Here is the third spring edition of the Golf World/NGCA women's coaches' poll, which appear in the April 5 issue of the magazine.

Arizona State and Methodist remain the top-ranked squad in Division I and III, respectively, while Rollins takes over the No. 1 spot in D-II.

A federal judge Tuesday officially dismissed former Duke golfer Andrew Giuliani's lawsuit against the school and former Blue Devil coach O.D. Vincent.

Judge William Osteen Jr. ruled that offers to lure Giuliani to the Durham, N.C., school to play college golf did not constitute an "enforceable contract."

Giuliani had filed a suit in July 2008 in which he argued that Vincent, who took over the program after the death of longtime coach Rod Myers in 2007, did not provide notice before indefinitely suspending the then junior from the team early in 2008 and that Vincent manufactured accusations against Giuliani to justify kicking him off the team permanently.

Giuliani claimed that Vincent didn't have the authority to unilaterally suspend him and that Vincent offered no chance for Giuliani to defend himself. He also argued that Myers promised him an opportunity to compete and a right to use Duke’s athletic facilities, something Giuliani felt would be of help in pursuing a career as a professional golfer and something he was attempting to regain in the trial, along with monetary damages.

While the case was in litigation, Vincent separately stepped down from the coaching post to take a job in the athletic department at his alma mater, the University of Washington.

"We are gratified the court agreed that our coaches have the authority to dismiss a student-athlete from an intercollegiate sports team in circumstances such as those present in this case," said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke's VP for public affairs and government relations.

 

Received word today that Jack Jensen, coach of the Guliford men's golf team for the last 33 years and a member of the Golf Coaches' Association of America Hall of Fame, died on Sunday after the Quaker golf team returned from a weekend tournament. The school did not release a cause of death for the 71-year-old who twice coached Guilford to NCAA D-III titles (2002 and 2005) as well as an NAIA crown (1989).

"Jack was a beloved mentor for hundreds of students for many years," said Guilford president Kent Chabotar in a statement. "He touched so many lives in a positive way as a teacher, coach and friend, and he is held in high esteem by generations of Guilford alumni."

A family visitation will be held tomorrow from 6-9 p.m. in Alumni Gym on Guilford's Greensboro, N.C., campus. A memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. in Ragan-Brown Field House on campus.

Besides overseeing the golf teamf, Jensen was also an accomplished basketball coach, coaching the Quakers for 29 years until 1999. Among his players was future NBA star M.L. Carr, who was on the Guilford team in 1973 that won the NAIA hoops title. (Jensen thus coached four of the five team that have won national championships in any sport at Guilford.)

The college demonstrated its feelings for Jensen in February 2002, when it renamed its basketball court for him during ceremonies that also saw the retirement of the jerseys of Carr and two other Jensen protégés who played in the NBA—World B. Free, another member of the 1973 championship team who played in the 1980 NBA All-Star Game, and Bob Kaufman, who played professionally before serving as coach and general manager at Detroit.

Guilford's Peter Latimer shot one-under-par 71 and a nine-under 207 to win his school-record fifth medalist title on Sunday at the Marine Federal Credit Union Intercollegiate at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Latimer helped Guilford to sixth place among 32 teams with a three-day 874.

Among the golfers Jensen coached were Lee Porter, who spent six years on the PGA Tour. Jensen was inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame in 2008.

“As great a coach as Jack was, he was an even greater person," said Tom Palombo, director of athletics and current men's basketball coach at the school. “It is an honor to have been at Guilford with him and to talk with him every day. He knew a lot about basketball and a lot about people. Being able to share ideas about teaching and coaching was very special. He will be greatly missed.”

Jensen, a member of Wake Forest’s 1960-61 Atlantic Coast Conference championship basketball team, joined the Guilford athletics staff in 1965 as assistant men’s basketball and head track and field coach.

His basketball teams compiled a 386-392 record, including six 20-win seasons during the 1970s, while his golf program qualified 26 times for national tournaments.

Photo courtesy of Guilford College

MEN
John Catlin, New Mexico
Two down with two to play in the deciding match against USC’s Martin Trainer at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, the freshman won the last two holes at Ritz Carlton GC outside Tucson, then beat Trainer on the 19th hole to give New Mexico a 3-2 team win.

Catlin drained a snaking 35-foot putt along a ridge on the 18th green to square the match and force sudden death. On the first playoff hole, Trainer hit his tee shot off the fairway and in the desert and had to punch out while Catlin hit his approach shot 30 feet from the hole.

After Catlin rolled his birdie putt 8 inches past the hole, Trainer conceded the putt, ending the match and giving the Lobos the title. "Coming down the stretch I was committed to hit quality golf shots and I did it," Catlin said. "It feels great, especially knowing how much it all meant for the team."

WOMEN
Lindy Duncan, Duke
The freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was the only player to break par at the Liz Murphey Collegiate, shooting a three-under 213 at University of Georgia GC in Athens, Ga., to earn the individual title by eight strokes. It was her first college victory. She also propelled the Blue Devils (25-over 889) to a 21-stroke team victory over Alabama.

"I had a plan going into each day, and it was really windy the first two days," said Duncan, who shot a 70-72-71. "I wanted to hit a lot of greens, the greens there are very undulating, but I just had confidence in my putting to know that I could 2-putt, and I putted really well."

In less than two weeks, Clemson's Ben Martin, the runner-up at last year's U.S. Amateur, gets to live out the dream of numerous golf fans as he'll be competing in the 2010 Masters. In this week's Podcast, I catch up with the fifth-year senior from Greenwood, S.C., who just two days earlier played his latest practice round at Augusta National.

Martin discusses getting the chance to visit the course early and get in some practice. His game seems to be rounding into form; just last weekend he shared the individual title at the Furman Intercollegiate. He also talks about his Clemson team that has showed steady improvement this spring as it gets ready to play in the ACC Championship next month.

Amateurs have stuggled the past few years at the Masters. None have made the cut since 2005, the longest stretch in tournament history.

Martin is the lone collegian that will be playing in the Masters this year (other amateurs in the field are teenagers Byeong-Hun An, Matteo Manassero and Chang-Won Han, recent Memphis graduate Brad Benjamin and mid-amateur Nathan Smith). 

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

MEN
1. Oregon (Last week: NR)
Another publication floated the idea of Casey Martin as the national coach of the year. Well, I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon. The Ducks were expected to win their home event this past week, and they did by seven strokes over Arkansas, making it two wins this season and no finishes outside the top five. No time to rest on their laurels in Eugene, however, as the team gets right back at it today.
Next event: Barona Collegiate Cup, Barona Creek CC, Lakeside, Calif., March 25-26

2. Stanford (1)
Coach Conrad Ray brought a young line-up to the desert, where the top-seeded Cardinal got beat in the second round by USC and eventually finished in eighth place. David Chung's return to the line-up will be something Stanford fans will surely welcome as the team heads into the stretch run before the post-season.
Next event: ASU Thunderbird Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., April 2-3

3. Texas (3)
Longhorns bounce back from Vegas well with a solid second-place finish at NIT, particularly with final-round five-under score. Dylan Frittelli claims medalist honors, giving the team its second individual win of the season. Expect this group to build more confidence with their home event coming up shortly.  
Next event: Morris Williams Intercollegiate, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, April 5-6

4. Oklahoma State (4)
Finished second at Linger Longer a year ago, with Trent Whitekiller winning individually, so the Cowboys are familiar with the course. Practices back in Stillwater can't have been too much fun after OSU's disappointing performance in Las Vegas. Is this the weekend that the Oklahoma State squad finally returns to form?
Next event: Linger Longer Invitational, Reynolds Landing GC, Greensboro, Ga., March 26-28

5. UNLV (2)
The Rebels got knocked out of the second round at the Callaway Match Play by Texas A&M, which isn't something to be overly concerned about. Losing to Iowa in the fifth-place match, however, wasn't expected. Says here there's not much to worry about but UNLV sure would love to see Eddie Olson start to step up.
Next event: ASU Thunderbird Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., April 2-3



WOMEN
1. USC (1)
A few weeks more before the Trojans get back on the course, which means that the veteran squad is getting rested and healthy. I know why USC is getting not love in the rankings (two bad finishes are offsetting the three victories). You can explain away the losses but it's hard to ignore the wins. 
Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

2. Arizona State (2)
I love where the Sun Devils sit in some of the top stat categories: No. 1 in par-5 scoring (4.87), No. 2 in par-3 (3.12), No. 2 in sub-par strokes per round (2.71), No. 1 in final-round scoring (73.24) and they have a 71.2 percent greens in regulation mark. Looks like a team that can handle a long golf course and make a bunch of birdies.
Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

3. Auburn (NR)
Off a nice victory in New Orleans, the Tigers bring confidence with them as they head into rival territory in Georgia. They also bring with them the knowledge that they've won the Liz Murphey two of the last three years.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28

4. UCLA (3)
The Bruins are the favorites to finally break through and get their first victory this weekend in Austin. How big? Carrie Forsyth's group has just one loss head-to-head against any school in the field (to UC Davis at Turtle Bay last fall). Plus, the Bruins won on the UT course at the Central Regional in 2007.   
Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, March 26-28

5. Alabama (4)
The Crimson Tide have hit an impressive 79.0 percent of their fairways as a team in 2009-10, led by Brooke Pancake's 89.7 percent mark. Even better is the fact that the squad usually doesn't three-putt, recording less than one three-putt per player as a team.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28


STAT OF THE WEEK
35
The highest ranking of any player on the Oklahoma State men's golf team in the most recent Golfstat Cup ranking. Kevin Tway comes in at 35th, with several other Cowboys close behind (Morgan Hoffmann, 42; Peter Uihlein, 47; Trent Whitekiller, 56).

Now there is still plenty of time left in the spring for these guys to return to the form that was predicted at the start of the 2009-10 season and I wouldn't be surprised to see Oklahoma State win the NCAA title come June. However, who would have bet that in the last full week of March, there would be players from Ferris State (Eric Lilleboe), North Alabama (Brett Munson), Southeastern Louisiana (Philipp Westermann), Air Force (Tom Whitney), UT Arlington (Zack Fischer), Grand View (Josh Manske) and Santa Clara (Scott Travers) ranked 34th or better in the Golfstat Cup but no one from Oklahoma State.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
In the video:
* UCLA's Gregor Main at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
* Auburn and UCLA women have chance to impress this weekend
* How the NCAA men's hoops tourney will play out ... if the golf teams had a say!





TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Barona Collegiate Cup
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Barona Creek GC, Lakeside, Calif. (Par 72, 7,300 yards)
March 25-26
Host: San Diego State
Field: UAB, Air Force, Colorado, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Oregon, San Diego State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Utah, UTEP, Wyoming
Defending champion: Colorado State (-29/1,051) by six strokes over San Diego State; Colorado State's Dustin Morris (-13/203) by three strokes over New Mexico's Steve Saunders
Skinny: Among the few tournaments that uses the play six, count five formate. That only seems to be playing into the hand's of the tourney favorite, Oregon.

Linger Longer Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Reynolds Landing, Greensboro, Ga.
March 26-28
Host: Mercer/Kennesaw State
Field: Alabama, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Furman, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Louisville, Mercer, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Jose State, South Alabama, USC Aiken, Texas A&M
Defending champion: Georgia (+3/867) by two strokes over Oklahoma State; Oklahoma State's Trent Whitekiller (-8/208) by one stroke over Mercer's Bill Jones III and Wichita State's Connor McHenry
Skinny: The event has arguably its best field to date, with five top-16 teams from the most recent Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll.

FAU Spring Break Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Glen Eagles CC, Delray Beach, Fla.
March 26-28
Host: Florida Atlantic
Field: Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Illinois, Iowa, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota, Murray State, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, South Florida, St. Mary's (Calif.), Wisconsin
Defending champion: Illinois (-5/847) by 14 strokes over Michigan; Illinois' Scott Langley (-8/205) by two strokes over Northwestern's Jonathan Bowers
Skinny: It's like a mini-Big Ten Championship going on in the Sunshine State with seven conference teams in the field.

Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Bulls Bay GC, Awendaw, S.C.
March 28-30
Host: Bulls Bay GC
Field: Auburn, Augusta State, Charleston, Chattanooga, Clemson, Duke, East Tennessee State, Kentucky, LSU, Long Beach State, N.C. State, South Carolina, UCF, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Augusta State (-17/835) by eight strokes over Virginia; Augusta State's Janne Kaske (-14/199) by two strokes over South Carolina's George Bryan IV
Skinny: Four different schools come into the tournament having won in their last state (Auburn, Schenkel E-Z-Go; Clemson, Furman Intercollegiate; East Tennessee State, General Jim Hackler; UCF, Rio Pinar).


WOMEN
Mountain View Collegiate
Mountain View GC, Tucson (Par 72, 6,126 yards)
March 26-27
Host: Colorado
Field: Baylor, Boise State, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan, Missouri, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Texas Tech, UNLV, Washington State, Wisconsin
Defending champion: San Jose State (+2/866) by nine strokes over UNLV; San Jose State's Erica Moston (-7/209) by two strokes over Louisville's Cindy LaCrosse
Skinny: Hard to top last year's event, where the several scoring records were broken including the low individual 18-hole score (67, Kansas State's Abbi Sunner, 3rd rd)

Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of Texas GC, Austin
March 26-28
Host: Texas
Field: Arizona, Chattanooga, New Mexico, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulsa, UC Davis, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Washington
Defending champion: Purdue (+8/872) by six strokes over Arizona State; Purdue's Maria Hernandez (-6/210) by three strokes over Arkansas' Lucy Nunn
Skinny: One of the longest running events in women's college golf, the tournament celebrates its 37th straight year. Weather always seems to be a factor: last year under perfect conditions Hernandez broke the 54-hole scoring mark. In 2008, rain reduced the event to 36 holes.

Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga.
March 26-28
Host: Georgia
Field: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Denver, Duke, Florida, Furman, Georgia, Georgia State, Kent State, Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Tulane, UCF, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Auburn (+11/299) by three strokes over Alabama and Kent State; Alabama's Kathleen Ekey (-3/69) by one stroke over Kent State's Kirby Dreher
Skinny: No truth to the rumor that the school has domed the course after the horrible rains from a year ago forced the event to become an 18-hole sprint.

Anteater Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Dove Canyon CC, Dove Canyon, Calif. (Par 71, 5,960 yards)
March 29-30
Host: UC Irvine
Field: CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Long Beach State, Oregon State, Portland State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Irvine, UC Riverside
Defending champion: Long Beach State (+39/891) by 12 strokes over UC Davis; UC Davis' Chelsea Stelzmiller (-1/212) by two strokes over UC Irvine's Jane Chin
Skinny: Wide open tournament but you've got to like the chances of the host Anteaters.

MEN
Dustin Garza, Wichita State
With a 14-under 202, at Arizona’s Palm Valley GC including a 65 in the second round, the senior from Mission, Texas, won the Desert Shootout, his fifth title of the season. The 22-year-old also helped the Shockers claim the team title in a playoff over Kansas.

Garza's victory was the ninth of his career. As of March 16, he ranked second in the Golfstat Cup.

Click here to listened to Garza's Campus Insider Podcast from earlier this spring.

WOMEN
Louisa Lies, Fresno State
The sophomore from Weinheim, Germany, opened with a 66 at Kaneohe Klipper GC in Honolulu, six strokes better than the day’s next best score, en route to an even-par 216 and a five-stroke win at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational. It was the first victory of her college career.

"We are very excited about Louisa and her strong tournament," said coach Angie Cates-Moore. "She's been so close to winning a couple times in the last year and each of those experiences helped her today. I think we will see a lot of great golf from her in the future."

Photos courtesy of Wichita State and Fresno State Sports Information Departments

For this week's edition of the Podcast, I'm sticking inside my own world of sports journalism.  and talking with Brian Murphy, a golf columnist for Yahoo! Sports and co-author of a new book about college golf entitled "The Last Putt: Two Teams, One Dream and a Freshman Named Tiger."

The book, written with Neil Hayes and set to be released April 5 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, chronciles the rivalry between the Oklahoma State and Stanford men's golf teams in the mid-1990s, one that culminated with the 1995 NCAA Championship at Ohio State's Scarlet Course, where the Cowboys beat the Cardinal in the championship's first-ever sudden-death playoff.

Murphy is a veteran golf writer who covered the beat for the San Francisco Chroncile from 2001 to 2004, winning Associated Press Sports Editor writing awards three times.

To pre-order the book, here is a link to Amazon.com.

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

MEN
1. Stanford (Last week: 1)
The Cardinal earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Match Play event outside Tucson. It's a great opportunity to gain some team experience in the format, although I disagree with coach Conrad Ray and would have liked to have seen the event keep one day of stroke play to seed the teams, so that schools can gain experience in adapting to the transition from stroke to match play. 
Next event: Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23

2. UNLV (NR)
I can't point my finger on a go-to person for the Rebels but after winning the John Burns Invite earlier this spring and then sharing the title at home last weekend at Southern Highlands, there's no question this group is building some momentum.
Next event: Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23

3. Texas (3)
The Longhorns no doubt were hoping for better than a seventh-place finish last weekend in Las Vegas after their fireworks in Puerto Rico. No time to dwell on that, however, as Texas quickly flies off to Tucson to play in this week's NIT event, an event that's in progress.
Next event: Morris Williams Intercollegiate, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, April 5-6

4. Oklahoma State (2)
Do I really think the Cowboys are the fourth best team in the country? No, but after the dreadful 11th-place performance in Las Vegas, you've got to wonder about just where this group stands mentally as we get into the dog days of the spring season. Ultimately, there's too much pride on this team to believe that Southern Highlands was anything but an aberration.
Next event: Linger Longer Invitational, Reynolds Landing GC, Greensboro, Ga., March 26-28

5. Washington (4)
I give the Huskies the nod over Oregon right now, only because they have a 1-0-1 head-to-head record against the Ducks. That said, a victory in the next few weeks would go a long way to assuaging any concerns that Washington might be a notch or two below last year's Elite Eight squad.
Next event: Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23


WOMEN
1. USC (1)
Golfweek has the Trojans at No. 5. Golfstat has them at No. 5. Even the Golf World/NGCA poll has them at No. 5. So what am I missing? My eye-ball test tells me this team with three wins (one more than Arizona State and three more than UCLA) has as much talent as anyone. Are you really ready to say that there are four teams that USC would lose to if their roster is 100 percent healthy? 
Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

2. Arizona State (2)
The Sun Devils are no doubt a tight knit group. Latest example? Coach Melissa Luellen is training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this summer in San Francisco, where she'll honor associate head coach Missy Farr-Kaye, a breast cancer survivor.
Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

3. Auburn (NR)
Most impressive part about the Tigers' victory in New Orleans last weekend (their second win of the season) was that the team made eight birdies and an eagle on the final six holes at English Turn G&CC. That's what you call closing out a tournament.
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28

4. UCLA (3)
You can't argue with the fact the Bruins have impressive stats. I need to see them come through in the final round and win a title, however, before I'm ready to say they're the best team in the land, as Golfstat professes. Of course there's still time to take that next step. 
Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, March 26-28

5. Alabama (4)
I have officially been silenced by the Crimson Tide, who finished third at the Tiger Wave Classic after their month-plus layoff. So much for knowing something about momentum? Now, though, can the Tide roll in Georgia next week?
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28


STAT OF THE WEEK
6
Number of subpar rounds shot by N.C.State junior Matt Hill. A year ago at this time the Canadian who went on to claim the NCAA title and national player of the year honors had nine. He then proceeded to break par in 18 of his final 19 rounds of the season.

Two points here: 1) While Hill's year has yet to live up to the season he had a year ago, it was a torrid closing stretch that earned him all his post-season accolades. Before anyone describes 2009-10 as a bust for Hill, he could once again get on a role, starting at this week's Schenkel tournament, the same event that the hot streak began at last March.
2) This year's player-of-the-year race is wide open ... so much so that any player in the country, should he get on a hot streak like Hill's last year, can snatch POY honors.
  

WHAT TO WATCH FOR


TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Desert Shootout
Palm Valley GC, Goodyear, Ariz. (Par 71, 7,015 yards)
March 18-20
Host: Denver
Field: Boise State, BYU, Denver, Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Nebraska, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Pacific, Southern Utah, Utah, VCU, Wichita State, Xavier
Defending champion: Denver (-35/829) by one stroke over Tulsa; Air Force's Tom Whitney (-16/200) by one stroke over Tulsa's Nicolas Geyger and Coastal Carolina's Zack Byrd
Skinny: The host Pioneers are still looking for their first victory of the 2009-10 season. Senior Espen Kofstad also is looking for his first individual title after four top-three finishes and six top-10s.

Furman Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Furman University GC, Greenville, S.C (Par 72, 6,994 yards)
March 19-21
Host: Furman
Field: UAB, Appalachian State, Charleston Southern, Chattanooga, Clemson, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State, Marshall, Mississippi State, Old Dominion, Presbyterian, Rhode Island, Samford, Temple, Troy, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Wofford
Defending champion: East Carolina (+19/595) by one stroke over Furman and Virginia Tech; Furman's Austin Reeves and Daniel Bowden (+1/145)
Skinny: Do the Paladins have a home-course advantage? Not really when you consider the school has won its home event just twice (1986 and 2004) in the tournament's 39-year history.

Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga.
March 19-21
Host: Georgia Southern
Field: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi, North Carolina, N.C. State, North Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia
Defending champion: South Carolina (+1/865) by two strokes over N.C. State and Tennessee; N.C. State's Matt Hill (-7/209) by three strokes over South Carolina's George Bryan IV
Skinny: The historic tournament coincides this year with the opening of the Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center, a 25-acre facility houses the team clubhouse, a dedicated practice putting green, a three-green short-game area, a two-tiered practice tee, a driving range and three practice holes.

Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Ritz-Carlton GC at Dove Mountain, Marana, Ariz
March 21-23
Host: GCAA
Field:

Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State over Indiana, 4-1
Skinny: Per the request of the coaches, this year's event is strictly match play with the 16 teams being seeded ahead of time. … Four of the teams that reached last year's Elite Eight at the NCAA Championship (Texas A&M, USC, Washington and Arizona State). … Course is the same one that hosted the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship last month.

Oregon Duck Invitational
Shadow Hills CC, Junction City, Ore. (Par 72, 7,020 yards)
March 22-23
Host: Oregon
Field: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Washington State 
Defending champion: Washington (-5/859) by 15 strokes over Oregon; Washington's Nick Taylor (-5/211) by one stroke over Oregon's Jack Dukeminier
Skinny: I like the Ducks' chances at home, considering their 71.49 adjusted stroke average is the best in the country and their 75.68 is the best average drop score of any team in the country. Still, the last time UO won its home event? 2004.


WOMEN
UNCW Lady Seahawk Classic
River Landing CC, Wallace, N.C. (Par 72, 6,012 yards)
Host: UNC Wilmington
Field: Appalachian State, DePaul, Elon, Jacksonville State, Longwood, UMKC, UNC Wilmington, Penn, Winthrop
Defending champion: East Tennessee State (+39/903) by six strokes over Elon; Elon's Danielle Mills (E/216) by six strokes over East Tennessee State's Laura Jansone
Skinny: Tournament celebrates its 10th year, although we wouldn' blame the UNCW folks it they were thinking about that other event they're hosting later this spring: the NCAA Women's Championship. 

Pinehurst Spring Challenge
Pinehurst No. 6, Pinehurst, N.C. (Par 72, 6,004 yards)
March 22-23
Host: Charleston
Field: Campbell, Charleston, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Illinois, James Madison, Maryland, Minnesota, N.C. State, UNC Greensboro, Princeton, Richmond, SMU, Western Carolina, Wofford
Defending champion: East Carolina (+46/910) by 20 strokes over East Tennessee State; Charleston's Steffi Kirchmayr (+1/217) by four strokes over East Carolina's Emelie Lind     
Skinny: Current weather projections have temps in 60s for the two tournament days, a far cry from a year ago when snow blanketed the course and forced the cancelation of the tournament.

John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate
Eagle's Landing CC, Stockbridge, Ga. (Par 72, 6,047 yards)
March 22-23
Host: Georgia State
Field: Arkansas State, UALR, Augusta State, Ball State, Chattanooga, Daytona State, Florida International, Georgia State, Murray State, South Alabama, Texas State, Xavier, Troy
Defending champion: Georgia State (+22/886) by nine strokes over Furman; Georgia State's Sandra Maier (E/216) by one stroke over Georgia State's Anna Scott
Skinny: Maier was just the second Georgia State player to win medalist honors in the event's previous 16 editions.

BYU at Entrada Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Entrada at Snow Canyon, St. George, Utah
March 22-23
Host: BYU
Field: BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Louisville, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Southern Utah, Weber State, Wyoming
Defending champion: Denver (+13/877) by 22 strokes over Colorado State; Denver's Dawn Shockley (E/216) by five strokes over Denver's Ellie Givens
Skinny: The tournament undergoes a small name change, adding Entrada to its title as the course prepares to host the event for the seventh year. Teams in the event are assigned home families that they'll stay with for the week. 

Here is the second spring edition of the Golf World/Nike Golf men's coaches' poll, which appear in the March 22 issue of the magazine. The top teams in all three polls remain the same: Oklahoma State (D-I), Barry (D-II), Methodist (D-III) and Oklahoma City (NAIA).








Polls conducted by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Voting closed March 12, so results this past weekend's tournaments weren't included for consideration.