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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
The Cowboys' hot start in the 2009-10 season is surprisingly something of a rarity. The last time OSU won two stroke-play tournaments during its fall schedule was back in the 1994-95 season when the squad claimed three team titles (Tucker Invitational, Red River Classic, Golf World/Palmetto Dunes).
Next event: Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle, CordeValle CC, San Martin, Calif., Nov. 9-11

2. Stanford (2)
Among the bright spots for the Cardinal this fall: a return of form for Sihwan Kim. After a first-team All-American season as a freshman, he saw his scoring average dip to 74.05 last year. At the start of his junior year, Kim leads the team with a 72.11 average with top-10 finishes in his last two starts.
Next event: Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle, CordeValle CC, San Martin, Calif., Nov. 9-11

3. Texas A&M (3)
Five different Aggies posted top-10 finishes in varsity events this fall, pointing to the fact that Oklahoma State isn't the only school in the Big 12 that has depth on its side. Meanwhile, the team's collective ball striking has been impressive, as A&M's greens in regulation number within 15 feet of the hole is 33.3 percent.
Next event: Fall season completed

4. Arizona State (4)
The Sun Devils are a team whose stats are be deceiving. ASU hit only 59.5 percent of its fairways and 59.7 percent of its greens in regulation this fall. The team's birdie conversion rate was also a so-so 21.7 percent (65th out of 115 teams that track the statistic). Their poor finish at Isleworth is the likely reason their numbers are low, but their performance at Olympia Fields tells you all you need to know about this group's potential.
Next event: Fall season completed

5. Washington (5)
With four top-10 finishes this fall, senior Nick Taylor has 21 for his career, putting him second in school history behind Brock Mackenzie's 32. Taylor needs just one more individual win, however, to pass Mackenzie for the school's career victory mark; the two are currently tied with four.    
Next event: Fall season completed



WOMEN
1. Arizona State (1)
Freshman Jennifer Johnson has been as good as advertised, carding three top-10 finishes in her first three college starts. The La Quinta, Calif., native has yet to make a double bogey in her eight college rounds, shooting par or better in five of them. Better yet, she appears to have fit in seamlessly with the returning starters on the Sun Devils' squad.  
Next event: Fall season completed

2. UCLA (2)
Difficult conditions made final-round comeback at Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational a challenge, particularly too with Sydnee Michaels out of the lineup. Still, the Bruins have yet to finish worse than second in four starts this season, which is hard to complain about. 
Next event: Fall season completed

3. Auburn (3)
The Tigers sport the second-best final-round scoring average in the country, thanks in large part to a nation's best 69.5 closing average from Cydney Clanton. They're also leading the country in par-4 scoring with a 4.1 team average. Best of all for Auburn fans: the team has a 14-1 head-to-head record versus SEC opponents this fall. 
Next event: Fall season completed

4. Purdue (5)
Only quibble you can have with the Boilermakers is regarding their schedule, which ranks 44th in the country, highest of any squad inside Golfstat's top 20 ranking. With two players in the top 10 in the Golfstat Cup ranking (Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, No. 3; Numa Gulyanamitta, No. 10), you get the feeling they'd be having this much success regardless of their competition. 
Next event: Fall season completed

5. Texas A&M (NR)
The Aggies were 21 shots back of the leaders after Round 1 of the Challenge at Onion Creek, but proceeded to break a 27-year-old school record with an five-under 275 in Round 2 and then shot a two-under 278 in the final round to take the team title by three strokes. It was A&M's second victory of the fall (they also won their rain-shortened home event in September) and fourth top-five finish in five starts, suggesting it's not just the guys who can play some golf in College Station.
Next event: Fall season completed


STAT OF THE WEEK
7
Number of fall tournament victories Wichita State senior Dustin Garza has claimed in his last 10 starts, stretching over the past two seasons.

Just call the 21-year-old from Mission, Texas "The Fall Guy" as his numbers in events played from September through November the past two years have been eye-popping:

YEAR    Starts    Wins   Top-5s    Rds    Rds<par    Avg.
2008          5          3           5         15          11        68.53       
2009          5          4           4         15          10        70.27


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The San Francisco women's team lost an eight-stroke lead during the final round of this week's Challenge at Onion Creek, finishing second to Texas A&M. Still, the Dons had another impressive tournament under first-year coach (and former NCAA individual champion) Sarah Huarte. During the tournament in Austin, Texas, USF shattered its 18-hole scoring record by 18 strokes when the team shot a opening-round 15-under 265 (Tina Johannsdottir posted a 64, Natasha Podmore a 65 and Danielle Cvitanov a 66). The Dons' two-over 842 total also broke their 54-hole scoring mark.

Huarte's bunch has had an up and down fall, finishing 14th at the Dick McGuire and the Stanford Intercollegiate, but their runner-up finish at Onion Creek and a fourth-place showing at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational suggests their upside is better than most might have thought. If nothing else, fellow West Coast Conference rival Pepperdine will need to take the squad seriously come next spring when the post-season gets under way.

* Today is the fourth round of the 90-hole Duramed Futures Tour Qualifying School and a handful of collegians playing as amateurs are in good position to secure playing status for 2010. Michigan State senior Laura Kueny is tied for second place at eight-under 208, one stroke back of leader Danielle Mills. Oklahoma State freshman Jane Rah is tied for 19th, along with TCU senior Valentine Derry and New Mexico senior Jodi Ewart. Just how many people will earn full playing status won't be determined until after the final stage of LPGA Qualifying School in December.

* The early college signing period for high school seniors begins Nov. 11 (and runs through Nov. 18), but don't expect much in the way of surprises regarding which blue-chip recruits are headed where, particularly on the boys side. The rash of early verbal commitments has meant any last minute drama about the choice of a school has essentially gone the way of persimmon.

Here is where some of the top boys and girls are expected to sign:

BOYS
Byeong-Hun An, California
Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
Austin Cody, Duke
Talor Gooch, Oklahoma State
Logan Harrell, South Carolina
Jeffrey Kang, USC
Yarsolav Merkulov, Duke
Patrick Winther, Oklahoma State
Cory Whitsett, Alabama
Cameron Wilson, Stanford
Bobby Wyatt, Alabama

GIRLS
Danielle Frasier, Stanford
Ani Gulugian, UCLA
Rachel Morris, USC
Danielle Kang, Pepperdine


TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
MEN
St. Mary's Invitational
Poppy Hills GC, Pebble Beach, Calif. (Par 72, 6,857 yards)
Nov. 9-10
Host: St. Mary's (Calif.)
Field: Cal Poly, Denver, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Marquette, Memphis, Nevada, Oregon State, Pacific, Portland, St. Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Wisconsin
Defending champion: San Francisco (three-over 855) by five strokes over Wisconsin; San Francisco's Domingo Jojola (six-under 207) by one stroke over UC Irvine's Bryan Harris
Skinny: Fourth year that Poppy Hills plays host to the tournament.

Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CordeValle CC, San Martin, Calif.
Nov. 9-11
Host: UCLA
Field: Arizona, Augusta State, Colorado, Charlotte, Duke, Lamar, Long Beach State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, UCLA, USC
Defending champion: USC (even-par 1,080) by 26 strokes over Stanford; USC's Tim Sluiter and Washington's Nick Taylor (four-under 212) shared medalist honors
Skinny: The fifth-year event was renamed this year in honor of Jack Gifford, a long-time UCLA booster who died unexpectedly last January.

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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
Birdies on the last two holes by Peter Uihlein and a one-under performance over the last three holes by Kevin Tway allow the Cowboys to hold off Florida at the Isleworth Collegiate, claiming their second team title in three starts. OSU's record thus far in 2009-10: 41-1
Next event: Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle, CordeValle CC, San Martin, Calif., Nov. 9-11

2. Stanford (NR)
Not only do the Cardinal shine at Isleworth, finishing third, but they do it while their most famous golfing alumni, Tiger Woods, in attendance all week. No tournament titles yet this fall for Conrad Ray's polished squad, although no finishes worse than fourth either. Putts on GIR of 1.802 is among the nation's best.
Next event: Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle, CordeValle CC, San Martin, Calif., Nov. 9-11

3. Texas A&M (NR)
The defending national champions followed up a victory at the inaugural Lone Star Invitational a week earlier with a three-stroke triumph at the Baylor Intercollegiate Oct. 27. The Aggies' top recruit, Cameron Peck, posts his best finish this fall with a T-2 showing, while the entire team seems to have navigated the first semester as NCAA champions without finding the title too heavy a burden to carry.
Next event: Fall season completed

4. Arizona State (2)
A 12th-place showing at Isleworth (31 strokes behind victorious Oklahoma State) wasn't the way the Sun Devils envisioned closing out the fall schedule. On the flip side, it could be just the motivational tool coach Randy Lein needs to keep his players focused during the winter break.
Next event: Fall season completed

5. Washington (3)
Same holds for the Huskies, who surprisingly finished T-13 at Isleworth. Nick Taylor's usually strong supporting cast was AWOL in Florida but don't expect the same come next spring.   
Next event: Fall season completed



WOMEN
1. Arizona State (1)
The Sun Devils were hamstrung in the final round of the NCAA Preview, losing Juliana Murcia due to illness. A fourth-place finish wasn't what the team envisioned heading into the event in Wilmington, but they'll take it. "We liked the course, and we learned quite it about it," said coach Melissa Luellen of CC of Landfall, which hosts next spring's NCAA Championship. "We will be ready for it in May."
Next event: Fall season completed

2. UCLA (2)
Of the 15 individual performances from the Bruins starters in their three fall tournaments, UCLA golfers have finished outside the top 20 just five times. None of the starting five has a stroke average worse than 73.5. No victories yet for UCLA, but you get the feeling it won't be to long before that changes. 
Next event: Turtle Bay Resort Collegiate Invitational, Turtle Bay Resort GC, Kahuku, Hawaii, Nov. 2-4

3. Auburn (NR)
Cydney Clanton's victory at the NCAA Preview suggests the struggles of her sophomore season are behind her. Combined with the play of senior Candace Schepperle, the Tigers have three seconds and a third in four fall events. While coach Kim Evans is going to need more from players 3-5 to contend for an NCAA title next spring having two first-team All-American caliber golfers at the front of the line-up certainly isn't a bad thing.
Next event: Fall season completed

4. USC (3)
That optimism about having Belen Mozo back in the line-up faded upon seeing her jar her surgically repaired shoulder while hitting a shot from a rough lie during the second round of the NCAA Preview. Mozo WD'd after starting the third round, deciding to be safe rather than sorry. The resulting 16th place finish was ugly but also came with Jennifer Song out of the line-up to play in an LPGA event.
Next event: Turtle Bay Resort Collegiate Invitational, Turtle Bay Resort GC, Kahuku, Hawaii, Nov. 2-4

5. Purdue (5)
While finishing sixth at the NCAA Preview, the Boilermakers were only 11 strokes out of first, making the week's play a little more palatable. Purdue's proved there is life after Maria Hernandez with their play this fall, and their pending  showdowns with Michigan State could make the Big Ten as entertaining as any conference to follow this spring.   
Next event: Fall season completed


STAT OF THE WEEK
2,212
Number of days since the Arizona women's golf team last won a tournament after the Wildcats took the team title yesterday in windy conditions at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, beating Florida by five strokes with a 14-over 878 at Boulder Creek GC in Boulder City, Nev. It was the first victory for Arizona since winning the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational Oct. 8, 2003.

"It was 48 degrees when they teed off, and the wind was blowing around 40 miles per hour," said coach Shelly Haywood afterward. "I'm so proud of the team. They finally know how good they are, and we're still a very young team."

Indeed, Arizona played with a freshman (Sherlyn Popelka), three sophomores (Nikki Koller, Isabelle Boineau and Margarita Ramos) and a junior (Alejandra Llaneza) in the starting line-up. Popelka shot a final-round one-under 71 to claim medalist honors with a seven-under 209 total. She is the first Arizona player to win an individual title since Alison Walshe won the 2008 West Regional.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The Georgia men don't play again until late February in Puerto Rico, wrapping up their fall schedule at Isleworth this week while posting a season-best fourth-place finish. That doesn't mean there are no big events on the team's calendar between now and then. Specifically, a decision regarding whether All-American Hudson Swafford might take a medical redshirt season is likely forthcoming. The senior had surgery to repair a torn labrum last summer and is in the midst of the rehab. Georgia coach Chris Haack said earlier this fall that they would take their time regarding Swafford's return. Given the fact there are three-plus months, there doesn't seem much reason to rush any decisions although one could be made as early as November.    

* The first significant coaching post has opened up with long-time Mississippi State's Christi Sanders announcing she'll retire at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season after 22 years as the Bulldogs' women's coach. Mississippi State director of athletics Greg Byrne said a national search will begin immediately for Sanders' successor. Sanders was the longest-tenured head coach on the Mississippi State coaching staff.  


TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Renaissance Invitational
The Club at Renaissance, Fort Myers, Fla.
Nov. 1-2
Host: Xavier
Field: Ball State, Bowling Green State, Campbell, Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Liberty, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Penn State, Troy, Western Kentucky, Xavier
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: A month after hosting their annual Xavier Invitational in Ohio, coach/DOG Doug Steiner is set to put on a new event in Florida.

Carter Plantation Intercollegiate
Carter Plantation, Springfield, La.
Nov. 2-3
Host: Southeastern Louisiana
Field: Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, New Orleans, Nicholls State, Rice, Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington
Defending champion: Texas State (17-over 881) by four strokes over Louisiana-Lafayette; Texas State's Jeff Gerlich (eight-under 208) by 10 strokes over S.E. Louisiana's Mathew Carvell
Skinny: Event moved from its usual spring dates to fall for its seventh edition as the course will also host the Southland Conference Championship in April

Turtle Bay Resort Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Turtle Bay Resort GC, Kahuku, Hawaii
Nov. 2-4
Host: Hawaii
Field: Air Force, BYU-Hawaii, British Columbia, Georgia State, Hawaii, Illinois, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Santa Clara
Defending champion: Texas (21-under 843) by three strokes over San Diego State; Ohio State's Vaughn Snyder (11-under 205) by one stroke over UT Arlington's Bobby Massa
Skinny: Japan's Osaka Gakuin also will be competing in the field

Stockton Sports Commission Pacific Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Brookside CC, Stockton, Calif.
Nov. 2-4
Host: University of the Pacific
Field: BYU, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Denver, Fresno State, Kansas State, Oregon, Pacific, Sacramento State, San Jose State, St. Mary's (Calif.), UC Davis
Defending champion: Kansas State (one-over 853) by three strokes over UC Davis; Marquette's Mike Van Sickle (four-under 209) by one stroke over four golfers
Skinny: Host Tigers enter their home event fresh off a eight-stroke victory at the Bill Cullum Invitational in which the team broke the Pacific scoring mark versus par (21 under) while setting the tournament's 54-hole scoring mark.


WOMEN
Challenge at Onion Creek
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Onion Creek GC, Austin, Texas
Nov. 2-3
Host: Texas State
Field: UALR, Augusta State, Baylor, Boise State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, San Francisco, Texas, UTSA, Texas State, Texas Tech, Washington State, Wisconsin
Defending champion: Colorado (64-over 928) by one stroke over Texas Tech and Texas State; Texas Tech's Megan Dowdy and Iowa State's Victoria Stefansen (five-over 221) share medalist honors 
Skinny: Tournament, held last year at Wolfdancer GC, can only hope for better luck weather-wise than last week's inaugural Alamo Invitational in San Antonio, where rain wiped out the first two rounds.

Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational
Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku, Hawaii
Nov. 2-4
Host: Hawaii
Field: BYU, California, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, Oral Roberts, San Diego State, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Toledo, Tulsa, UC Davis, UCLA, USC, Washington
Defending champion: New Event
Skinny: Women's tournament added to the men's invitational for first time and packs an impressive field with six Pac-10 programs, including UCLA and USC.

With eight top-10 finishes in national tournaments this summer, including a victory at the U.S. Junior Amateur, 16-year-old Jordan Spieth was the runaway winner of the 2009 AJGA Rolex Boys Junior Player of the Year honor. When the Dallas native (top right) receives the honor at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet next month, he will be joined by Victoria Tanco, a 15-year-old from Argentina who claimed the Girls POY honor for a second straight year.

In addition to his victory at the USGA's national championship, Spieth was runner-up at the HP Boys Championship and the Junior PGA Championship. "It was my No. 1 goal at the beginning of the year and I'm excited to have accomplished my goal,” said Spieth, who shot 11 rounds in the 60s. "I am looking forward to the next couple seasons because the AJGA has been such a huge influence on my life. I'll be trying to do the same thing again next year, but knowing the competition, it's going to be really difficult.”

Tanco (bottom right) was a three-time winner in 2009, including the Rolex Tournament of Champions title in July, a record that helped her become just the fourth girl to win player-of-the-year honors in consecutive seasons (Vicki Goetze, 1988-90; Kellee Booth, 1992-93; Beth Bauer, 1997-98).

"It is a great honor to be the Rolex Junior Player of the Year again," Tanco said. "There are so many good players that I didn't expect this, and it is a great accomplishment."

Seven coaches will be inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America's Hall of Fame Dec. 7 during the GCAA's Annual Convention at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The honorees include four retired coaches and three still actively running programs.

Maxie Boles
    Coached at Central Alabama CC from 1965-97, leading them to national junior college championships in 1990, 1996 and 1997.

O.D. Bounds
    Considered the father of the NAIA men's golf championship, serving as coach while working as a professor at Texas Wesleyan from 1946-85. His teams won three national titles (1964, 1969, 1975).

Devon Brouse
    Led North Carolina to 19 NCAA Championship appearances in 21 seasons before taking over the men's and women's programs at his alma mater, Purdue, in 1998. Six times in his career he has been his conference coach of the year.

Ronnie Choate
    After starting the men's golf program at Sam Houston State in 1962, he led the team to four NAIA national championships between 1978-91. Returned to coach again in 2007.

Steve Loy
    Started coaching at Scottsdale CC in 1975, winning two NJCAA national titles before eventually moving on to Arkansas (1983-87) and Arizona State (1987-1992). At ASU, the Sun Devils to their first NCAA title in 1990 and he coached Phil Mickelson during his run of three NCAA individual championships.

Delnor Poss
    Has been the coach at Midland College since the programs inception in 1978, with his teams winning four NJCAA national titles and qualifying for the national championship 22 straight years.

Ben Thompson
    Was the first golf coach at Yale, where he oversaw the Bulldogs' program from 1926-42, winning five NCAA titles. In an era of match-play competition, his squads posted four undefeated and eight one-loss seasons.

The American Junior Golf Association announced today the 96 boys and girls who earned All-American honors for their performances during the 2009 season.

With his spot on the boys' first team, Andrew Yun, now a freshman at Stanford, made it a record-tying five straight years of earning some form of AJGA Rolex All-American honors, having previously been a first-team recipient in 2006 and 2008. Yun equaled the mark set by Justin Leonard in the 1980s. During Yun's AJGA career he posted 19 top-five finishes and four victories.

For the girls, seven of the 12 first-team All-Americans are repeat winners; Kimberly Kim, Alexis Thompson and Jenny Shin are being honored for a third-straight season.

The award winners are from 20 different states and six foreign countries. All honorees will officially receive their awards during the AJGA Rolex Junior All-American Awards banquet Nov. 22 at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

BOYS
First Team
James Back, Cerritos, Calif.
Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Emiliano Grillo, Bradenton, Fla.
Shun Yat Hak, Lake Mary, Fla.
Gavin Hall, Pittsford, N.Y.
Michael Hebert, Orlando, Fla.
Jeffrey Kang, Fullerton, Calif.
Yaroslav Merkulov, Penfield, N.Y.
Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas*
Patrick Winther, Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.*
Bobby Wyatt, Mobile, Ala.
Andrew Yun, Chandler, Ariz.**
* was a first-team All-American in 2008
** was a first-team All-American in 2006 and 2008

Second Team
Austin Cody, North Charleston, S.C.
Logan Harrell, Huntersville, N.C.
Daniel Lee, Valencia, Calif.
Jim Liu, Smithtown, N.Y.
Cheng-Tsung Pan, Upland, Calif.
Anthony Paolucci, Dallas, Texas
Patrick Rodgers, Avon, Ind.
Oliver Schniederjans, Powder Springs, Ga.
Johnathan Schnitzer, Houston, Texas
Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky.
Preston Valder, Yorba Linda, Calif.
Cameron Wilson, Rowayton, Conn.

Honorable Mention
Byeong-hun An, Bradenton, Fla.
Anton Arboleda, La Canada, Calif.
Sam Bernstein, Riverdale, N.Y.
Lucas Bjerregaard, Frederikshavn, Denmark
Thomas Bradshaw, Columbia, S.C.
Matthew Ceravolo, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo.
Mario Clemens, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Payne Denman, Riverwatch, Tenn.
Joey Garber, Petoskey, Mich.
Zachary Herr, New Hope, Pa.
Ben Itterman, Carlsbad, Calif.
Billy Kennerly, Alpharetta, Ga.
Tanner Kesterson, Plano, Texas
Tom Lovelady, Birmingham, Ala.
M.J. Maguire, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Ian McConnell, Riverview, Fla.
Will Pearson, Memphis, Tenn.
Andrew Presley, Fort Worth, Texas
Nicholas Reach, Moscow, Pa.
Curtis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla.
Jay Vandeventer, Bristol, Tenn.
Richard Werenski, South Hadley, Mass.
Motin Yeung, Orlando, Fla.

GIRLS
First Team
Sarah Brown, Phillipsburg, N.J.
Luz Alejandra Cangrejo, Bogota, Colombia
Yueer Cindy Feng, Orlando, Fla.
Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif.
Kimberly Kim, Pahoa, Hawaii**
Jessica Korda, Bradenton, Fla.*
Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif.*
Rachel Morris, Carlsbad, Calif.
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif.**
Victoria Tanco, Bradenton, Fla.*
Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla.**
Kristina Wong, Vestal, N.Y.*
* was a first-team All-American in 2008
** was a first-team All-American in 2007 and 2008

Second Team
Laetitia Beck, Caesarea, Israel
Doris Chen, Bradenton, Fla.
Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J.
Simin Feng, Orlando, Fla.
Jennifer Johnson, La Quinta, Calif.
Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash.
Stephanie Meadow, Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif.
Kelly Shon, Port Washington, N.Y.
Alexandra Stewart, Peoria, Ariz.
Banchalee Theinthong, Bangkok, Thailand
Lindsey Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz.
 
Honorable Mention  
Shannon Aubert, ChampionsGate, Fla.
Sunshine Baraquiel, Valencia, Calif.
Elizabeth Breed, Waynesboro, Pa.
Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C.
Bonnie Hu, Fremont, Calif.
Danielle Kang, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Kyung Kim, Chandler, Ariz.
Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai, Bradenton, Fla.
Suzie Lee, East Northport, N.Y.
Harin Lee, Bayside, N.Y.
Hana Lee, Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Jordan Lippetz, Bradenton, Fla.
Kaira Martin, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Amy Meier, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Seo Hee Moon, Mukilteo, Wash.
Kelli Oride, Lihue, Hawaii
Victoria Sungmin Park, Irvine, Calif.
Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y.
Maria Piccio, Bradenton, Fla.
Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale, Ga.
Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky.
Jessica Vasilic, Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Lauren Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Nicole Zhang, Calgary, Alberta

Quick thoughts from the weekend:

1. With Duke's streak of 13 straight ACC women's titles ending last spring, the Blue Devils losing perennial All-Americans Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee to graduation and three freshmen (Lindy Duncan, Courtney Ellenbogen and Stacey Kim) needing to pick up the slack, few people expected much from Dan Brooks' squad. Yet the 2009-10 Dukies are under the radar no longer after a one-stroke victory (17-over 881) at the NCAA Preview yesterday at CC of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C.

It was Duke's veteran, senior Alison Whitaker, who posted a final-round 69 and had it stand up thanks to 73s from Kim, Ellenbogen and Kim Donovan, allowing Duke to finish with an even-par 288 to pass second-round leader UCLA and hold off Auburn by the single stroke. It's Duke's first victory since the 2008 ACC Championship.

"I am very proud of this team," Brooks said afterward. "I am proud of Alison for leading the way and getting under-par the last two days. I am real proud of our freshmen, but what is great is we got contributions from everybody on the team. It just seemed like everyone was solid and handled the situation very well." 

I know, I know ... there are some who think I'm a Duke apologist. However, consider that of the ACC's new "Big Four" (Wake Forest, Virginia and North Carolina), only Duke was able to win a tournament this fall. 

2. All credit to Duke, but I'm guessing the Bruins are kicking had a long flight back to Los Angeles last night after shooting a final-round 11-over 299 to let the tournament slip away. Thankfully, it wasn't the final round of the fall for UCLA, so they can redeem themselves rather than have to live with it for the winter.

3. Don't look now but Auburn junior Cydney Clanton has started playing the way she did while earning national freshman of the year honors two seasons ago. Clanton posted back-to-back-to-back 70s to finish at six-under 210, claiming medalist honors by five strokes over Virginia's Brittany Altomare.

4. A fair number of "WD (illness/injury)" led to some top-ranked teams falling down the leader board at CC of Landfall. USC's Belen Mozo missed the final round after jarring her previously injured shoulder Saturday, and with the Trojans already playing without Jennifer Song their 16th place finish becomes a bit more understandable. Top-ranked Arizona State hung tough without Juliana Murcia playing the final two rounds, finishing fourth, only eight strokes back of Duke. Pepperdine too had to do without Taylore Karle for the closing 36 holes, perhaps explaining the Waves' 17th-place showing.

5. Virginia's Ben Kohles has been having an impressive fall, but it was the Amory Davis who equaled the Cavaliers' 54-hole scoring record (11-under 205) en route to a one-stroke victory at the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate. Davis ties the mark set by Jimmy Flippen in 1995, Steve Marino in 2001 and Jeremy Luce in 2003. It also broke the tournament top mark by a single stroke as Davis claimed his first college title.

6. Detractors of college golf who say the system doesn't help develop players hopefully were watching the Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour this past weekend. While Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark fell in a playoff to Troy Matteson at Grayhawk GC in Scottsdale, the fact  these two were in a playoff in just their second and third tour starts as professionals suggests  perhaps they really did learn a thing or two while earning All-American honors at Oklahoma State and USC respectively. Fowler and Lovemark learned how to win in college and came close to doing it Sunday.

A spot in the field at the 2010 Masters is on the line next week when the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship is held at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China. Of the 117-player field, a small contingent of golfers that compete on the American college golf scene have to like their chances of taking the title and heading to Augusta National GC next April.

Most notably, USC junior Matt Giles of Australia would seem like an early favorite. The 20-year-old was a first-team All-American a year ago for the Trojans and has the most name recognition not to mention arguably the most talent of anyone in the field.

Officials at Mission Hills, meanwhile, would no doubt love a Chinese player claim the title, with Florida sophomore Mu Hu and Indiana junior Ren Han among the more familiar names to American golf fans. Hu has yet to play for the Gators this fall while Han has a 76.0 average in two events for the Hoosiers, his best finish being T-62 at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational.

The college player to follow is Northwestern sophomore Eric Chun. The South Korea native became the first freshman to win the Big Ten individual title since Steve Stricker in 1986 when he took top honors last spring..

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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
To argue that the Cowboys don't have as much depth as any team in the country seems ludicrous. Nevertheless, it's interesting to note that OSU's average drop score is 78.17. Only TCU has a higher number of any school in Golfstat's top-20 ranking.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

2. Arizona State (2)
The Sun Devils haven't had tremendous success in their two previous cross-country ventures to Isleworth, finishing fourth in 2005 and 16th in 2006. The course will also put Jesper Kennegard, Knut Borsheim and Braxton Marquez to the test; none of the three have made a double bogey yet this season.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

3. Washington (3)
The Huskies have managed expectations well this fall, finishing in the top three in three tournaments. A solid showing at Isleworth will obviously leave a good taste in these Dawgs mouths, but nearly whatever the outcome UW has done nothing to suggest it won't be a national contender next spring.  
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

4. Illinois (4)
The Fighting Illini take to the course this weekend for the first time in nearly a month. "The focus was to let the guys rest a little bit," explained coach Mike Small. "They've been playing hard since February. They played a hard summer schedule and into the fall. We needed a little break." It's a subtle move, but it's an example of why Small is among the game's top coaches.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

5. Tennessee (NR)
The Volunteers backed up their Carpet Capital victory with a tiebreaker win over Oregon State at the Bank of Tennessee tournament in some pretty tough weather conditions. Slowly but surely Jim Kelson's squad is becoming the favorite to take the SEC title next spring.
Next event: UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate, Forest Oaks CC, Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 24-25


WOMEN
1. Arizona State (1)
Same five that led the Sun Devils to victory last weekend at the Stanford Intercollegiate will be in the field at the NCAA Preview this weekend. This isn't the first time that ASU has played at the CC of Landfall; the squad finished in third place during the inaugural playing of the Landfall Tradition in 2002, coach Melissa Luellen's first year at ASU.
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

2. UCLA (NR)
While not having won either of the two events they've played so far this fall, the Bruins have the country's best adjusted scoring average (70.97) and the lowest average drop score (74.26). Only four strokes back of ASU at the Stanford event last weekend, expect UCLA to be in the hunt again this weekend.
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

3. USC (2)
Forget the fact she finished only T-33 and hit just 53.8 percent of her fairways off the tee. Belen Mozo's return to the line-up last weekend at Stanford was welcome news for Trojan fans unsure if they'd see her play at all this fall. Even better news is the fact that the senior from Spain will tee it up again this weekend in North Carolina.
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

4. Michigan State (3)
There's no team I'm more curious about how they play at Landfall than the Spartans, who have elbowed their way on to the national scene this fall and are very curious what it's like at the top of the marquee. Something tells me this group of players is going to prove the Tar Heel victory was absolutely, positively not a fluke. 
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

5. Purdue (4)
The Boilermakers are the only school that arrives at the Fall Preview on a two tournament winning streak, after victories at the Lady Northern and Windy City. It's the first time, however, that the school will face the Big Three from our west.  
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25


STAT OF THE WEEK
5
Number of eagles made by Texas freshman Cody Gribble at Briggs Ranch GC in San Antonio en route to a third-place finish at the Lone Star Invitational. The Dallas native made one in the first round, two in the second and two in the third. His total of five is the most of any player in the country for the entire fall season. Thus far Gribble has had three top-three finishes to start his college career. He is in the Longhorn line-up for the upcoming Baylor Intercollegiate, being held at Royal Oaks CC--the same course where Gribble works with his instructor Randy Smith.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* This weekend's NCAA Fall Preview will have 13 of the top 15 teams in the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll but it will be without the woman regarded as the top golfer in currently in the women's game. USC sophomore Jennifer Song, who has won in both her two college starts this fall, is taking advantage of an exemption into the LPGA's Hana Bank - KOLON Championship, being held next week in Song's native South Korea. Not to begrudge Song for going home to play in the pro event, with the return of Belen Mozo to the Trojans starting five, and with Lizette Salas playing again this week, it would have been nice to have seen USC play its best line-up in North Carolina this weekend.

* The NCAA announced the host site for the 2011 NCAA Division I women's championship as well as the courses for the three women's Division I regional tournaments. The national championship will be played at Texas A&M's home course, Traditions GC in Bryan, Texas, May 17-20, 2011. Teams that will compete in the championship will have advanced through either the East Regional, being held at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., the Central Regional, to be played at Notre Dame's Warren GC in South Bend, Ind., or the West Regional at Washington National GC in Auburn, Wash. All three regionals will be held May 5-7, 2011.


TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Del Walker Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Virginia CC, Long Beach, Calif.
Oct. 22-23
Host: Long Beach State
Field: Arizona, Cal Poly, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Colorado State, Idaho, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Oregon, Pacific, Saint Mary's (Calif.), Santa Clara, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, Wyoming
Defending champion: Colorado State (41-under 811) by 23 strokes over UC Irvine; Colorado State's Zahkai Brown (17-under 196) by eight strokes over Colorado State's Dustin Morris and UC Irvine's John Chin
Skinny: En route to its second-straight Del Walker title, Colorado State broke the 54-hole tournament scoring record by 20 strokes a year ago. … Virginia CC, the host course, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

UNGC Bridgestone Collegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Oaks CC, Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 24-25
Host: UNC Greensboro
Field: Augusta State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Notre Dame, Purdue, Tennessee, Toledo, VCU, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Duke (five-over 869) by four strokes over Michigan State; Michigan State's Payne Gniewek and Notre Dame's Max Scodro (three-under 213) claim co-medalist honors
Skinny: Forest Oaks played host to the PGA Tour's stop in Greensboro for 31 years starting in 1977.

Isleworth Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla.
Oct. 25-27
Host: Texas Tech
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, UCF, Clemson, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Stanford, TCU, Texas Tech, Washington
Defending champion: Georgia (three-over 867) by 17 strokes over Alabama; Georgia's Russell Henley (four-under 212) by two strokes over Indiana's Jorge Campillo and Alex Martin
Skinny: Only once in the five previous years the event has been held has a school other than Georgia won: Texas in 2006.

David Toms Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CC of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, La.
Oct. 26-27
Host: LSU
Field: UAB, Auburn, Kent State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Florida, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Rice, South Alabama, Southeastern Louisiana
Skinny: Toms, a LSU alum, isn't just lending his name to the event, formerly known as the CC of Louisiana Intercollegiate and last played in 2003, but will host a clinic for the competitors and will join some of them in the stands at Tiger Stadium Saturday to watch the Auburn-LSU football game.

Aldila Scenic City Invitational
Council Fire GC, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Oct. 26-27
Host: Chattanooga
Field: Akron, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Eastern Michigan, Francis Marion, Furman, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Maryland, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, Missouri, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Western Carolina, Wichita State
Defending champion: Chattanooga (45-under 819) by 14 strokes over Augusta State; Southeastern Lousiana's Matthew Carvell (18-under 198) by seven strokes over three others
Skinny: Question is whether the tournament will see the same crazy low scores from a year ago, where Carvell posted an opening-round 60 to tie the NCAA 18-hole record.

Baylor Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Royal Oaks CC, Dallas
Oct. 26-27
Host: Baylor
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, BYU, Iowa, Lamar, New Mexico, Oklahoma, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulsa, UT San Antonio
Defending champion: Texas A&M (18-over 870) by two strokes over Lamar and Oklahoma; SMU's James Kwon (one-under 212) by one stroke over Lamar's Justin Harding and Oklahoma's Riley Pumphrey
Skinny: Second year event lands both the NCAA champion (Texas A&M) and the NCAA runner-up (Arkansas) from 2009. It's the first event they've both played in together since nationals.

Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
New Mexico State GC, Las Cruces, N.M.
Oct. 26-27
Host: New Mexico State
Field: Air Force, Boise State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nevada, New Mexico State, North Texas, Rhode Island, Nebraska, UNLV, Illinois State, Kansas, Idaho, Santa Clara, Texas State, UTEP, Washington State, Western New Mexico
Defending champion: New Mexico State (nine-over 861) by eight strokes over Kansas State; New Mexico State's Travis Reid (five-under 208) by one stroke over Denver's Daniel Wax and Colorado's Pat Grady
Skinny: Before a year ago the last Aggie to win his home event? Current NMSU coach Scott Lieberwirth back in 1999.


WOMEN
NCAA Fall Preview/Landfall Tradition
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CC of Landfall (Dye Course), Wilmington, N.C.
Oct. 23-25
Host: UNC Wilmington
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Denver, Duke, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, New Mexico, North Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Purdue, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Wake Forest (16-over 880) by 28 strokes over Ohio State; Wake Forest's Dolores White (two-over 218) by two strokes over East Carolina's Abby Bools
Skinny: The Landfall Tradition doubles as this year's NCAA Preview with the Dye layout hosting the NCAA Championship next may. Teams in the event have already won 10 tournament titles this fall.

FIU/Pat Bradley Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Pelican Preserve G&CC, Fort Myers, Fla.
Oct. 26-27
Host: Florida International
Field: Bradley, UCF, Cincinnati, Daytona State, Drake, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Furman, Missouri State, Murray State, North Texas, South Florida, Stetson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Defending champion: Florida International (20-over 884) by 10 strokes over Florida Southern; Florida International's Belen Buendia (four-under 212) by two strokes over Florida International's Paula Hurtado
Skinny: FIU is seeking its seventh title in the event's 32-year history.

The Alamo Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Briggs Ranch, San Antonio
Oct. 26-27
Host: UT San Antonio
Field: Baylor, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, SMU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State, UT San Antonio, Wisconsin
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: A week after hosting the men at the Lone Star Invitational, Briggs Ranch now has several leading women's programs in town for the inaugural Alamo tournament.

Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Boulder Creek GC, Boulder City, Nev.
Oct. 26-28
Host: UNLV
Field: Arizona, Arkansas, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Florida, Idaho, Kent State, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, TCU, Texas Tech, UC Davis, UNLV, Washington
Defending champion: Pepperdine (41-under 823) by 12 strokes over Oklahoma State; Pepperdine's Lisa McCloskey (17-under 199) by one stroke over Louisville's Cindy LaCrosse and UNLV's Therese Koelbaek
Skinny: Will this year be a repeat of last year's limbo contest, where McClosky set the NCAA 54-hole scoring record when she broke 200 at Boulder Creek?

Some quick thoughts from the weekend:

1. Got to like the resolve that Tennessee sophomore Nathalie Mansson showed at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate yesterday. With a chance to win the individual title at Fox Den CC in Knoxville, Tenn., on the final hole, the Stockholm, Sweden native made a bogey to fall into a playoff with Louisville's Laura Anderson. After Mansson and Anderson made pars on the first four extra holes, Mansson claimed the title, the first of her college career, with a par on the fifth playoff hole.

Mansson's performance (three-under 213) during the weekend helped the Lady Vols win by 19 strokes (in cold, rainy conditions), the largest margin of victory of any team at the Mercedes-Benz event in its 13-year history. It was also Tennessee's first team victory in three years.

"I kept my focus and stayed patient with it being such a long day," Mansson said. "I just focused on one shot at a time. It feels really good - especially because it's my first one. It's great we won as a team too. We have really worked hard for this. We figured we were due to win a tournament sometime soon and decided it might was well be this weekend."

2. Not to be outdone by the women, the Tennessee men finished tied with Oregon State at three-under 861 after 54 holes at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate at The Ridges in Jonesborough, Tenn., but was declared the winner after the Vols' fifth scorer Sunday, Justin Walker, shot a 77 to edge the 78 posted by Oregon State's fifth man, Mike Barry. It's the second win of the fall for Tennessee and the third time in six years the school has won the BofT.

Give credit to UT's Darren Renwick, who in the penultimate group made a 40-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole to help lead the Vols to victory.

3. Oregon State, meanwhile, wouldn't have been in position to win without the efforts of Diego Velasquez. The junior shot a 10-under 206 to cruise to the individual title by seven strokes and earn the third victory of his college career.  

4. The Arizona State women had a second, a T-3 and two T-6s, to beat out UCLA (which had four T-6s) and win the Stanford Intercollegiate title by four strokes.

5. In case you were wondering if any other schools actually played at Stanford GC in Palo Alto, USC was there as Jennifer Song fired a final-round 67 to pass ASU's Carlota Ciganda for the individual title. The performance helped to avenge last year's Pac-10 Championship finish, where Ciganda beat Song in a playoff on the same course.

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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
The Cowboys next test comes at Isleworth, where they've historically had success (two runner-up finishes in five tries along with two fourth-place finishes) but have never won the team title and last year finished the worst they ever had: T-9.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

2. Arizona State (2)
Apparently the competition within the Sun Devils' squad isn't too bad either. Braxton Marquez and Jesper Kennegard each posted career low rounds last weekend during a inter-team event at Gainey Ranch GC in Scottsdale. Marquez shot a 62 only to be topped by Kennegard when he posted a 60.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

3. Washington (4)
A first-round 297 prevented the Huskies from really having a chance at The Prestige. You do have to like the way the team fought back to finish in third place, however. Suffice it to, Isleworth will be a important tournament for UW to see just where this group's confidence stands as the fall draws to a close.  
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

4. Illinois (3)
Last year at this point, the Fighting Illini had three wins and a runner-up before flopping at the Isleworth Collegiate with a 11th place finish. This time around, Illinois has two wins and a seventh. Time to see how much coach Mike Small's team has grown in the last year and they return to Orlando and face more of the strongest fields of the year.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27

5. TCU (NR)
The Horned Frogs followed up a decent start to the season (eighth at the Ping/Golfweek Invitational) with an impressive 16-stroke victory this past week at The Prestige, defending their title with a final-round 12-under 276. Freshman Daniel Jennevret tied the school record for fastest to win a tournament, claiming medalist honors (by six) in his second collegiate start.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 25-27



WOMEN
1. Arizona State (1)
To learn more about the great role model ASU has, take time to read the feature John Strege wrote for Golf World this week on associate head coach Missy Farr-Kaye and her fight against breast cancer. What a better golf lesson did they learn than the courage Farr-Kaye showed in inspiring the team last year to a NCAA title?
Next event: Stanford Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 16-18

2. USC (2)
The Trojans have a very real chance of taking away the No. 1 spot from ASU with a solid showing this weekend in Palo Alto. Having finished second in the event last fall, you've got to believe they've got the confidence to turn in that performance.
Next event: Stanford Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 16-18

3. Michigan State (NR)
Huge win in North Carolina for the Spartans. What's interesting now is how the team does with raised expectations. A fifth-place finish at the Fall Preview looks great when you're on the rise, but might seem hollow if you've got the bulls-eye on your chest. Still, it's an exciting time to be a MSU booster. 
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

4. Purdue (3)
On the course, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc jumped to the top of the Golfstat Cup ranking. Off the course: the Boilermakers took some time this past weekend for an off-course activity, pitching in on the school's "Hammering for Hope" project in conjunction for Habitat for Humanity. 
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25

5. Pepperdine (5)
Only time all season that the Waves venture east of New Mexico is at the Fall Preview in North Carolina. It will be curious to see how the travel affects this young team that's managed to do fine with just five (currently) on the roster.
Next event: NCAA Fall Preview, CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. Oct. 23-25


STAT OF THE WEEK
6
Number of schools ranked in the top-10 in the latest Golf World/NGCA women's coaches' poll who are competing this weekend in either the Stanford Intercollegiate (Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Denver) or the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship (LSU, Florida). The three schools out of the action are Pepperdine, Georgia and Alabama.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* A year ago, the men's national player-of-the-year race became a north-of-the-border tug-o-war between N.C. State's Matt Hill and Washington's Nick Taylor. This year, college golf's Canadian invasion is coming from the women's side with a pair of Quebec natives making headlines in recent weeks.

Purdue junior Maude-Aimee LeBlanc has won twice in two starts, posting a 70.17 scoring average and doing her best to let Boilermakers forget ol' Maria what's her name. Not to be out done, Louisville junior Sara-Maude Juneau this past weekend won the Lady Tar Heel Invitational, her second straight individual victory. In the process, she became the first Cardinal golfer to win consecutive tournament titles.

Currently, LeBlanc ranks No. 1 in the Golfstat Cup ranking, while Juneau is 13th. There's still a lot of time before the spring, so predicting these two will be fighting it out in few months for National POY honors is going out on a pretty long limb. Still, I don't see much give up in either player, which leads me to wonder ... what's are they putting in the (frozen) water up there? Oh Canada, indeed.


TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
Bank of Tennessee at The Ridges
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
The Ridges G&CC, Jonesborough, Tenn.
Oct. 16-18
Host: East Tennessee State
Field: UAB, Auburn, Coastal Carolina, Duke, East Tennessee State, Kent State, Missouri, North Carolina, UNC Wilmington, N.C. State, Oregon State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Coastal Carolina (five-over 869) by one stroke over East Tennessee State; N.C. State's Darren Blair (six-under 210) by five strokes over four players
Skinny: Only one repeat winner (TCU, 2000 & 2001) in the event's 11 previous playings. Only one other school has won the event twice (Tennessee, 2004 & 2006)

Lone Star Invitational at Briggs Ranch
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Briggs Ranch GC, San Antonio (Par 72, 7,308 yards)
Host: UT-San Antonio
Field: Baylor, Houston, Lamar, Rice, Sam Houston State, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, UTEP, UT-Arlington, UT-San Antonio
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: Give credit to UTSA coach John Knauer for putting together a pretty solid field, led by the defending NCAA champion Aggies, for a first-year tournament.

Memphis Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Colonial CC (South course), Memphis, Tenn. (Par 72, 7,259 yards)
Host: Memphis
Field: Arkansas State, UALR, Denver, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, UL-Lafayette, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Wisconsin, Xavier
Defending champion: Ohio State (12-over 588) by three strokes over Memphis; Ohio State's Vaughn Snyder (six-under 138) by six strokes over three players
Skinny: The tournament is being played for the sixth time. Colonial CC is where Al Geiberger became the first player on the PGA Tour to shoot a 59 in 1977.

WOMEN
Stanford Collegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif.
Oct. 16-18
Host: Stanford
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Denver, Hawaii, Oklahoma State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Washington
Defending champion: UCLA (eight-under 844) by three strokes over USC; USC's Lizette Salas (seven-under 206) by two strokes over Oklahoma State's Caroline Masson
Skinny: Maybe we should like the odds of Salas repeating as the individual champion considering there have been three repeat champions since 1999: Tulsa's Stacy Prammanasudh (1999, 2000 and 2001), Arizona's Erica Blasberg (2002, 2003) and Arkansas' Stacy Lewis (2006, 2007). Meanwhile, the last time a Stanford golfer claimed medalist honors was Hilary Homeyer (Lunke) in 1997.

Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Fox Den CC, Knoxville, Tenn.
Oct. 16-18
Host: Tennessee
Field: Arkansas, Chattanooga, Florida, Furman, Kent State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Tulane, UT-San Antonio, Wake Forest
Defending champion: LSU (one-over 865) by nine strokes over North Carolina and N.C. State; N.C. State's Lauren Doughtie (seven-under 209) by two strokes over Louisville's Cindy LaCrosse and Mississippi's Dori Carter
Skinny: 2007 winner Florida and 2008 champion LSU set the 54-hole tournament record of 865.

Hawkeye Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Finkbine GC, Iowa City, Iowa
Oct. 17-18
Host: Iowa
Field: Ball State, Drake, Illinois, Illinois State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Oakland, Sacramento State, South Dakota State, Washington State
Defending champion: Ball State (57-over 921) by five strokes over Iowa; Drake's Olivia Lansing (six-over 222) by three strokes over Longwood's Mary Carmody
Skinny: Defending champion Ball State is also enters the tournament fresh off a victory at the Duramed MAC Preview.

Lady Pirate Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Greenville CC, Greenville, N.C. (Par 71, 5,939 yards)
Oct. 19-20
Host: East Carolina
Field: East Tennessee State, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Georgetown, James Madison, Maryland, Michigan, Old Dominion, UTEP, William & Mary, Xavier
Defending champion: Georgia State (30-over 882) by 17 strokes over East Carolina; Georgia State's Iliska Verwey (three-over 216) by one stroke over Florida International's Belen Buendia
Skinny: The host Pirates haven't had a victory in their home event since 2002.