Today's episode is an interview with Stanford men's coach Conrad Ray, whose Cardinal squad ranks second in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll. After winning its spring opener in Maui earlier this month, the team heads south this week to North Ranch CC in Westlake Village, Calif., where it will attempt to defend its title at the USC Invitational.

Quick note, as you'll learn when you listen to the podcast: senior Joseph Bramlett will be playing in his first tournament of the 2009-10 season for Stanford.



Here's a look at Stanford stats this season:

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

MEN
1. Stanford (Last week: 1)
The most impressive thing about the Cardinal thus far in 2009-10 has been the team's consistency—no finish worse than third place with five different players posting top-20 finishes. I'm looking for more of the same this week as they attempt to defend their USC Invitational title
Next event: USC Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake, Calif., March 1-2

2. Oklahoma State (2)
Hard to complain about a second-place finish in Puerto Rico when four players finish in top-20, including Kevin Tway's individual victory, the third of his career. Bottom line: No Cowboy shot worse than a 74 in their collective 15 rounds.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 12-14

3. Texas (NR)
My beef with Texas in recent years has been lots of talent, little results. The Longhorns, however, are starting to make believers out of me after a most impressive victory in Puerto Rico. All five players finish in top 20.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 12-14

4. Florida (4)
OK, Gators got the win that they wanted at home earlier this month. Let's see how they do as the favorites at the John Hayt. My prediction? They'll handle it just fine.
Next event: John Hayt Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 28-March 2

5. Washington (3)
Just got pipped at the Battle at the Beach by UCLA, and that was with Nick Taylor finishing outside the top-20 for the first time in a full year. This is the time the Huskies traditionally start to shine, and playing in Fresno might set-up nicely for them.
Next event: Fresno Lexus Challenge, San Joaquin CC, Fresno, Calif., March 8-9



WOMEN
1. Arizona State (2)
Nice bounce back for the Sun Devils as they claim the rain-shortened Arizona Wildcat Invite title by 12 strokes. In contrast to their performance at the Northrup Grumman, where only one golfer finished in the top 15, four players posted top-10s, lead by Juliana Murcia's T-2.
Next event: Bruin/Wave Invitational, Robinson Ranch GC, Canyon Country, Calif., March 1-3

2. USC (1)
A 12th-place finish in Tucson was definitely not what anyone expected. Jennifer Song finishing T-41? Lizette Salas finishing T-53? Sadly for Trojan fans those aren't misprints. Thankfully, a chance at redemption is only a few days away.
Next event: Bruin/Wave Invitational, Robinson Ranch GC, Canyon Country, Calif., March 1-3

3. UCLA (3)
The Bruins remain the top team in the Golfstat head-to-head ranking, thanks to having both the low adjusted average score (72.94) and the low average drop score (76.6). The stat they'd like to work on most, however, is the one in the win column, which is currently at 0.
Next event: Bruin/Wave Invitational, Robinson Ranch GC, Canyon Country, Calif., March 1-3

4. Alabama (4)
I've got to think the women in Tuscaloosa are going a bit stir-crazy just sitting there and not having any tournaments to play in. I don't know how this will affect them when they do get back into competition, but you hope it doesn't hurt their momentum.
Next event: Tiger-Wave Classic, English Turn GC, New Orleans, March 12-13

5. Purdue (NR)
Sure, the Boilermakers finished third at the Central District Invitational, 32 strokes back of victorious Florida. They did it, however, without Maude Aimee Leblanc in their lineup. I can hear people crying my point is heresy, but I think at full-strength Purdue might have had a more favorable outcome.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate, U. of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28



STAT OF THE WEEK
0
Number of rounds at par or worse that the Texas men counted in their Puerto Rico Classic victory this week at Rio Mar GC in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Accounting for all five Longhorns in the field, only two of the 15 rounds played were par or worse with eight sub-70 scores.



WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* A pair of Arizona State golfers—Philip Francis and Braxton Marquez—with will be playing at this week's PGA Tour stop, the Waste Management Open, at TPC Scottsdale, not far from campus. The two have varied backgrounds, but the event will mean something to both. Francis is in the midst of a redshirt season after transferring from UCLA. The former U.S. Junior champion, who is playing in his sixth tour event, will no doubt just be excited to get in a little competition.

As for Marquez, his participation is even more poignant. His family's catering business has worked at the event for a number of years, with Marquez himself pitching in and helping on various odd jobs. Sadly, Marquez' father, Randy, died last March after being diagnosed with liver cancer, providing Braxton all the incentive in the world to make the most of his appearance in the event.



TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
MEN
USC Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif.
Feb. 28-March 2
Host: USC
Defending champion: Stanford (-13/839) by 10 strokes over BYU; Stanford's Steve Ziegler (-9/204) by one stroke over Pepperdine's Andrew Putnam
Field: Arizona State, BYU, California, Charlotte, Fresno State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Diego, San Diego State, Stanford, UC Davis, UCLA, USC
Skinny: Not trying to pick on Charlotte here, but the 49ers chances of winning are near zero. Why? Because only once in the 32 years of the event has a team east of the Mississippi claimed the title (Tennessee, 2005).

John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra, Fla. (par 72, 6,895 yards)
Feb. 28-March 2
Host: North Florida
Defending champion: LSU (+21/885) by eight strokes over Arizona State;  LSU's John Peterson (-2/214) by two strokes over LSU's Andrew Loupe, Alabama's Hunter Hamrick and Coastal Carolina's Zack Byrd
Field: UAB, Alabama, UCF, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Florida, Furman, Georgia Southern, LSU, Mercer, N.C. State, North Florida, TCU, Tennessee, Tulsa
Skinny: The 18-year-old tournament is played on one of the tougher courses that collegiate teams face. To wit, the last team to finish under par at the event was South Carolina back in ... 2004.

Braveheart Classic
Oak Valley GC, Beaumont, Calif. (Par 72, 7,003 yards)
March 1-2
Host: UC Riverside
Defending champion: Oregon (+11/875) by seven strokes over Southern Utah; Southern Utah's Nate Page (-1/215) by two strokes over five others
Field: Arizona, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Gonzaga, La Verne, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Minnesota, Portland, Sacramento State, Santa Clara, Southern Utah, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara
Skinny: Can Arizona or Minnesota, the highest profile teams in the field, use the event to springboard their spring seasons, as Oregon did in 2009?

Seahawk Intercollegiate
CC of Landfall (Nicklaus), Wilmington, N.C. (Par 72, 7,058 yards)
March 1-2
Host: UNC Wilmington
Defending champion: New event
Field: Augusta State, Davidson, Drexel, East Carolina, Georgia State, James Madison, North Carolina, UNC Wilmington, South Carolina, VCU Wake Forest, William & Mary
Skinny: Moved Landfall event to the spring with the club hosting the NCAA women's preview last October.


WOMEN
Fresno State Lexus Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Copper River CC, Fresno, Calif.
March 1-2
Host: Fresno State
Defending champion: UC Irvine (+27/891) by one stroke over San Francisco; Santa Clara's Miki Ueoka (-7/209) by three strokes over Long Beach State's Kay Hoey
Field: Boise State, Cal Poly, CSU Fullerton, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Nevada, Portland State, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Seattle, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Skinny: Coach Angie Cates-Moore specifically decided to push Fresno State's home tournament down the Bulldogs' schedule, playing on the road to open the spring at the Peg Barnard Classic, so that they wouldn't knocking the rust off their competitive games but would have already had a few rounds under their collective belts when playing in front of their fans.

Kinderlou Forest Challenge
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Kinderlou Forest, Valdosta, Ga.
March 1-2
Host: Kennesaw State/Kentucky
Defending champion: New event
Field: Arkansas, Chattanooga, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kennesaw State, Kent State, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Virginia
Skinny: Impressive field for a first-year event, with seven top-25 teams from the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll.

Bruin Wave Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Robinson Ranch GC, Santa Clarita, Calif. (Par 72, 6,282 yards)
March 1-3
Host: Pepperdine/UCLA
Defending champion: New event
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Diego State, San Francisco, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Washington, Washington State
Skinny: West Coast neighbors help organize this new tournament. Might feel like a Pac-10 Conference preview event consider nine of the 10 schools are in the field (only one missing: California).

Here is the first spring edition of the Golf World/Nike Golf men's coaches' poll, which appear in the March 1 issue of the magazine.

Joining me today for the third installment of the Golf World Campus Insider Podcast is Caroline Hedwall, a sophomore at Oklahoma State. She is the recent winner of the Lady Puerto Rico Classic, where she shot a seven-under 209, aided by a 65 in the second round, to claim the title by three strokes. Caroline talks about her victory and about some of the difference between this year's version of the Cowgirls and last year's.

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

MEN
1. Stanford (Last week: 1)
As if the Cardinal weren't already confident after winning in Hawaii earlier this month to start their spring season, the squad heads to North Ranch CC knowing it won the team title there a year ago and it was the course where Steve Ziegler picked up his first college victory.
Next event: USC Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake, Calif., March 1-2

2. Oklahoma State (2)
A healthy Peter Uihlein will keep the disappointing Mauna Lani performance from becoming a lingering distraction. Just a hunch here, but I think the Cowboys are going to be rather ornery on the island this weekend.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Grande CC, Rio Mar, Puerto Rico, Feb. 21-23

3. Washington (3)
One-stroke loss to UCLA at this week's Battle at the Beach hurts but the Huskies can take some solace: Chris Williams' share of medalist honors makes him the third freshman in UW history to win an individual title.
Next event: Fresno Lexus Challenge, San Joaquin CC, Fresno, Calif., March 8-9

4. Florida (NR)
OK, Gators, that was the kind of victory (18-stroke triumph over Florida State at last weekend's Gator Invitational) I wanted to see. Looks like a lot of players are finding their form in Gainesville.
Next event: John Hayt Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 28-March 2

5. California (5)
The Bears are back in Hawaii after skipping the event last year. Good news for Cal fans: Stephen Hale won the event in 2008.
Next event: John Burns Intercollegiate, Leilehua GC, Wahiawa, Hawaii, Feb. 17-19



WOMEN
1. USC (1)
The Trojans appear to be at full strength, with Belen Mozo's shoulder seemingly pain free. If Andrea Gaston can solidify the No. 4 and 5 spots, watch out.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23

2. Arizona State (2)
The Sun Devils only had one player finish in the top 15 at the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge (Juliana Murcia, T-7). The last tournament that happens for ASU? That was 17 months ago at the 2008 Mason Rudolph.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23

3. UCLA (3)
The status of Stephanie Kono's back gives reason for Bruins fans to be a bit concerned, although Carrie Forsyth was being safe rather than sorry by holding her out at Palos Verdes. The extra lag time between the first and second spring event will help.
Next event: Bruin/Wave Invitational, Robinson Ranch GC, Canyon Country, Calif.

4. Alabama (4)
After the Crimson Tide captured their first title of the season at Lady Puerto Rico, my guess is they would have preferred not to have to wait nearly a month before their next tournament.
Next event: Tiger-Wave Classic, English Turn GC, New Orleans, March 12-13

5. Pepperdine (5)
The roster is a bit thin with just five players, but if Laurie Gibbs gets the output she did at the Northrup Grumman from Lisa McCloskey and Taylore Karle, they might have all the depth they need.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23


STAT OF THE WEEK, Part I
20
Strokes under par on the par-71 Ocean North course at Pelican Hill GC in Newport Coast, Calif., that the foursome of UCLA's Pontus Widegren (64) and Gregor Main (71), Arkansas' David Lingmerth (64) and Jamie Marshall (65) combined to post Feb. 16 during the final round of the Battle at the Beach. The Bruins claimed the team title by one stroke over Arkansas and Washington.

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part II
7
Number of players that shot 67 or lower in the final round at Pelican Hill. By comparison, there were only five scores of 67 or lower during the first two rounds of the event.



WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The Georgia men's squad finished the fall with a head-to-head record of 27-22-2, good enough to qualify for NCAA Regional play but not good enough to keep for being a tad bit nervous as the spring season begins. So it was that coach Chris Haack has reinforced his lineup with the January additions of Australia's Bryden Macpherson and New Zealand's Scott McAlpine, hoping the two can provide the spark that the team has been missing after the graduations of Brian Harman and Adam Mitchell and the decision to redshirt Hudson Swafford.

Macpherson will see his first action this weekend as he made the starting five that will be playing in Puerto Rico. He'll need to be as good as advertised (he's ranked 36th in the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking) seeing that Georgia will also be without All-American Russell Henley this week, who is out sick and isn't expected to be traveling with the squad.

* A year and a half after finishing up her college career at Duke, Jennifer Pandolfi returns to college golf next week at the Ann Rhoads Classic in Alabama. The Pensacola, Fla., area native who turns 24 on March 10 has been named women's coach at Division II West Florida, which opens the season in the tournament hosted by Birmingham Southern. Pandolfi replaces Robin Dezarn, who is moving into an administration role at UWF as athletic coordinator. Pandolfi had originally joined the West Florida team last fall assisting in travel and instruction.



TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
MEN
John Burns Intercollegiate
Leilehua GC, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Feb. 17-19
Host: Hawaii
Defending champion: Texas A&M (28-under 836) by three strokes over New Mexico; New Mexico's James Erkenbeck (11-under 205) by one stroke over Arizona's Tarquin Macmanus
Field: Arizona, BYU, BYU-Hawaii, California, Denver, Fresno State, Hawaii, Hawaii-Hilo, Hawaii Pacific, Nevada, New Mexico, SMU, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, UTEP, Texas A&M
Skinny: Tournament in its 34th year is named in honor of the former Hawaii governor who worked to get Hawaii athletics to a competitive level with the rest of the country.

Puerto Rico Classic
Rio Mar CC River Course, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Par 72, 6,902 yards)
Feb. 21-23
Host: Purdue
Defending champions: Georgia (38-under 826) by 12 strokes over Clemson; Texas' Dylan Fritelli and Georgia's Hudson Swafford (12-under 204)
Field: Alabama, Clemson, East Tennessee State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Michigan, UNC Greensboro, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas, Virginia Tech
Skinny: Last year's red numbers were unusual for just how low they were, although generally it takes double-digit sub-par scores to win this event.

Mobile Bay Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Magnolia Grove GC, Mobile, Ala.
Feb. 21-23
Host: South Alabama
Defending champions: Mississippi State (24-over 888) by nine strokes over South Alabama; Illinois State's Joe Emerich (one-under 215) by four strokes over Mississippi State's Josh Bevel
Field: Akron, Arkansas State, Belmont, Illinois State, Iowa State, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, MIssissippi, Mississippi State, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Toledo, Vanderbilt
Skinny: Event moves to February after being held in March the past three years.



WOMEN
Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Cougar Point (Par 72, 6,007 yards) and Oak Point (Par 72, 5,957 yards)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Feb. 21-23
Host: College of Charleston
Defending champions: Miami and Central Arkansas (40-over 904); Central Arkansas’ Nicole Forshner and East Tennessee State’s Sinead O’Sullivan (two-over 218)
Field: Akron, Augusta State, Bucknell, Campbell, Central Arkansas, Charleston, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Drake, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Elon, Florida International, Illinois State, Jacksonville State, Kansas, Kennesaw State, Maryland, Mercer, Miami (Fla.), MIddle Tennessee State, Minnesota, Missouri Sate, Morehead State, Old Dominion, Oral Roberts, Oregon State, Richmond, South Carolina State, Southern Illinois, Toledo, USC Upstate, Western Carolina, Wichita State, William & Mary
Skinny: Just your typical, run-of-the-mill, 35-team tournament. In the second-year of this mega-tournament, teams will play 18 holes on each course with the top 20 teams playing Cougar Point the final day and the remainder back at Oak Point.

Arizona Wildcat Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Arizona National GC, Tucson (Par 71, 6,146 yards)
Feb. 22-23
Host: Arizona
Defending champions: UCLA (five-over 869) by nine strokes over Arizona State and USC; New Mexico's Jodi Ewart and USC's Lizette Salas (three-under 213)
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Denver, Duke, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Pepperdine, Stanford, Tennessee, Tulane, UNLV, USC, Washington
Skinny: Tournament moves back to Tucson after being held last year in Mexico. Four of the top 10 teams in the country, according to the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll, are competing.

Central District Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
River Wilderness CC, Parrish, Fla. (Par 72, 6,099 yards)
Feb. 22-23
Host: Michigan State
Defending champions: Auburn (18-over 882) by three strokes over LSU; LSU's Megan McChrystal (three-under 213) by one stroke over Auburn's Candace Schepperle
Field: Arkansas, Florida, Kent State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M
Skinny: The Midwest's annual migration to Florida. First time we get to see Michigan State and Purdue going head-to-head the spring.

When Wake Forest's new on-campus golf facility opens for player use next month, there will be a familiar name on the sign out front. School athletic director Ron Wellman announced yesterday that the new learning center will be named in honor of current women's coach Dianne Dailey.

The Dianne Dailey Learning Center will be a focal point of the newly redesigned Wake Forest Golf Complex. Among its features will be a heated hitting bay along with a state-of-the-art V1 filming system and the newest TrackMan technology. It will also house an indoor putting room with the latest TOMI video system.

A formal dedication of the building will happen May 1.

Over the last 22 years, Dailey has guided the Deacons to three ACC titles, including last year's triumph, and 12 NCAA Championship appearances. She has coached 10 All-Americans, four ACC individual champions, been named ACC coach of the year three times and been inducted in the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

In this week's episode of the Campus Insider Podcast, I'm interview Wichita State senior Dustin Garza. Just call the 22-year-old from Mission, Texas, the "Fall Guy" as he won outright, or a share of, the individual title in four of his five starts with the Shockers last fall, posting a 70.27 stroke average. This comes after winning three times in the fall of 2008, and finishing runner-up in the other two starts.

Garza (right) begins his final semester of college golf when Wichita State travels to San Antonio for the UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational, which begins Feb. 15.


Here is Garza's career numbers at Wichita State:

The names of the 25 players making the "watch list" for the 2010 Ben Hogan Award were released today and I don't think anyone should be surprised at who is on the list. The award, sponsored by Chesapeake Energy, in association with Colonial CC in Fort Worth, The Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America, is presented annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during a 12-month period.

Top-ranked Oklahoma State had four players included--Peter Uihlein, Morgan Hoffmann, Trent Whitekiller and Kevin Tway--while No. 2 Stanford had the next most in three--David Chung, Sihwan Kim and Steve Ziegler. Alabama was the only other school with multiple players on the list: Bud Cauley and Hunter Hamrick.

Here is the complete list below. The Hogan Award semifinalists will be announced April 14. The three finalists named May 11 will be invited to Colonial CC for the Hogan Award presentation on the evening of May 24.

Knut Borsheim, Arizona State
Bud Cauley, Alabama
David Chung, Stanford
Derek Ernst, UNLV
Oscar Floren, Texas Tech
Dustin Garza, Wichita State
Brendan Gielow, Wake Forest
John Hahn, Kent State
Hunter Hamrick, Alabama
Russell Henley, Georgia
Matt Hill, N.C. State
Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State
Sihwan Kim, Stanford
Kelly Kraft, SMU
Scott Langley, Illinois
Seath Lauer, Florida State
Corey Nagy, Charlotte
John Peterson, LSU
Jonathan Randolph, Mississippi
Nick Taylor, Washington
Kevin Tway, Oklahoma State
Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State
Diego Velasquez, Oregon State
Trent Whitekiller, Oklahoma State
Steve Ziegler, Stanford

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

MEN
1. Stanford (2)
Cardinal steps up in final round at Mauna Lani, shooting two-under to hold off Pac-10 foes Oregon and Washington to claim their third title of the 2009-10 season.
Next event: USC Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake, Calif., March 1-2

2. Oklahoma State (1)
Surprisingly slow start for the Cowboys (11-over 299 in first round) put them too far back to claim title at Mauna Lani, finishing fifth. Chances weren't helped by the fact that Peter Uihlein, whose worst round of the fall was a 75, shot 80-75-79 to finish T-85.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Grande CC, Rio Mar, Puerto Rico, Feb. 21-23

3. Washington (3)
Huskies should be OK with T-2 finish in Hawaii, but considering they were leading entering the final round, this could be considered one that got away.
Next event: Battle at the Beach, Pelican Hills GC, Newport Beach, Calif., Feb. 14-16

4. Oregon (NR)
Share of second at Mauni Lani was the Ducks fifth top-five finish in five tournaments this season. Daniel Miernicki and Eugene Wong showing there's no such thing as a sophomore slump with top-10 finishes for second straight tournament.
Next event: USC Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake, Calif., March 1-2

5. California (NR)
Maybe a stretch considering the Golden Bears' fall schedule was a bit lacking. Still, they won their third title (Arizona Invitational) of the 2009-10 campaign (a single-season school record) in impressive fashion. Cal has a chance to prove it's no fluke at the John Burns.
Next event: John Burns Intercollegiate, Leilehua GC, Wahiawa, Hawaii, Feb. 17-19



WOMEN
1. USC (3)
That's a pretty good statement the Trojans made in taking the team title yesterday Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge. Jennifer Song ends her winning streak at two, but a T-2 finish is pretty strong. Same for Lizette Salas (T-5) and Belen Mozo (T-12). Amazingly this is the first time USC has won the NGRC.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23

2. Arizona State (1)
Not the start coach Melissa Luellen was hoping for, as the Sun Devils finished tied for fourth at Palos Verdes after winning there a year ago. The team's depth is going to be put to the test this spring.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23

3. UCLA (2)
The Bruins played without Stephanie Kono in the Northrop Grumman and finished T-4 after closing with a disappointing 303. Replacing a first-team All-American isn't easy.
Next event: Bruin/Wave Invitational, Robinson Ranch GC, Canyon Country, Calif.

4. Alabama (NR)
Crimson Tide gets first victory of the 2009-10 with 11-stroke triumph over Purdue at Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Their 872 score tied for the fifth-best 54-hole total in school history.
Next event: Tiger-Wave Classic, English Turn GC, New Orleans, March 12-13

5. Pepperdine (NR)
Led by medalist Lisa McClosky and Taylore Karle (T-2), the Waves claim runner-up finish at Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge.
Next event: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Arizona National GC, Tucson, Feb. 22-23


STAT OF THE WEEK
3
Number of teams that went improved on a record of .500 or worse to better than .500 with their play at the Jacksonville Invitational. Winner East Tennessee State, runner-up Wake Forest and third-place finisher Clemson all used the event at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course to improve on so-so fall finishes.
                     End of fall        After JU Invite
ETSU            26-36-2/.421     40-36-2/.525
Wake            25-25-2/.500      38-26-2/.696
Clemson        9-19-1/.500       31-21-1/.594



WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* I had been an admitted skeptic about the Alabama women's team, thinking their final fall ranking (No. 9 in the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll) was a bit high for a team that had no wins and only one top-five finish in four starts. To their credit, however, the Crimson Tide played solidly in taking the title at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Look at their schedule, though, raises a new concern for me: Alabama doesn't play its next tournament until March 12 at the Tiger/Wave Classic. It's a full month for any momentum to unfortunately subside. Their confidence will likely remain, but you wish there weren't such a long layoff until their second spring start.

* On the men's side, I have felt the same way about Florida, ranked fourth in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll to end the fall despite having no victories. The Gators did finish second at Isleworth, an impressive feat, but I need more convincing particularly after a so-so finish at Arizona to start the spring (Coach Buddy Alexander himself described it as "pretty mediocre.")

This weekend is the chance for Florida to do that convincing as they host the SunTrust Gator Invitational for the 33rd time. Given their track record at home (23 times they've won the team title, including the past six consecutive years), I fully expect them to win. Yet considering there only seem to be a handful of teams in the field good enough to stay with Florida (Duke, LSU and Florida State), the Gators have a chance not just to win but to do so with some authority. A double-digit win could finally make a few people believers that Florida is a legitimate threat to claim the national title.

One other note: Florida freshman Tommy Mou hadn't played all fall and there was talk that he might be redshirted this season. Yet after winning the New Year's Invitational amateur event early in January, Mu played as an individual in Arizona and finished T-11. It will be interesting to see if Alexander puts him in the starting lineup this weekend or has him play as an individual as he did in Arizona.



TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
MEN
Big Ten Match Play
Heron Bay GC, Coral Springs, Fla. (Par 72, 7,268 yards)
Feb. 12-13
Host: Northwestern
Defending champion: Indiana beat Michigan in the championship match, 3.5-2.5
Field: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Skinny: The Fighting Illini are the top-seed, with No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Indiana get first-round byes.

SunTrust Gator Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Mark Bostick GC at University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. (Par 70, 6,701 yards)
Feb. 13-14
Host: Florida
Defending champion: Florida (16-under 824) by 18 strokes over Mississippi; Florida's Toby Ragland (five-under 205) in playoff over Florida's Billy Horschel and UCF's Simon Ward
Field: UAB, UCF, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Lamar, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Florida
Skinny: In addition to Florida winning its home event 23 times in 32 years, 11 Gators have claimed medalist honors in the history of the event.

Battle at the Beach
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Pelican Hill GC, Newport Coast, Calif.
Feb. 14-16
Host: UCLA and Long Beach State
Defending champion: New Event
Field: Arizona State, Arkansas, Colorado, Colorado State, Long Beach State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Tennessee, UT Arlington, UC Davis, UCLA, Washington
Skinny: Quality field includes seven teams in the top 25 of the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll.

Rice Intercollegiate
Westwood GC, Houston (Par 72, 7,184 yards)
Feb. 15-16
Host: Rice
Defending champion: Pacific (10-over 874) by four strokes over Rice; San Francisco's Ji Hwan Park (six-under 210) by three strokes over Rice's Christopher Brown
Field: Auburn, Florida Gulf Coast, Hartford, Houston, Houston Baptist, Kansas, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Miami (Ohio), Missouri State, Nebraska, New Orleans, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Rice
Skinny: Pacific looks to become the first team to repeat as champions in the event's 10-year history. Meanwhile, Rice looks to claim its home for the first time as well.

UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Oak Hills CC, San Antonio (Par 72, 6,691 yards)
Feb. 15-16
Host: UT San Antonio
Defending champion: Texas Tech (28-under 824) by 20 strokes over UT Arlington; Texa Tech's Chris Ward (11-under 202) by three strokes over Texas Tech's Nils Floren
Field: Air Force, Baylor, Illinois State, Iowa State, Louisiana-Lafayette, North Texas, Oklahoma, San Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas Tech, Texas State, Tulsa, UT San Antonio, Wichita State
Skinny: Event celebrates its 15th anniversary.

John Burns Intercollegiate
Leilehua GC, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Feb. 17-19
Host: Hawaii
Defending champion: Texas A&M (28-under 836) by three strokes over New Mexico; New Mexico's James Erkenbeck (11-under 205) by one stroke over Arizona's Tarquin Macmanus
Field: Arizona, BYU, BYU-Hawaii, California, Denver, Fresno State, Hawaii, Hawaii-Hilo, Hawaii Pacific, Nevada, New Mexico, SMU, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, UTEP, Texas A&M
Skinny: Low numbers are a Burns tradition.


WOMEN
Peg Barnard Collegiate
Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif.
Feb. 13-14
Host: Stanford
Defending champion: Was not played in 2008-09
Field: California, Fresno State, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Oregon, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Stanford, UC Davis, Texas, Washington
Skinny: The 36-hole tournament is named after Barnard, a tireless fundraiser for women's athletics at Stanford prior to Title IX.

Hurricane Invitational
Don Shula's Golf Resort, Miami Lakes, Fla. (Par 72, 6,210 yards)
Feb. 14-16
Host: Miami (Fla.)
Defending champion: Georgia State (27-over 891) by nine strokes over Tulane; Louisville's Cindy LaCrosse (two-over 218) by two strokes over Georgia State's Iliska Verwey
Field: UCF, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Eastern Michigan, Georgia State, Illinois State, James Madison, Kentucky, Memphis, Mercer, Miami (Fla.), N.C. State, Oklahoma City, San Diego State, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Texas State
Skinny: First of two tournaments Miami will host this spring as legendary coach Lela Cannon winds up her career this spring.