bracket with the remaining teams playing a consolation bracket. Each bracket then will follow the new NCAA Championship format, giving at least some schools an early glimpse at what the postseason will look like.

In the coming days you might hear some criticism from schools that won't qualify to participate that those who do will have an unfair advantage by getting to "try the format out" early. I'm not buying that. This was a pro-active move to give at least some schools a chance to get a feel for how things might work. You've got to hand it to the GCAA for being forward thinking on this.

* Say what you will about the ".500 rule" in men's college golf, but the idea that it would allow middle- and even lower-profile schools the opportunity to compete more frequently against marquee teams (or in marquee events) seems to be ringing true. Consider this weekend's Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational at Forest Heights CC in Statesboro, Ga. The event is one of the best run tournaments you'll find, and this year four schools make their first-ever appearances: Alabama-Birmingham, Boston College, North Florida and Notre Dame.

Boston College's inclusion is particular interesting. The ACC school will be competing in its first tournament all season where the field includes other ACC teams (North Carolina and N.C. State). That's not a mis-print. Boston College hasn't faced ANY fellow ACC school in ANY tournament it has played all season until this weekend. Now I'm not optimistic that the Eagles are going to finish any higher than 15th in Georgia (although they are coming off a record-setting performance at the Treasure Coast Classic), and their inclusion is perhaps merely to allow other schools to rack up some wins to help with their records. Be that as it may, Boston College in all likelihood wouldn't have been invited to an event like this had the ".500 rule" not been passed and put in place this season. The result: B.C. players are going to have the chance to experience what it's like playing in this top-tier event. Tell me exactly how that's a bad thing.

* Chris Paisley's T-48 finish at the Carpet Capital in September and his T-62 finish at the John Hayt in February are going to make him a very long shot to win national player of the year. Still, it's hard not to like how the Tennessee junior has performed in his other five starts: four top-five finishes, including a victory at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate and plus a 3-1 record at the Callaway Match Play. The Newcastle, England native who turns 22 at the end of the month has another chance to bolster if nothing else a run at first-team All-American honors at this week's Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
MEN
Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Heights CC
Statesboro, Ga.
March 14-16
Host: Georgia Southern
Field: Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Auburn, Augusta State, Boston College, Florida, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, N.C. State, North Florida, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee
Defending champion: Georgia (10-under 854) by six over Alabama; Chris Kirk, Georgia (six-under 210) by two over Georgia's Brendon Todd
Skinny: It's one of the classic college events, with a 28-year history and a long list of stand-out winners. Interestingly, though, host Georgia Southern has never won its own event. It might be a tall task for the Eagles to do so this week, with six schools from the latest Golf World/Nike Golf top 25 in the field.

Linger Longer Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Reynolds Landing GC (Par 72, 7,051 yards)
Greensboro, Ga.
March 14-16
Host: Mercer
Field: Chattanooga, Clemson, Eastern Michigan, Georgia, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, Memphis, Mercer, Michigan, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Purdue, South Alabama, Texas Tech
Defending champion: Georgia (29-under 835) by 19 over Georgia State; Chris Kirk, Georgia (10-under 206) by two over Memphis' Ian Rochester
Skinny: This event moves from its previous May spot on the calendar, post conference championships but a week prior to NCAA regionals. Each team is provided a home at Lake Oconee where they stay for the tournament. The Bulldogs, as defending champions, are afforded the use of the Ritz-Carlton Presidential House on the property.

Pinehurst Invitational by Gatorade
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Pinehurst No. 8
Pinehurst, N.C.
March 16-18
Host: East Carolina/Indiana
Defending champion: Indiana (16-over 880) by five over Michigan; Jorge Campillo, Indiana (three-under 213) by two over Michigan's Bill Rankin and SMU's Colt Knost

Barona Collegiate Cup
Barona Creek GC (Par 72, 7,448 yards)
Lakeside, Calif.
March 17-18
Host: San Diego State
Field: Arizona, Coastal Carolina, Denver, Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Diego, San Diego State, SMU, Texas A&M, Wichita State
Defending champion: Alabama-Birmingham (24-under 840) by four over Wichita State; Zach Sucher, Alabama-Birmingham and Taylor Coffman, Nevada (13-under 209)--Sucher won in a playoff on the second hole
Skinny: The tournament previously was played in the fall but this seventh edition was pushed back to the spring this year because Barona Creek hosted the 2007 Nationwide Tour Championship in November.

WOMEN
LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University Club
Baton Rouge, La.
March 14-16
Host: LSU
Field: Alabama, Augusta State, Central Florida, Charleston, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Virginia, Wake Forest 
Defending champion: Duke (eight-over 872) by six over Vanderbilt; Amanda Blumenherst, Duke (nine-under 207) by eight over Mississippi State's Amanda Mathis, Tennessee's Marci Turner and Auburn's Nicole Hage
Skinny: No LSU player has earned medalist honors at their home event since Meredith Duncan did it in 2002. Meanwhile, don't look for the super low scores that teams posted at the University Club last May at the East Regional, where low 18-, 36- and 54-hole records for both teams and individuals were all set.

Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of Texas GC (Par 72, 6,344 yards)
Austin, Texas
March 17-19
Host: Texas
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SMU, TCU, Texas, Wisconsin
Defending champion: Purdue (43-over 907) by 11 over TCU; Maria Hernandez, Purdue (one-over 217) by one over Arkansas' Stacy Lewis
Skinny: Originally dubbed the Texas Invitational when it was started in 1974, the tournament was renamed in honor of Betsy Rawls, a UT graduate in 1950 who majored in physics and math before embarking on her Hall of Fame LPGA career. ... Hernandez is looking to become the 35-year-old event's third repeat champion, joining Texas' Nancy Hager (1974, 1975) and Tulsa's Jody Rosenthal (1984, 1985).

Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
Kaneohe Klipper GC
Honolulu
March 17-19
Host: Hawaii
Defending champion: Texas A&M (33-over 897) by two over Arizona; Danielle McVeigh, Texas A&M and Gerina Mendoza, UTEP (one-over 217)--McVeigh wins in a playoff on the first hole with a 15-foot birdie

Arkansas' Stacy Lewis had a better final round than Duke's Amanda Blumenherst at Red Tail GC in Sorrento, Fla.--72 for Lewis; 76 for Blumenherst--but the Blue Devil had too much of a lead for the Lady Razorback to overcome in the final standings at the UCF Challenge, finishing T-3 (five-under 211) compared to Lewis' T-23 (two-over 218).

As for the race for national player of the year, the two now are all square in the head-to-head season standings (1-1) while Blumenherst maintains a 69.94 to 70.94 edge is stroke average. Lewis next plays at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational March 17-19 while Blumenherst plays again at the Liz Murphey Collegiate March 21-23 ... an event Arkansas and Lewis are also in the field for.

The individual title at the UCF Challenge went to Duke's Alison Whitaker, whose eight-under 208 was one stroke better than Purdue's Junthima Gulyanamitta. The Blue Devils won the team title, their fourth victory of the 2007-08 season, with a 13-under 851, nine strokes better than Purdue.

Arkansas' Stacy Lewis has come catching up to do after round 2 of the UCF Challenge outside Orlando. The Lady Razorback senior matched her highest round of the season with a four-over 76 at Red Tail GC (which included birdies on his final two holes) to fall to T-28 with a two-over 146 total. Her rival for national player of the year, Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, is nine shots ahead of Lewis after posting a bogey-free second-round 68, although the Blue Devil's seven-under 137 is still one shot back of teammate Alison Whitaker for first place individually. Duke holds a eight-shot lead over Purdue for the team title, standing at 12 under through 36 holes.

Lewis tees off on the 10th tee in Tuesday's third round at 9:51 a.m. Blumenherst is off No. 1 at 10:36 a.m.