FAB FIVE
MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 3)
The Cowboys held serve at home, winning the Ping/Golfweek Preview with Peter Uihlein and Kevin Tway leading the way. Added to its T-2 finish at Olympia Fields, it's hard to argue the way OSU has started the 2010-11 season.
Next event: Jack Nicklaus Invitational, Scioto CC, Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 11-12

2. Florida (2)
It's been four years since the Gators won a fall tournament (2006 NCAA Preview), making their Olympia Fields victory either a fluke or an impressive sign of things to come.
Next event: Jerry Pate Invitational, Old Overton Club, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 11-12

3. Alabama (4)
After Carpet Capital victory, Crimson Tide post an admirable fourth-place showing at Olympia Fields. Meanwhile, U of A fans should take pleasure in the fact that the school has won the Jerry Pate event the past four years.
Next event: Jerry Pate Invitational, Old Overton Club, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 11-12

4. Augusta State (2)
Solid if not spectacular start for the Jaguars to the 2010-11 season. T-2 at Olympia followed by T-4 at the Ping Preview. Henrik Norlander responds after so-so start to 2010-11 season.
Next event: Brickyard Intercollegiate, The Brickyard at Riverside, Macon, Ga., Oct. 8-10

5. Iowa (5)
OK, you could say the Hawkeyes' win at the Golfweek Conference Challenge should have an asterisk because it was at a course in Iowa. But the victory this week at the Fighting Irish Invitational can't be "written off" quite so easily. Is somebody ready to challenge Illinois' hold on the Big Ten Conference?
Next event: Rod Myers Invitational, Duke University GC, Durham, N.C., Oct. 10-11


WOMEN
1. LSU (4)
A year ago the Tigers started the season with a victory at the NGCA match play tournament but fizzled the rest of the fall. This time around, the Tigers look like they have more bite, losing by just one stroke to Alabama at the Preview than winning the Mason Rudolph. Most impressive part is their 35 under score for the first six rounds of 2010-11.
Next event: Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley Course, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 8-9

2. Alabama (1)
The Crimson Tide come back down to earth with sixth place finish at Mason Rudolph. Still have yet to have a over-par round as a team however, which has to help maintain their confidence.
Next event: Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley Course, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 8-9

3. USC (2)
Transfer Lisa McCloskey continues to play as solidly as she did as an amateur last summer. Have to think the Trojans chances are pretty good to finish better than third in the Pacific Northwest this week.
Next event: Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational, Tacoma Country &GC, Lakewood, Wash., Oct. 4-6

4. Purdue (3)
Now that's a little more like it ... Boilermakers were actually tied for the lead with a few holes to play before finishing second at the Mason Rudolph.
Next event: Windy City Collegiate, Northmoor GC, Highland Park, Ill., Oct. 4-5 

5. Virginia (NR)
The Cavaliers showed just how talented they are (when they're not playing inconsistently) with a final-round one-under 287 allowing them to storm back and claim the Golfweek Conference Championship in Colorado.
Next event: Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley Course, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 8-9


STAT OF THE WEEK
50
Percentage of the total sub-par rounds posted at the Mary Fossum Invitational (six) that were carded by Notre Dame freshman Nicole Zhang (three).

Indeed, it was a shame the 18-year-old's college debut took place the same weekend as the Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, overshadowing one of the more impressive starts in recent memory. Zhang (right) shot rounds of 69-67-71 at the Forest Akers GC in East Lansing for a nine-under 207 to win the individual title by nine strokes over Kent State's Martina Gavier. Zhang's score was 13 strokes better than third-place Caroline Powers of Michigan State and 19 stokes better than the twosome tied in 10th place. The overall scoring average was 78.65 while Zhang averaged 69.00.

"I was really proud of Nicole this weekend," said Fighting Irish women's coach Susan Holt. "She is a special player for us, and she definitely lived up to our expectations."


RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
Can we actually get on with playing the Ryder Cup already? Everybody else who is sick of all the pre-tournament nonsense, raise your hand?

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Some history was made during the first round of last weekend's Wisconsin Badger Invitational. For the first time in her college career, North Dakota State's Amy Anderson didn't post the best score for the Bisons in a college tournament. With a five-over 77, Anderson was bested by teammate Rachel Roller's 71 at University Ridge GC in Verona, Wis., ending a string of 32 rounds in which Anderson had literally led ND State's charge.

Anderson, the 2009 U.S. Girls Junior champion, turned many heads when she decided to stay in her home state of North Dakota, playing at a college only a few years removed from moving from Division II, rather than attend a more high profile program with a deeper roster. Being near home and getting a chance to take her winter break were more important for Anderson than playing at a "big-time" school. The move of course pleased coach Matt Johnson, not simply because having a player with a 74.0 stroke average might help improve the school's results, but having Anderson around on a daily basis to assist the rest of the team might help the entire tide rise, if you will. That Keller, a junior, did beat Anderson suggests that the plan might actually be working. And in the final round, the Bison set a school record with a 18-over 306 score.

The question will be if Anderson can be beaten again anytime soon. Of course if Anderson's teammates get better, and can push Anderson, it would only help the All-American caliber player improve too.  


* With a 15th-place finish at Olympia Fields and a 11th-place showing at the Ping Preview, the Arizona State men's team hasn't had the start to the fall that coach Randy Lein was hoping for. Worse yet was the fact Scott Pinckney missed the second and third rounds at Karsten Creek because of a rib injury. The good news for Sun Devils fans is that the injury isn't serious, according to Lein, who says that Pinckney should be back playing again by the weekend.



TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
MEN
William H. Tucker Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
UNM Championship Course, Albuquerque
Oct. 1-2
Host: New Mexico
Field: Arizona, Baylor, BYU, Colorado, New Mexico, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Pepperdine, San Diego State, UTEP, UT-San Antonio, Toledo, Utah, Wyoming
Defending champion: UNLV (21-under 843) by 16 over San Diego State; UNLV's Colby Smith and Derek Ernst (eight-under 208)
Skinny: Entering its 56th playing, the Tucker is the second oldest regular-season event in college golf behind the New England Intercollegiate. The tournament is named in honor of a English golf course architect and former UNM groundskeeper.

Gary Koch Intercollegiate
Old Memorial GC, Tampa
Oct. 2-3
Host: Auburn/Kentucky
Field: Auburn, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, North Florida, South Florida, Virginia
Defending champion: Florida State (30-under 834) by 16 strokes over Texas Tech; Auburn's Kyle Kopsick (15-under 201) by two strokes over Florida State's Seath Lauer 
Skinny: Tournament resumed a year ago after a six-year hiatus. Schools from the state of Florida (North Florida, Florida, Florida State) have won six of the eight times the event has been played.

D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate
Weibring GC at Illinois State, Normal, Ill.
Oct. 2-3
Host: Illinois State
Field: Akron, Bradley, DePaul, Creighton, Detroit-Mercy, Drake, Illinois, Illinois State, Iowa State, Louisville, Loyola, Missouri State, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Western Illinois
Defending champion: Illinois State (33-over 873 by 15 over Western Illinois; Illinois State's Jeff Kellen (one-under 209) by six strokes over Western Illinois' Brian Scott
Skinny: Can anyone really challenge Illinois at this event? Says here no.

Cabo Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Querencia GC,
Oct. 2-4
Host: Santa Clara
Field: Arkansas, Boise State, CSU-Northridge, Houston, Lamar, Oregon State, Pacific, Santa Clara, SMU, St. Mary's (Calif.), Texas-Arlington, UC-Irvine
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: Santa Clara coach Rob Miller believes by hosting a top quality invitational event it will help the program be able to get into other strong events through reciprocal invitations.

Wolfpack Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Lonnie Poole GC, Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 4-5
Host: N.C. State
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Campbell, East Carolina, Duke, Francis Marion, George Mason, Georgia State, Lynn, Maryland, Memphis, Navy, N.C. State, Rhode Island, UNC Wilmington, VCU, Wake Forest, Western Carolina
Defending champion: North Carolina (eight-over 860) by seven strokes over Duke; Duke's Adam Long (one-over 214)
Skinny: Event first played last spring on N.C. State's new course.

Rees Jones Intercollegiate
Haig Point, Dauguskie Island, S.C.
Oct. 4-5
Host: Michigan State
Field: Alabama State, Charletson Southern, Jackson State, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Michigan State, San Jose State, South Carolina, Tennessee State, Winthrop, Wofford
Defending champion: South Carolina (five-over 869) by 37 strokes over UNC Wilmington; South Carolina's George Bryan IV and Paul Woodbury (two-under 214)
Skinny: The Gamecocks enter the tournament as the favorite and are the only school to have won the team title as the event is played for a third year.

Louisiana Tech Squire Creek Classic
Squire Creek, Choudrant, La.
Oct. 4-5
Host: Louisiana Tech
Field: Arkansas State, Houston Baptist, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, UMKC, Nicholls State, Rice, Sam Houston State, S.E. Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, Troy
Defending champion: New Orleans (10-over 854) by nine strokes over UNC Wilmington; S.E. Louisiana's Cedric Scotto (six-under 210) by one stroke of New Orleans' Ken Looper and Sebastian Szirmak
Skinny: A pair of top-four finishes has the host Bulldogs ranked No. 57 by Golfstat, highest in the program's history.


WOMEN
William K. Warren Irish Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Warren GC, Notre Dame, Ind.
Oct. 2-3
Host: Notre Dame
Field: Cincinnati, Georgia State, Illinois, Indiana, Kent State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Toledo, UT-San Antonio
Skinny: Warren GC hosts second big tournament in two weeks after being the site of this summer's U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

Johnie Imes Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Club at Old Hawthorne, Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 4-5
Host: Missouri
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Baylor, Colorado, Florida International, Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Missouri State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Princeton, Texas State, Wisconsin
Defending champion:
Skinny: The host Tigers are raising money for breast cancer research in conjunction with the tournament. Sponsors have been recruited to donate money for every birdie the team makes.

Windy City Collegiate Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Northmoor GC, Highland Park, Ill.
Oct. 4-5
Host: Northwestern
Field: East Carolina, Iowa State, New Mexico, Northwestern, Purdue, San Diego State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington
Defending champion: Purdue (four-under 860) by 14 strokes over Tulane; Purdue's Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (five-under 211) by one stroke over Michigan's Ashley Bauer
Skinny: Third year for the event.

Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Tacoma Country & GC, Lakewood, Wash.
Oct. 4-6
Host: Washington
Field: California, Gonzaga, Idaho, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Francisco, San Jose State, Stanford, UC Davis, USC, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion: California (33-over 897) by 15 strokes over Stanford; San Jose State's Katrin Delen Briones (three-over 219) by one stroke over San Francisco's Natasha Podmore
Skinny: The event celebrates its 29th year. Because of Sahalee CC, the usual host course, having held the U.S. Senior Open, the event has been moved for a year.

Thanks to its win at the NCAA Preview, Alabama moved up from fourth to No. 1 in the latest Golf World/NGCA women's coaches' poll. (Voting took place prior to the Mason Rudolph Women's Championship this past weekend.)

Nova Southeastern and Methodist retained their top spots in the Division II and Division III polls.

Oklahoma State, Florida Southern and Oklahoma City retains their No. 1 spots in the Division I, Division II and NAIA polls, respectively. Greensboro, however, jumps from the seventh in the Division III preseason poll to No. 1 after winning the Fall Preview.

MEN
Jack Belote, Memphis
The senior helped the Tigers capture their first team title since 2008 at the Mason Rudolph Men's Championship when he shot a 11-under 205 to win individual honors by one stroke over South Carolina's Blaine Woodruff.

Belote's performance at Vanderbilt Legends Club outside Nashville tied the second lowest in Memphis history as he became the first UM player to win an event since 2007.

Interestingly, this wasn't the first time Belote had found success at the Mason Rudolph. A year ago he posted his best score of the fall season with a final-round 70 at the event, good for 16th place. Meanwhile, as a freshman in 2008 he finished 17th in the tournament in his first collegiate start.

Honorable mention: Josh Anderson, Pepperdine
The junior had a 10-under 206 showing at Washington National GC, shooting back-to-back 68s after opening with a 70 to win the individual title at the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational by four strokes over teammate Andrew Putnam.



WOMEN
Pia Halbig, California
With a 13-under 203 at the Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, the senior from Germany set both a tournament and a school 54-hole scoring record en route to claiming her first individual college victory by three strokes over Wake Forest's Michelle Shin.

The previous Cal record was eight under, held by Sophia Sheridan and Shannon Yocum.

Halbig's second-round 67 Saturday at the Vanderbilt Legend Club also tied Cal's 18-hole scoring mark.

"Pia was just stellar through all three rounds," said women's coach Nancy McDaniel. "Shooting a four-under, five-under, and then another four-under shows the level of play she is at. This win really had purpose. She didn't win because someone else wasn't playing well. Those two [Halbig and Shin] went toe-to-toe until the end. Pia just played purposefully, making birdies down the stretch."

Indeed, during her final round, Halbig made four birdies on the back nine, including three straight on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes.

Honorable mention: Emily Tubert, Arkansas and Nicole Zhang, Notre Dame.
The two freshmen each won tournaments in their first college starts while propelling their schools to team titles. Tubert shot a five-under 211 to claim the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic title in Norman, Okla.; Zhang shot a nine-under 209, a school record, to triumph at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich.


Photos courtesy of Memphis and California Sports Information Departments.

Oklahoma State men's coach Mike McGraw is a quiet, humble man, one who would never use a heavy heart as an excuse for not giving his full attention to the Cowboy program. Still, no one would blame McGraw for being distracted as the 2010-11 season started after the death of his father, Gervis, on Sept. 5 at age 80.

To honor both father and son, OSU golfers will be toting bag tags with a picture of McGraw's dad on them starting this weekend at the Ping/Golfweek Preview, being held at OSU's home course Karsten Creek GC Sept. 26-28. Assistant coach Alan Bratton had the momentos made prior to the tournament.

It was Gervis's love of golf that rubbed off on Mike, one of Gervis and Patricia McGraw's seven children. Gervis started caddying at Abilene (Texas) CC at age 11 only to began playing the game in earnest two years later. At age 16 he set the course record when he shot a 61 and was good enough to qualify for the 1949 U.S. Open at Medinah CC. He eventually became a club professional, taking the head professional job at Ponca City (Okla.) CC in May 1957, a position he held until 1982. In 1983, he opened his own club repair shop in Oklahoma City, where he worked until retiring in 2005.

THE FAB FIVE
MEN
1. Florida (Last week: Not ranked)
The Gators set a new tournament 54-hole scoring record with their win at the Olympia Fields event over the weekend. Lots had been expected from Bank Vongvanij, the junior phenom who finished second individually, since his arrival in Gainesville. Can he make up for lost time his senior season?
Next event: Jerry Pate Invitational, Old Overton Club, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 11-12

2. Augusta State (1)
Even with senior Henrik Norlander finishing just T-24, the Jaguars had a solid showing to start the season with a T-2 finish at Olympia Fields after a long week that included their White House visit.
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Preview, Karsten Creek GC, Stillwater, Okla., Sept. 26-28

3. Oklahoma State (2)
The way I see it, the Cowboys' T-2 at Olympia Fields isn't quite as spiffy as Augusta State's considering that Peter Uihlein's impressive individual performance really propped up the other OSU scores. Still, I wouldn't bet against this squad next week when they play the Preview on their home course. Think horses for courses. 
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Preview, Karsten Creek GC, Stillwater, Okla.,
Sept. 26-28

4. Alabama (3)
Freshman Bobby Wyatt and Cory Whitsett impressed again with top-20 finishes at Olympia Fields after very nice starts to their college careers at the Carpet Capital. Combined with Bud Cauley's steady play and you have to like the way the Tide is rolling.
Next event: Jerry Pate Invitational, Old Overton Club, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 11-12

5. Iowa (NR)
The Hawkeyes pulled away from the rest of the field at the Golfweek Conference Challenge early and never looked back, winning by 15 strokes and setting the school's 18-hole record (20-under 268) and 54-hole mark (31-under 833) in the process. Maybe they come back down to Earth in the next few weeks, but you've got to respect the job Mark Hankins' squad accomplished.
Next event: Fighting Irish Golf Classic, Warren GC, Notre Dame, Ind., Sept. 27-28


WOMEN
1. Alabama (1)
Coach Mic Potter says that the re-designed short-game facility at school is already paying dividends for the squad, which hopes to back-up its NCAA Fall Preview victory with another solid performance in Tennessee this weekend.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 24-26

2. USC (2)
Some optimism for fans of the Trojans as the team makes the trip out East this week? Consider this: Andrea Gaston's squads haven't posted an over-par round at this event since the final round in 2007. If nothing else, that leaves a good vibe.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 24-26

3. Purdue (3)
Something tells me the wake-up call at the NCAA Preview, where the Boilermakers finished 10th, is going to translate into a better performance at the Mason Rudolph. Or maybe that's just me channeling Devon Brouse.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 24-26

4. LSU (4)
For those who thought that the Tigers' second-place showing at the NCAA Preview was all Megan McChrystal's doing, look again. Four of the five starters posted a sub-par round during the event, with Tessa Teachman and Mary Michael Maggio carding sub-70 scores.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 24-26

5. Duke (5)
Final-round 280 at the NCAA Preview was more like it for the Blue Devils, who hope to take the momentum with them to the Mason Rudolph, a tournament the school has won three times previously.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 24-26


STAT OF THE WEEK
4:16, 4:13, 4:17
Average time of the golfers competing in the first, second and third rounds, respectively, during the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational this week at Washington National GC in Auburn, Wash.

The emphasis that Washington men's coach Matt Thurmond and Kikkor Golf founder James Lepp put on speeding up play during the tournament seems to have been a success when you look at the numbers. The overall average time for the entire tournament was 4:15, an impressive feat in the eyes of many--yours truly included--given the five (and sometimes six) hour rounds you hear about at some events.

"When it was announced what we were doing, I think the players thought 'Oh, this is going to feel so fast, I'm going to be rushing," Thurmond said after the tournament. "But they still embraced it to their credit. I think if you were to ask now, they would say they were surprised they were as fast as they were because they didn't feel like they were racing."

While Thurmond was pleased with pace-of-play results, he also noted that the event did not reach its stated goal of being under four hours, so while an admirable start, he thinks there's still room for improvement.

"There are a few things we could have done logistically," Thurmond said, noting that lift, clean and place rules were in affect because of wet conditions. "When you're talking about just a few minutes here and there they can add up. We can do better."

Still, the worst time of the 75 groups that played was 4:33. And while no school had an entire team record sub-four hour times for all three rounds, when Texas A&M's Cameron Peck and Idaho's Jarred Bossio shot 63s in the closing round, they both played in 4:03. Not too shabby.

Pepperdine, the team champion, averaged 4:31 in the final round while shooting a seven-under 281 as junior Josh Anderson claimed medalist honors with a 10-under 206 total.

"It was a great message that they sent out, and I think all the kids enjoyed it," said Wave coach John Geiberger, who noted that the final round felt like it was going slowly, thanks to the pace from the previous day, but was still only about 4 1/2 hours. "It's an education process really. If it can  rub off on some other tournaments, that would be a good thing.

"Like I said at the awards ceremony, you know the Washington guys always think outside of the box a little bit, being creative," Geiberger noted. "I think it's a creative way to get the message across."


RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
If the current pace from the first two weeks holds for the remainder of the 2010-11 college season, we can expect roughly 144 holes in one made in the men's game for all divisions and NAIA and 84 aces among the women. (There were 12 hole-in-ones made by the guys between Sept. 7-21 and seven by the ladies during that period of time.) 


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* With all due respect to every other event on the fall calendar, the biggest and most interesting tournament on both the men's and women's sides are being held in the next week. Karsten Creek GC will test the best of golf games, which will make the Ping/Golfweek Preview and entertaining tournament simply from a standpoint of who not let the killer rough get to them. I haven't been to Stillwater lately, and don't know what the set-up is going to be like, but I'm willing to bet only two or three players break par for the tournament.

As for the women, the Mason Rudolph event is one of the most respected tournaments held each year and has produced a standout field for several years now. I think this week's event will serve as a better barometer as to where the top teams in the country really stand compared to the NCAA Fall Preview earlier this month. The timing of that event, so soon after the start of the semester, made it tough for some schools to be prepared for the course. Another 10 days or so should help get everyone more comfortable with such a challenging field.

So who do I like winning? You'll have to follow my Twitter updates (twitter.com/GWcampusinsider) before the start of each event to find out.
   

* It's not quite the order of James Madison beating Virginia Tech in college football, but the victory by Division II University of Colorado at Colorado Spring men's team at last week's Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational shows once again that the difference between top D-II programs and their D-I brethren isn't as great as you might think.

The Mountain Lions, unranked in the Golf World/Nike Golf D-II preseason coaches' poll, knocked off 17 Division I schools, including runner-up San Diego, No. 22 in the Golf World/Nike Golf D-I poll. Seniors Chris Shoop, Brian Morfeld and Riley Andrews each posted top-10 finishes individually to secure the victory.

"This team, they're legit," said UCCS coach Phil Trujillo. "I look forward to seeing how the season plays out."

This came less than a week after Georgia College took the team title at the SpringHill Suites Intercollegiate, beating 13 D-I programs. A few days later, D-II West Florida finished second to UCF at the Adams Cup of Newport, beating 14 other D-I schools.

Bottom line: We shouldn't be surprised anymore when these kind of "upsets" take place ... and we should be prepared for them to happen again soon. 



TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Mason Rudolph Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Vanderbilt Legends Club (South Course), Franklin, Tenn.
Sept. 24-26
Host: Vanderbilt
Field: Akron, Arkansas State, Belmont, Chattanooga, Davidson, Georgia State, Lipscomb, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, South Alabama, South Carolina, UT-Martin, Vanderbilt, Western Carolina
Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State (12-under 556) in playoff over South Carolina; Mississippi's Jonathan Randolph (11-under 131) by five strokes over South Carolina's Patrick Rada and Vanderbilt's Ryan Haselden
Skinny: Only once in the event's nine-year history has the winning team been over par (Mississippi, 2006, 12-over 876).

Windon Memorial
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
North Shore CC, Glenview, Ill.
Sept. 26-27
Host: Northwestern
Field: California, Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Indiana, Kent State, Long Beach State, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Princeton, Purdue, Tennessee, Tulsa, UC Davis
Defending champion: Illinois (16-over 868) by six strokes over Northwestern; Kent State's Brett Cairns and Coastal Carolina's Dan Obremski (one-over 214)
Skinny: Tournament has rotated among the Chicago areas top courses, held last year at Skokie CC. This is the fourth time North Shore will host the event. Past individual champions have included Casey Martin (Stanford, 1993), Luke Donald (Northwestern, 1999), Hunter Mahan (USC, 2000) and Colt Knost (SMU, 2006).

Ping/Golfweek Preview
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Karsten Creek GC, Stillwater, Okla.
Sept. 26-28
Host: Oklahoma State
Field: Arizona State, Augusta State, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Virginia
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (two-under 862) by 22 strokes over Washington; Oklahoma State's Peter Uihlein (five-under 211) by two strokes over Oklahoma State's Morgan Hoffmann (at Gold Mountain GC in Bremerton, Wash.)
Skinny: An early look at whether any other school can get a handle the host course for the 2011 NCAA Championship

Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Colorado National GC, Erie, Colo.
Sept. 27-28
Host: Colorado
Field: Air Force, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, Kansas, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, San Jose State, Southern Utah, Utah, UTEP, Wyoming
Skinny: The inaugural event is named after the former Buffaloes men's coach, who oversaw the program from 1977-2005 and will be the first tournament the team has held at its new course since the facility's opening in 2009.

VCU Shootout
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Hermitage CC, Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Sept. 27-28
Host: VCU
Field: Charlotte, East Carolina, Iowa State, James Madison, Liberty, Mercer, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Old Dominion, Richmond, VCU, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wichita State
Defending champion: UNC Wilmington (eight-over 872) by five strokes over Virginia; Charlotte's Corey Nagy (six-under 210) by two strokes over Wake Forest's Brendan Gielow
Skinny: It was a rough start to the season for the host school as the Rams finished 15th at the Golfweek Conference Challenge.

Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Warren GC, Notre Dame, Ind.
Sept. 27-28
Host: Notre Dame
Field: Charleston, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Lamar, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, Notre Dame, San Francisco, Seton Hall, UT Arlington
Defending champion: Notre Dame (30-over 870) by four strokes over Ohio State; Notre Dame's Josh Sandman (two-over 212) by two strokes over Ohio State's Dan Charen, Arkansas' David Lingmerth and Lamar's Kevin Hesbois
Skinny: Players competing in the tournament, being held for the fifth year, will once again also get a chance to attend the Notre Dame-Stanford football game held the Saturday prior to the event.


WOMEN
Mason Rudolph Women's Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Vanderbilt Legends Club (North Course), Franklin, Tenn.
Sept. 24-26
Host: Vanderbilt
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Charleston, Duke, Florida, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest
Defending champion: USC (16-under 560) by two strokes over UCLA; USC's Jennifer Song (12-under 132) by three strokes over Auburn's Cydney Clanton, Vanderbilt's Marina Alex and UCLA's Sydnee Michaels
Skinny: Eight of the top 10 teams in the Golf World/NGCA preseason coaches' poll are in the field. … Rain forced last year's event to be shortened to 36 holes. … Just three schools have won the tournament in the last six years (USC, UCLA and Duke).

Susie Maxwell Berning Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Jimmie Austin GC, Norman, Okla.
Sept. 24-26
Host: Oklahoma
Field: Arkansas, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Redlands CC, Texas State, Tulsa
Defending champion (spring 2009): Baylor (77-over 941) by three strokes over Oklahoma; Oklahoma's Kendall Dye (nine-over 225) by four strokes over Oklahoma's Ellen Mueller
Skinny: Host Sooners are coming off a third-place finish at Cougar Classic, where they posted a school-best eight-over 872.

Mary Fossum Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Akers GC, East Lansing, Mich.
Sept. 24-26
Host: Michigan State
Field: Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Iowa State, James Madison, Kent State, Long Beach State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Toledo
Defending champion: Michigan State (11-over 875) by three strokes over Purdue; James Madison's Nicole Sakamoto (two-under 214) by one stroke over Michigan's Ashley Bauer
Skinny: Spartans have been stingy hosts as of late, winning the tournament each of the last five years.

Badger Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University Ridge GC, Verona, Wis.
Sept. 26-27
Host: Wisconsin
Field: Augusta State, Bradley, Bucknell, Drake, Georgetown, Iowa, North Dakota State, SMU, UTEP, Wisconsin, Xavier
Defending champion (2008): California (25-over 889) by 13 strokes over Wisconsin; Wisconsin's Jessie Gerry (one-under 215) by three strokes over Georgetown's Chelsea Curtis and Maryland's Jessica Hollandsworth
Skinny: Tournament returns to fall calendar after Wisconsin hosted the Lady Northern Invitational last fall.

Golfweek Conference Challenge
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Red Sky GC, Wolcott, Colo.
Sept. 26-28
Field: Arizona, Campbell, Central Arkansas, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Denver Harvard, Missouri State, Minnesota, Pepperdine, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Tulane, UC Davis, UNLV, Virginia
Defending champion: Pepperdine (17-over 881) by one stroke over California; Oklahoma State's Caroline Hedwall (nine-under 207) by five strokes over UC Irvine's Joy Trotter
Skinny: Great mix of schools that might not otherwise be competing against one another.

UNCG Starmount Forest Fall Classic
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Bryan Park Players Course, Greensboro, N.C.
Sept. 26-28
Host: UNC Greensboro
Field: East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Furman, Gardner-Webb, High Point, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi, N.C. State, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Penn State, Stetson, Western Carolina, Winthrop
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: Nice field put together for this first-year event.

Rose City Collegiate
Langdon Farms GC, Wilsonville, Ore.
Sept. 27-28
Host: Portland State/Oregon State
Field: Boise State, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Hawaii, North Texas, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Oregon State, Portland, Portland State, San Francisco, Weber State, Wyoming
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: This is the first time that Portland State has hosted a tournament since the program began in 1997-98.

I've got to hand it to the officials running the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational, which begins today at Washington National GC outside of Seattle. The two-day, 54-hole event has been approached in a very different way both on and off the course.

* A Facebook page dedicated to the tournament that is packed with entertaining and goofy videos highlighting the fun that has been had at the event in the past.

* A Twitter account dedicated to following the tournament (twitter.com/Kikkor_invite) that will provide real-time play-by-play for those interested in following it.

* A dedicated commitment to fighting slow play.

The third point is something I wrote about in the edition of Golf World Monday that landed earlier this morning. Matt Thurmond, the men's coach at Washington, and one of his former players, James Lepp, the 2005 NCAA champ, have created a organization they're calling Under Four. The initiative is intended to promote "faster play for a more enjoyable golf experience."

Last week, Thurmond and Lepp (who founded Kikkor Golf, a golf-shoe company, after getting out of school) wrote what Thurmond described to me as a "manifesto" outlining ways that players can pick up the pace on the course. Among the points are "Walk fast. Be an athlete" and "Be ready before it is your turn to hit" and, my personal favorite, "Play better." The manifesto, entitled "Make Today an Under Four Day," was distributed to each coach in the field to read to their players before the event and will be repeated to the players on the first tee for every group today.

"Every player is going to be on the clock from the first hole," said Thurmond, who knows that trying to get the players around in four hours is going to be ambitious but felt like things have gotten so bad regarding pace-of-play in college events that something needs to be done.

Another interesting initiative the tournament is doing is after each round, a player's pace of play will be listed next to what they shot on the scoreboard to help highlight tortoises and hares.

My guess is that rounds are still going to take nearly five hours to play (hope I'm wrong) but I applaud Thurmond and Lepp for making a point of emphasizing that there's a problem and the players are the ones that have to appreciate and do something about it for the issue to finally be solved.

Back again for the 2010-11 season will be Golf World's player of the week. This week's edition (covering Sept. 13-19) should be fairly obvious. Meanwhile, if you want to nominate players in the coming weeks, send me a Tweet at twitter.com/GWcampusinsider.


MEN
Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State
The U.S. Amateur champion picked up where he left this summer with a three-stroke victory at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational over the weekend, shooting a six-under 204 to beat best friend and fellow Leadbetter Academy graduate Bank Vongvanij of Florida. A five-under 65 in the second round at Olympia Fields CC outside of Chicago vaulted Uihlein into the lead and a final-round 70 clinched the title, the fifth of his college career.
Photo by J.D. Cuban

Honorable mention: Jeff Karlsson, Kennesaw State
With a 14-under 199 at Hattiesburg (Miss.) CC, the junior claimed the individual title at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate for a second straight season and broke the school's 54-hole scoring record that he set at the event in 2009 by four strokes. His performance helped the Eagles claim the team title by four strokes over Louisiana-Lafayette.


WOMEN
Megan McChrystal, LSU
The senior birdied four of her last five holes to close with a seven-under 65 at the Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas to claim medalist honors by two strokes over Vanderbilt's Marina Alex at the NCAA Fall Preview. It was her fourth college victory, putting her alone in third place in the school's all-time win list behind Jenny Lidback (seven) and Kristi Coats (six). McChrystal's rally helped LSU claim second place in the team competition, losing to Alabama by one stroke.
Photo courtesy of LSU Sports Information Department

Honorable mention: Amy Anderson, North Dakota State
The sophomore won twice this past week, defending her title Sept. 14 at the Chip-N Club Invitational, where she tied her 36-hole school-record with an even-par 144 to win by one stroke over Kansas State's Paige Osterloo. Five days later she was victorious at the Hawkeye Invitational, shooting a two-under 214 after posting a final-round 70 to cruise to a six-stroke triumph over Ball State's Brittany Kelly. Anderson now has seven college victories in 13 starts.
Read more

The Fab Five
MEN
1. Augusta State (Last week: 1)
Same starting five as at the NCAA Championship, but minus the coach. Josh Gregory is staying back home in Augusta to be with his wife and new baby boy, born Monday, leaving coaching duties for the fall opener to Kevin McPherson.
Fall opener: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 17-19

2. Oklahoma State (2)
Line-up at Olympia Fields includes usually suspects (Uihlein, Hoffmann, Tway) plus redshirt freshman Kevin Dougherty and true freshman Talor Gooch.
Fall opener: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 17-19

3. Alabama (NR)
Crimson Tide wins the Carpet Capital for the third time in four years. Impressive debuts from rookies Bobby Wyatt and Cory Whitsett have to have coach Jay Seawell optimistic.
Fall opener: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 17-19

4. Stanford (4)
The Cardinal head to Chicago-land for the fifth straight year (minus David Chung, who stayed back at school to handle some personal issues) but have had mixed results. After finishing second the first year of the event at Olympia Fields, Conrad Ray's squads have gone fifth, fourth and fourth in the tournament.
Fall opener: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 17-19

5. Oregon (5)
The thing that impressed me most about the Ducks at the end of last year was they're laid-back attitude. There was no tension being in the hunt at the NCAA Championship. This loose group enjoys playing golf, which should serve them well again this time around.
Fall opener: Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational, Washington National GC, Auburn, Wash., Sept. 20-21


WOMEN
1. Alabama (4)
Impressive victory at the NCAA Fall Preview helps get the 2010-11 season off to a great start. Having seen Purdue claim the NCAA title last spring, and finishing third themselves, the Crimson Tide gained confidence that an upstart can contend for a nationally.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn, Sept. 24-26

2. USC (2)
Solid start for the Trojans at the Preview, finishing in third place. Andrea Gaston's crew is still in the "getting-to-know-you" phase with all the newcomers in L.A. this fall.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn, Sept. 24-26

3. Purdue (1)
Tenth place showing at the NCAA Preview wasn't exactly how the Boilermakers pictured their first time out as reigning NCAA champions might go, but it's just one event. Most disappointing thing might have been that only once did a Purdue player break par (Maude-Aimee LeBlanc's final round 71) on a course that saw fairly low scoring.  
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn, Sept. 24-26

4. LSU (NR)
The Tigers gave Alabama all it could handle down the stretch at the NCAA Preview, losing out by one stroke. The good news too for LSU fans was that it was more than just Megan McChrystal carrying the team on her back ... the group got contributions from all five players during the week. Now lets see them do it again at the Mason Rudolph.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn, Sept. 24-26

5. Duke (NR)
Amazing to think that the Blue Devils start the 2010-11 campaign really under the radar, but a solid fourth-place showing at the Preview suggests that the team is going to be one to watch all season. This year's group has a bit more depth than in the recent past. Meanwhile, Lindy Duncan starts where she left off in her fabulous freshman season, finishing T-4 individually.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn, Sept. 24-26


Stat of the Week
64.5
Average final round score for LSU's Megan McChrystal in her last two college starts. The senior from Stuart, Fla., shot a closing course-record tying 65 yesterday at the Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas, to win the individual title at the NCAA Preview after posting a final-round 64 at last May's NCAA Championship. The victory was the fourth of McChrystal's career, putting her along in third place in school history for victories, trailing only Jenny Lidback (seven) and Kristi Coats (six).



Random Thought of the Week
When's the last time you saw an American college give this type of celebration to a player winning an individual title?

Tohoku Fukushi's Yoshinori Fujimoto shot a 17-under 199 to claim the individual title at the Topy Cup last weekend and help his school post a record 41-under-par. Texas A&M finished second to the victorious Japanese squad, 12 strokes back.



What to Watch For
* Having looked at the scores from this week's NCAA Fall Preview, my eyes are still seeing red. Lots of low numbers were posted at Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas. Georgia opened up with a school-record 11-under 277 in the first round. Arizona State's Carlota Ciganda tied a college career best 66. Three players shot course record 65s, including two on the victorious Alabama team (Brooke Pancake and Camilla Lennarth), setting school records.

"Ballistic scores" is how Crimson Tide coach Mic Potter describe what he saw. "During the practice round, I didn't see a 65 coming from that course," said Potter. "I'm a little shocked we had to get to 15 under to win. But the conditions were perfect. We probably didn't have more than 5 miles per hour of wind the whole tournament."

One question is whether this was an aberration, given it's the first significant event of the season for most of the top teams, or whether it's a sign of things to come. I actually think it's the latter. The players on the women's side are improving, particularly those at the elite end of the spectrum who make up much of the field at an event like the NCAA Preview. They're showing that they're not afraid to go low. Having an event where making birdies is doable will help encourage better overall play, in my mind, as it will cause good players to be more aggressive and learn how to play different shots into holes than they would if they are simply trying to save pars.

I wasn't in Texas so I didn't see the course set-up and can't say whether it was easy or not, but I'd encourage other events not to be afraid to allow players to shoot some low scores. I'm not advocating turning courses into pitch and putts with hole locations in the center of every green, but there's nothing wrong with setting things up so that a 68 or 69 is out there if someone is playing well.


* It's a little early to look too much into the significance of Alabama's win yesterday, but Potter did bring up an interesting point with me on the phone today regarding the Crimson Tide's play. As fun as it was to have Pancake and Lennarth shoot 65, and Jennifer Kirby post a 66, it was the play of freshman Stephanie Meadow (T-25) and senior Courtney Harter (T-37) that caused him to smile.

"Think about it, our fifth player in the order of finish in this past tournament [Harter] is the only player to have won a college tournament on our team," Potter said. "The depth is going to be a key for us, and she really hit the ball pretty well. And Stephanie is just a freshman but she's going to be an important player for us if we're going to have success.

"You know you can get a 65 but if you get three 75s to go with it, it doesn't do you a heck of a lot of good against the competition we play," Potter added. "So I was really happy about our depth and our consistency."

Indeed, if Potter can count on players 1 to 5 to perform, he's going to be bringing a few more trophies back to Tuscaloosa this fall and spring.


* As mentioned earlier, Stanford will not have David Chung in this weekend's lineup at Olympia Fields. Also missing will be Sihwan Kim for the Cardinal and coach Conrad Ray, who is back home as his wife prepares to give birth to their second child.

Kim failed to qualify for the traveling team as he continues to work on some swing changes. Playing for Stanford will be true freshman Cameron Wilson along with Steven Kearney, Wilson Bowen, Andrew Yun and Steve Ziegler. "Some young guys getting a shot," as Conrad Ray mentioned to me via e-mail.

A couple other players set to make their college debuts: Duke's Yaroslav Merkulov and Cal's Ben An.



Tournament Previews
MEN
Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill.
Sept. 17-19
Host: Illinois
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Augusta State, California, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas
Defending champion: Arizona State (30-over 870) by two strokes over Oklahoma State; Georgia's Harris English and Oklahoma State's Trent Whitekiller (one-over 211)
Skinny: In just five years, the event has become among the premier fall tournaments in college golf. Ten of the top 25 teams in the Golf World/Nike Golf preseason coaches' poll will be competing. All four schools that have won the event previously (Duke, 2006; Oklahoma State, 2007; Illinois, 2008; Arizona State, 2009) are in the field

Maryland Intercollegiate
River Marsh GC, Cambridge, Md.
Sept. 18-19
Host: Maryland
Field: Akron, Francis Marion, George Mason, George Washington, James Madison, Maryland, Navy, UNC Wilmington, Old Dominion, Penn, Penn State, USC-Aiken, Toledo, William & Mary, Xavier
Defending champion: North Carolina (three-under 849) by one stroke over VCU; Virginia's Ben Kohles and North Carolina's Henry Zaytoun (seven-under 206)
Skinny: The host Terps return their entire team from a year ago, giving them cause for optimism as the 2010-11 season begins.

Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational
Eisenhower Blue Course, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sept. 19-20
Host: Air Force
Field: Air Force, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, San Diego, Southern Utah, UCCS, UNLV, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley, UTEP, Weber State, Wyoming
Defending champion: Colorado State (nine-under 855) by two strokes over Utah; Northern Colorado's Steve Bidne (10-under 206) by four strokes over Washington State's Austin Hurt
Skinny: Annual Falcon Invitational renamed after long-time coach Gene Miranda in 2003. The tournament has be held since 1969.

Golfweek Conference Challenge
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Spirit Hollow GC, Burlington, Iowa
Sept. 19-21
Host: Iowa
Field: Baylor, Campbell, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Furman, Iowa, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State, Nevada, New Mexico, N.C. State, San Francisco, S.E. Louisiana, UC Irvine, VCU
Defending champion: Florida State (11-under 853) by eight strokes over Iowa; Iowa's Brad Hopfinger and Florida State's Drew Kittleson (nine-under 207)
Skinny: Second straight year for the event that pits teams from 15 different conferences.

Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Washington National GC, Auburn, Wash.
Sept. 20-21
Host: Washington
Field: BYU, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Diego State, Texas A&M, UC Davis, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion (2008 event): Washington (seven-under 857) by 13 strokes over California; Washington's Chris Killmer (five-under 211) by three strokes over San Diego State's Johan Carlsson
Skinny: The sponsor of this year's event is Kikkor Golf, a golf shoe company founded by former Washington NCAA champ James Lepp. Tee markers for the event are going to be limited-edition golf shoes. The school has also posted some cool preview material on its website.

Adams Cup of Newport
Newport National GC, Newport, R.I.
Sept. 20-21
Host: Rhode Island
Field: Binghamton, Boston College, Brown, Bryant, Central Connecticut, Connecticut, Hartford, Michigan State, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, St. Joseph's, Temple, Towson, UCF, Villanova, West Florida, Yale
Defending champion: SMU (12-over 876) by six strokes over Georgia Southern; UConn's Jeb Buchanan (nine-under 207) by two strokes over Georgia Southern's Ryan Zabroske
Skinny: Rhode Island coach (and GCAA Hall of Fame member) Tom Drennan hosts 17th Adams Cup, his last after announcing he will be retiring after more than two decades running the Rams' men's golf team.

Kansas Invitational
Alvamar GC, Lawrence, Kan.
Sept. 20-21
Host: Kansas
Field: Creighton, Drake, Jacksonville, Kansas, Kansas State, UM-Kansas City, Missouri State, Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Monroe, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky
Defending champion: Oklahoma (22-over 886) by two strokes over Kansas, Louisiana-Lafayette and Missouri; Kansas' Nate Barbee (five-under 211) by three strokes over Missouri's Jace Long
Skinny: The Jayhawks are already playing in their third tournament of the new season, having finished sixth at both the Fairway Club Invitational and the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate.

UTA/Waterchase Invitational
Waterchase GC, Arlington, Texas
Sept. 20-21
Host: UT-Arlington
Field: Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, Santa Clara, Southern Illinois, Southern Mississippi, Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington, UT Pan American, UT San Antonio, Texas State, Texas Wesleyan, Wichita State
Defending champion: Rice (six-under 858) by two strokes over UT Arlington; Wichita State's Dustin Garza (eight-under 208) by two strokes over Rice's Michael Buttacavoli
Skinny: Looks to be a Lone Star shootout this year.


WOMEN
Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University of New Mexico Championship Course, Albuquerque
Sept. 17-18
Host: New Mexico
Field: BYU, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, Georgia State, Hawaii, Indiana, New Mexico, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV, Wyoming
Defending champion: Pepperdine (17-under 859) by seven strokes over New Mexico; Oregon's Kendra Little (12-under 207) by one stroke over New Mexico's Jodi Ewart
Skinny: Just one school from east of the Mississippi has won this tradition-rich, 31-year-old event, since 1987 (Georgia, 2004).

WSU Cougar Cup
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Palouse Ridge GC, Pullman, Wash.
Sept. 20-22
Host: Washington State
Field: CSU Fullerton, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, Nevada, Sacramento State, Seattle, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion: Idaho (39-over 903) by 13 strokes over Nevada; Idaho's Kayla Mortellaro (three-over 219) by one stroke over Idaho's Amanda Jacobs and Oregon State's Cara Freeman
Skinny: The tournament is in its third year and is held on one of the better college courses built in the last 10 years, Palouse Ridge.

In this week's issue of Golf World, I wrote a piece on Emily Tubert, the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion who starts is just starting her freshman year at Arkansas this fall. The 18-year-old from Burbank, Calif., intrigues me a lot, mostly because of her refreshing attitude about the game. She's a raw talent who had an impressive summer, but isn't letting it get to her head.

Talking to Lady Razorback coach Shauna Estes-Taylor about Tubert, we naturally discussed the prodigious length off the tee that her newcomer brings. Interestingly, though, Estes-Taylor said that Tubert's putting is better than you might realize.

"She's worked with a putting coach out in California that has allowed her to become of the best putters I've had come to my squad out of junior golf."


Meanwhile here is the Golf World story:
You'd half expect Arkansas freshman Emily Tubert to carry some swagger upon arriving in Fayetteville, Ark., last month, still beaming from her U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links win two months earlier. Until, that is, you talk to the Burbank, Calif., native and realize you’re not dealing with some 18-year-old know-it-all.

Asked about her expectations as she embarks on her college career, Tubert humbly sees the moment as a chance to mature on the course. “Coming to Arkansas,” she says, “I’m going to learn how to really play golf.”

It was only five years ago that Tubert took up the game, her natural athleticism allowing her to excel rapidly. A former water-polo player and quarterback on her high school “powder puff” football team, the 5-foot-11 Tubert made  big strides this summer, winning the WAPL title, then finishing second at the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions at Blessings GC near Fayetteville, her future team’s home course.

"It was really a breakthrough summer for her with regards to a sense of belonging," Arkansas coach Shauna Estes-⿿Taylor says. "All along it was about just getting her some confidence and letting her know she had the tools to win."

Estes-Taylor needed all of one swing to become excited about Tubert’s  potential as she convinced her to leave Pac-10 country for the SEC. “I was at the AJGA Polo event at Thanksgiving, and I saw her hit a tee ball,” recalls Estes-Taylor, learning later that Tubert consistently hits her driver at least 250 yards. “I was like ‘Holy cow, this kid is amazing.’ She hadn’t played much, but you could see she had a good foundation [with her swing].”

With Tubert beginning the acclimation process to college, Estes-Taylor talks of teaching her “options” to help with course management and vary an otherwise one-dimensional approach to the game. Case in point: her wedge play. Being such a long hitter, Tubert often has no more than a wedge to the green. By sharpening her distance control and learning different ways to flight the ball with her wedges, Estes-Taylor believes Tubert can improve her scoring. 

“Already I can see huge improvement just working for the first two weeks,” says Estes-Taylor, whose squad opens the season at the Suzie Maxwell Berning Classic later this month. “And she’s such a sponge. She wants to learn, and she works hard, all the things you dream about having in a kid on your team.”

“College is a whole new world,” Tubert says. “I don’t go in with many expectations. I just want to go out, have a good time and see how good I can become.”

Photo by Robert Walker/USGA