So last week I was suggesting that the Arizona State men had made a statement with their victory at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational. Well, somebody had a response to that statement ... a little school in Stillwater, Okla.

Oklahoma State's 22-shot victory over runner-up Washington (and 27-shot defeat of third-place ASU) yesterday at the Ping/Golfweek Invitational was impressive on many fronts. Consider that Cowboys' Peter Uihlein (five-under 211), Morgan Hoffmann (three-under 213) and Trent Whitekiller (even-par 216) finished 1-2-3 individually. Obviously, any Walker Cup hangover I mentioned with Uihlein and Hoffmann has worn off. More importantly, the duo is set to become the best 1-2 punch in college golf.

That said, Whitekiller, who shared medalist honors at Olympia Fields, might be the difference maker that separates the OSU team from the rest of the pack this fall. The senior from Sallisaw, Okla., has gotten lost among the heavyhitters that saturate the Cowboy roster. He is, however, a former honorable mention All-American who has won on the national level in amateur golf (2008 Sahalee Players).

During the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills last month, Whitekiller among the OSU contingent to make it to match play, losing in the second round. Local media asked him about outlasting his more heralded teammates (Hoffmann and Rickie Fowler both being knocked out in the first round). Whitekiller handled the back-handed compliment with aplomb, a quiet confidence becoming rather visible.

It's still early--very early--in the season so lets all be careful not to speak with too much hyperbole. Still, if Whitekiller can battle Uihlein and Hoffmann for the top spot on the OSU team (and if Kevin Tway and Sean Einhaus compete like they're capable of) that means the Cowboys will be playing some awfully good golf.

It also means the rest of the country is going to have its work cut out for it.

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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
The Cowboys held their own in the season opener at Olympia Fields, finishing second by two strokes after posting low final round. This despite Morgan Hoffmann finishing T-38 (warned you there might be a Walker Cup hangover).
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Invitational, Gold Mountain GC, Bremerton, Wash., Sept. 27-28

2. Arizona State (NR)
The Sun Devils show why coach Randy Lein was so optimistic about their chances coming into the season, taking the team title at Olympia Fields. The all-are-talented-but-no-one-player-is-a-superstar system can have its good and its bad points, but will keep ASU in the hunt more often than not.
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Invitational, Gold Mountain GC, Bremerton, Wash., Sept. 27-28

3. Washington (2)
Hard to believe there is a closer group of players than the Huskies squad. That said, I'm not sure if that means they're the best "team" or not. This weekend with a sort of "home course" edge should be an interesting one to help us figure out where UW (and the rest of the top men's teams) currently stand.
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Invitational, Gold Mountain GC, Bremerton, Wash., Sept. 27-28

4. Tennessee (4)
It's early (OK, obscenely early), but the Vols lead the country in low adjusted scoring average with a 70.96 individual mark. Considering the competition that they'll be facing in the SEC all season, they're going to need to keep this up as best they can. 
Next event: Windon Memorial Classic, North Shore CC, Glencoe, Ill., Oct. 4-5

5. SMU (NR)
A second straight win for the Mustangs, this time at the Adams Cup in Rhode Island, suggests that SMU might be a sleeper to keep an eye on. Or it suggests they're just off to a hot start. Suffice it to say, it's going to be interesting to see which theory is the right one.
Next event: Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, Old Overton CC, Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 12-13


WOMEN
1. Arizona State (1)
Give Sun Devils women's coach Melissa Luellen credit, she's not ducking anybody as her team attempts to defend its NCAA title. ASU has the second toughest schedule according to Golfstat, with only Wake Forest's being more difficult.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

2. Pepperdine (3)
In posting two victories already in the young season, the Waves have made 84 birdies as a team. Do the math and that's 14 per round. It also doesn't hurt that Lisa McCloskey has hit 92.9 percent of her fairways and 86.1 percent of her greens in regulation.
Next event: Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational, Sahalee CC, Sammamish, Wash., Oct. 5-7

3. USC (2)
Jennifer Song, Lizette Salas and Belen Mozo all seem to be contenders for first-team All-American honors. If just one can do it, that would make it five straight seasons USC would have a player make the first-team, the longest active streak of any school in the country. Even more interesting? Six different players have been first-teamers in the last four years.
Fall opener: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

4. Georgia (5)
Funny what can happen when you've actually got a full roster (or at least more than five players). The Bulldogs will be an interesting team to watch this weekend as Kelley Hester tries to determine just what kind of a team she really has.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Women's Championship, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

5. Denver (NR)
Pioneers hold serve, so to speak, with 14-stroke victory over UC Davis at the Ron Moore, their home event. Kimberly Kim and Stacy Kim don't disappoint in their debuts, while Stephanie Sherlock shows why she's an All-American (even if she is Canadian).
Next event: Lady Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley GC, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 9-11


STAT OF THE WEEK
11
Number of days the Washington women's golf team has been traveling in New Zealand. With the school working on the quarter system, and classes not starting until Sept. 30, head coach Mary Lou Mulfur's squad has gotten to take a unique trip across the world, playing golf and bonding. Assistant coach Andrea VanderLende has been writing a mini-diary and posting photos on the school's website throughout the trip. Only downside of the trip? The players weren't on campus to watch UW upset USC in football last Saturday.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* I'm not sure how much doubt there was going into the season, but it seems pretty clear less than a month into the schedule that the toughest conference in men's college golf is hands down the Pac-10. Already Washington and Arizona State have victories. Stanford is maybe even deeper than those two schools. California has enough talent to win this year. UCLA might be young but the Bruins will be heard from. Same goes for USC. Menawhile, Oregon just happens to have qualified for nationals two straight years. Seriously, where is the breather in this league?

* It's only the first full-field tournament that the top-ranked Arizona State women are playing in, but how the Sun Devils do at this weekend's Mason Rudolph could have a big trickle down effect on all of women's college golf. If ASU wins by a significant margin, given the stacked field the tournament has, it's going to discourage a lot of other programs who wonder if the Sun Devils are even better than when they won the NCAA title last year. If USC, UCLA, etc., give ASU a run for its money (or even beat them), than the idea of parity on the national level returns and ASU's air of invincibility disappears.

* Don't know whether college golf coaches should be breathing a sigh of relief or getting still more nervous after learning of a handful of proposals that the NCAA Legislative Council will be reviewing at its Oct. 19-20 meeting. Among them is No. 2009-79, which would limit team travel in the nonchampionship segment of several sports to ground transportation only.

The good news is that golf isn't one of the sports mentioned in the proposal (cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball and softball are the applicable sports). The even better news is that the proposal specifically mentions how the nonchampionship segments in these sports don't count to official records, explaining why the restrictions seem to be "prudent" given the current economic environment.

Another proposal on the docket is No. 2009-87, which would eliminate the ability for teams to take "foreign tours" (such as the one Washington has been taking in New Zealand).



TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
MEN
The Wolverine at Radrick Farms
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Radrick Farms GC, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Par 72, 6,979 yards)
Sept. 26-27
Host: Michigan
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, St. John's, Toledo, Wisconsin, Xavier
Defending champion: Michigan (11-under 841) by two strokes over UC Davis; UC Davis' Ramie Sprinkling (seven-under 206) by one stroke over Cal's John Murphy
Skinny: With it being homecoming weekend and Michigan hosting a home football game, across the street from U of M's course, the tournament moves to the school's second course, Radrick Farms.

Mason Rudolph Men's Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Vandebilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn.
Sept. 25-27
Host: Vanderbilt
Field: Akron, Arkansas State, Belmont, Charleston, Davidson, Georgia Tech, Lipscomb, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, South Alabama, South Carolina, UT-Martin, Vanderbilt, Western Carolina
Defending champion: South Carolina (13-under 839) by eight strokes over Kentucky; Kentucky's Ben Fuqua (15-under 198) by seven strokes over Middle Tennessee's Jason Millard and Vanderbilt's Jon Curran
Skinny: First event where defending champion South Carolina is playing since Gamecock coach Bill McDonald revealed he has leukemia.

Ping/Golfweek Invitational
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Gold Mountain GC, Bremerton, Wash.
Sept. 27-28
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Chattanooga, Colorado State, Indiana, Kent State, LSU, New Mexico, N.C. State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas A&M, UNLV, USC, Washington
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (nine-under 843) by 16 strokes over Tennessee; OSU's Morgan Hoffmann  and Tennessee's Robin Wingardh (six-under 207)
Skinny: For only the second time in the tournament's 20-year history, the event will not be played at the actually site of next spring's NCAA Championship. Scheduling issues kept the event from coming to The Honors Course this fall. (Hence the "Invitational" name rather than "Preview").

VCU Shootout
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Hermitage CC, Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Sept. 28-29
Host: VCU
Field: Charlotte, East Carolina, Iowa, Maryland, Mercer, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Penn State, Richmond, VCU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wichita State
Defending champion: Wake Forest (27-under 825) by 16 strokes over Augusta State and VCU; Wichita State's Dustin Garza and Wake Forest's Brendan Gielow (12-under 201) 
Skinny: VCU was the tournament where Garza began his run of three straight victories to close out the fall with three wins and two runner-up finishes.

Giustina Memorial Classic
Trysting Tree GC, Corvallis, Ore. (Par 72, 7,030 yards)
Sept. 28-29
Host: Oregon State
Field: Boise State, Cal Poly, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland, USC-Upstate, Washington State, Wyoming
Defending champion: Oregon State's Diego Velasquez (eight-under 208) by two strokes over Ji Hwan Park
Skinny: Played simultaneously with the women's tournament with mixed pairings of men's and women's players (i.e. two schools play together with the No. 1 and No. 2 men's players and No. 1 and No. 2 women's players in the same foursome).

WOMEN
Mason Rudolph Women's Championship
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn.
Sept. 25-27
Host:Vanderbilt
Field: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Tulane, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia
Defending champion: UCLA (14-under 850) by six strokes over USC; UCLA's Sydnee Michaels (11-under 205) by four strokes over Auburn's Candace Schepperle
Skinny: Year in and year out, the Mason Rudolph gets one of the best fields of the fall. This time around, nine of the top 11 teams in the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll are are competing with 13 top-25 programs set to tee it up.

Bettie Lou Evans Fall Invitational
University Club (Big Blue course), Lexington, Ky. (Par 72, 6,168 yards)
Sept. 25-27
Host: Kentucky
Field: Augusta State, UCF, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Florida International, Florida State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Princeton, Texas State
Defending champion (2007): Alabama (13-over 877) by eight strokes over Florida; Alabama's Courtney Harter (three-under 213) by one stroke over Alabama's Camilla Lennarth
Skinny: After one-year hiatus, UK is bringing back the event formerly known as the Lady Wildcat and renaming it in honor of the school's longtime women's coach.

Lady Northern
   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
University Ridge GC, Madison, Wis.
Sept. 27-28
Host: Wisconsin
Field: Charleston, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, Wisconsin
Defending champion: Purdue (31-over 895) by 17 strokes over Michigan State; Purdue's Maria Hernandez (one-over 217) by four strokes over Michigan State's Laura Kueny and Purdue's Maude-Aimee LeBlanc
Skinny: Held each year at the course that will host the Big Ten Women's Championship the next spring, all 11 conference schools will compete along with a handful other programs.

Giustina Memorial Classic
Trysting Tree GC, Corvallis, Ore. (Par 72, 6,282 yards)
Sept. 28-29
Host: Oregon State
Field: Boise State, Cal Poly, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland, USC-Upstate, Washington State, Wyoming
Defending champion: Oregon State (40-over 904) by two strokes over Oregon; Oregon's Kendra Little (one-under 215) by four strokes over Oregon State's Cara Freeman
Skinny: In addition to the men's and women's team winners, there will also be awards for the top men's and women's combined team standings.

Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational
Colbert Hills GC, Manhattan, Kan.
Sept. 28-29
Host: Kansas State
Field: Arkansas, Creighton, Houston Baptist, Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, UMKC, Northern Iowa, Oral Roberts, St. John's, Tulsa, Wichita State
Defending champion: Kansas' Emily Powers (seven-over 223) by two strokes over Kansas' Jennifer Clark
Skinny: Event rotates yearly between Kansas and K-State's home courses.

Sad to hear from Columbia, S.C., that a bone marrow biopsy for South Carolina men's coach Bill McDonald has shown he has chronic myelogenous leukemia. The good news for the 43-year-old is that it was discovered early and that the drug that McDonald will begin taking has a 90-percent remission rate. He also anticipates that the illness will not have any impact on him coaching the Gamecocks.

Click here for the link to Bob Gillespie's story in The State.

Three quick observations from this past weekend:

1. "I think this could be the best team I've had."

That was what Arizona State men's coach Randy Lein told me Aug. 18 when I interviewed him for Golf World's college preview issue. Sure enough, he looks to have had reason to think that way, as ASU (30-over 870) opened the fall schedule with a two-stroke victory over top-ranked Oklahoma State at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational Sunday. Three Sun Devils finished in the top 20, led by Tristan Bierenbroodspot's T-6 showing.

"There are just a lot of similarities to 12 years ago when we won nationals at the Honors Course," Lein said last month. "The year before, we had like four All-Americans and really no standout stud. just a number of players who played well. We had one senior who played when we won, two juniors a sophomore and a freshman. That could be a similar make up this year."

2. The Pepperdine women might only have five players on their current roster, but the five are pretty good. Five days after winning the Golfweek Conference Challenge, the Waves knocked off host New Mexico by seven strokes to claim the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque.

3. For a third year in a row, UNLV men's coach Dwaine Knight is going to have to sweat out having arguably his best player flirting with the PGA Tour. Eddie Olson advanced out of the tour's pre-qualifier this past week in California and will play in the first stage of Q school in October. The senior missed the Rebels start this past weekend's Gene Miranda Invitational, where UNLV finished third behind Colorado State and Utah.

Two years ago Knight had to watch as Seung-Su Han advanced to the final stage of PGA Tour Q-school, only to fail to get a PGA Tour card and decide to stay in college. Last fall, Han was in the same situation, but decided to jump ship.

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

MEN
1. Oklahoma State
Despite the loss of Rickie Fowler to the pro ranks, the Cowboys have two possible national player of the year candidates in Morgan Hoffmann and Peter Uihlein returning, plus past All-Americans in Kevin Tway and Trent Whitekiller. Have to love the depth.
Fall opener: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 18-20

2. Washington
Nice start to the 2009-10 season with victory at the Topy Cup. Three other Huskies post top-25 finishes playing as individuals at Washington State's event. UW is another school that has a deep roster. That's always hard to beat.
Next event: Ping/Golfweek Invitational, Gold Mountain GC, Bremerton, Wash., Sept. 27-28

3. Illinois
Mike Small's squad will be challenged to repeat last year's early success (winning three of its first four starts) but the Illini are ready to give it a try after their 13-stroke win over North Florida at the Wolf Run Invitational.
Next event: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Olympia Fields CC, Olympia Fields, Ill., Sept. 18-20

4. Tennessee
Like I wrote in this week's issue of Golf World, the Volunteers have often been called a "sneaky good" program but would likely prefer just to be known as "good." They took a step in that direction with their victory at last weekend's Carpet Capital Collegiate.
Next event: Windon Memorial Classic, North Shore CC, Glencoe, Ill., Oct. 4-5

5. UNLV
The Rebels looked impressive with their 16-stroke victory at the Tucker Invitational. In Eddie Olson and Derek Ernst they have two steady golfers to lean on. Meanwhile, Colby Smith's share of medalist honors in Albuquerque is a sign that there are players behind them ready to step up.
Next event: Gene Miranda Invitational, Eisenhower GC, Colorado Springs, Sept. 19-20


WOMEN
1. Arizona State
Returning players got to travel to Japan for Topy Cup and claimed first victory since winning NCAA title. Interesting now to see if any freshmen will crack line-up when the Sun Devils travel east to Tennessee.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Invitational, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

2. USC
Belen Mozo's recovery from summer surgery is a question mark for the Trojans as is Lizette Salas nagging back injury. Still, Jennifer Song is as confident as ever and this team is too talented not to win a few tournaments in 2009-10.
Fall opener: Mason Rudolph Invitational, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

3. Pepperdine
The Waves eked out a one-stroke victory at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, with Taylore Karle making 18 straight pars during the final round, with her par on the 18th clinching the win. Going with just a five-player roster this fall, but they've got a talented five.
Next event: Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, University of New Mexico GC, Albuquerque, Sept. 19-20

4. LSU
Granted the Tigers' season-opening victory was in a match-play event, but a win is a win and LSU did knock off a couple SEC rivals in Florida and Auburn to get the W. If they were at all before hand, you get the sense that from now on LSU isn't going to be intimidated by anyone.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Invitational, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27

5. Georgia
The Bulldogs love the Cougar Classic. After setting school 54-hole scoring record there last fall, UGa breaks it with repeat victory this past week. Kelley Hester's crew shoots 14-under 850 to break record by eight strokes. Marta Silva Zamora claims individual title with Emile Burger and Milena Savich posted top-five finishes.
Next event: Mason Rudolph Invitational, Vanderbilt Legends Club, Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 25-27


STAT OF THE WEEK

1
Number of college tournaments it took for U.S. Girls' Junior champion Amy Anderson to break North Dakota State's 18-hole and 54-hole school records. The freshman (right) claimed medalist honors earlier this week at the Chip-N-Club Invitational, shooting a six-under 210 at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, Neb. Anderson broke the previous 54-hole record by 13 strokes (old mark was 223, set by Jenna Buckwalter at the Chip-N-Club in 2007). She broke the 18-hole mark when she shot an opening-round 69 (old mark was 71) and then tied her new record with a final-round 69. She is just the seventh player in school history to win an individual tournament title since the program's inception in 1996-97 and only the second to win a Division I tournament.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR

* It's going to be interesting to see how top-ranked Oklahoma State fares this weekend when it opens its season at Olympia Fields. More specifically, it will be interesting to see how Morgan Hoffmann and Peter Uihlein fare. The duo competed for the victorious U.S. team at the Walker Cup last weekend, expending a fare amount of mental as well as physical capital in an emotional week. Uihlein, in particular, will be an interesting player to watch, after having his selection to the team be criticized by some, only for him to prove his naysayers wrong with a perfect 4-0 record. Will there be a Walker Cup hangover (figurative, of course)?

* A 10th-place finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate was an auspicious way for the Georgia men to start the 2009-10 season. Consider the Bulldogs worst performance a year ago was a seventh-place showing (ironically at the CCC), which also was the only time they finishes outside the top five all season. Mind you, there is an explanation for UGa so-so debut: injuries to Hudson Swafford and Will Kropp have made a roster already trying to compensate for the departures of All-Americans Brian Harman and Adam Mitchell that much thinner. Swafford isn't expected to return until the spring at the earliest, while Kropp might be back earlier. Still, it leaves coach Chris Haack in a tenuous position as his team heads to Illinois this weekend. Another middle of the pack finish in a field that has seven of the top 25 teams in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll will leave the Bulldogs starting to wonder about ".500 rule" ramifications. (The Dawgs don't play in any dog of a tournament this season.) OK, so it's a little early to be too concerned, but the folks in Athens have to be swallowing a little harder than they were a few weeks ago. 



TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH

MEN
Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Olympia Fields GC, Olympia Fields, Ill. (Par 70, 7,157 yards)
Sept. 18-20
Host: Illinois
Field: Arizona State, Augusta State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, San Diego State, Stanford, Texas, USC, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Illinois (12-over 852) by 11 strokes over Indiana; Illinois' Zack Barlow and Indiana's Alex Martin (one-under 209)
Skinny: Seven of the top 12 teams in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll are in the field. … In three-year history of the event, no team has shot better than Illinois' 852 from last fall.

Spartan Classic
Kingsley Club, Kingsley, Mich.
Sept. 19-20
Host: Michigan State
Field: California, Charleston Southern, Cleveland State, Columbia, Detroit Mercy, Duquesne, Evansville, Jackson State, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis
Defending champion: Michigan State (12-under 276) by 14 strokes over Detroit Mercy; Michigan State's Graham Baillargeon and Jack Newman (four-under 68)
Skinny: Hope to have better second effort after last year's debut was cut to one round due to bad weather.

Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational
Eisenhower GC (Blue Course), Colorado Springs (Par 72, 7, 301 yards)
Sept. 19-20
Host: Air Force
Field: UAB, Air Force, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, Nevada, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, San Diego, Southern Utah, UCCS, UNLV, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley, Washington State, Weber State, Wyoming
Defending champion: Colorado State (27-under 837) by 11 strokes over UNLV; Colorado State's Bryce Hanstad (11-under 205) by three strokes over Colorado State's Riley Arp
Skinny: Previously known as the Rocky Mountain Invitational and the Pikes Peak Invitational, this is the 41st year the event has been held.

Adams Cup of Newport
Newport National GC (Orchard Course), Newport, R.I. (Par 72, 7,244 yards)
Sept. 21-22
Host: Rhode Island
Field: Brown, Bryant, UCF, Connecticut, DePaul, Francis Marion, Furman, Georgia Southern, Hartford, New Mexico, Ohio State, Rhode Island, SMU, Southern Mississippi, St. Joseph's, Temple, William & Mary
Defending champion: Texas A&M (eight-under 856) by 13 strokes over Minnesota; Texas A&M's Bronson Burgoon (12-under 204) by seven strokes over Texas A&M's Andrea Pavan
Skinny: Rhody coach Tom Drennan guarantees the winner of the event will also claim the NCAA title (OK, just kidding, but Texas A&M did claim the first of its four wins here en route to the national championship).

Jim Colbert Intercollegiate
Colbert Hills GC, Manhattan, Kan. (Par 72, 7,525 yards)
Sept. 21-22
Host: Kansas State
Field: Florida Gulf Coast, Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, UMKC, Missouri State, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State, Western Illinois
Defending champion: Kansas State (19-over 883) by 17 strokes over UMKC; Kansas State's Mitchell Gregson (even-par 216) by one stroke over Wichita State's Dustin Garza
Skinny: Host Cougars are playing their 75th season of collegiate golf


WOMEN
Lady Paladin Intercollegiate
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat page)
Furman University GC, Greenville, S.C.
Sept. 18-20
Host: Furman
Field: Campbell, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Florida International, Furman, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Mercer, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Nova Southeastern, Penn State, Rutgers, Samford, Stetson, Wofford
Defending champion (2008): TCU (32-over 896) by 14 strokes over Notre Dame; UNC-Wilmington's Carmen Perez-Narbon (one-over 217) by two strokes over East Tennessee State's Laura Jansone
Skinny: Event returns after course renovations postponed 2008 edition. Past individual champions have included Betsy King (1975, 1977), Nancy Lopez (1976), Dottie Pepper (1986, 1987)

Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat page)
University of New Mexico GC, Albuquerque (par 73, 6,202 yards)
Sept. 19-20
Host: New Mexico
Field: Arkansas, Colorado, Colorado State, Indiana, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Diego State, San Francisco, Texas A&M, TCU, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UNLV, UTEP, Wyoming
Defending champion: New Mexico (four-under 872) by four strokes over Pepperdine; New Mexico's Jodi Ewart (six-under 213) by one stroke over UNLV's Natasha Krishna
Skinny: Tournament is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the home school having won it seven times and four of the last seven years.

Napa River Grill Cardinal Cup
The Cardinal Club, Simpsonville, Ky. (Par 72, 6,253 yards)
Sept. 21-22
Host: Louisville
Field: Akron, BYU, Cincinnati, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, Morehead State, South Florida, Southern Mississippi
Defending champion (2008): Notre Dame (14-over 878) by three strokes over Louisville; Notre Dame's So-Hyun Park (three-under 213) by one stroke over Middle Tennessee's Taryn Durham
Skinny: Host Cardinals coming off third-place finish in their fall opener, Ptarmigan Ram Classic.

Ron Moore Women's Intercollegiate
    (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat page)
Highlands Ranch GC, Highlands, Colo.
Sept. 21-22
Host: Denver
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Baylor, Columbia, Denver, Illinois, Iowa State, Montana State, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Texas, Northern Colorado, UC Davis, Wyoming
Defending champion: Denver (11-under 853) by 27 strokes over TCU; Denver's Stephanie Sherlock (10-under 206) by two strokes over UC Irvine's Jane Chin
Skinny: Pioneers have won their home event five straight years, and you have to like their chances are making it six.

MEN
2009-10 outlook
Mid-American
Predicted champion: Kent State
Predicted player of the year: John Hahn, Kent State
Predicted freshman of the year: Blake English, Miami (Ohio)
NCAA Regional Bound: Kent State, Eastern Michigan

Mountain West
Predicted champion: TCU
Predicted player of the year: Tom Hoge, TCU
Predicted freshman of the year: Kevin Penner, UNLV
NCAA Regional Bound: TCU, UNLV, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, BYU

Southern
Predicted champion: Chattanooga
Predicted player of the year: Derek Rende, Chattanooga
Predicted freshman of the year: Steven Fox, Chattanooga
NCAA Regional Bound: Chattanooga, Georgia Southern, Furman

Sun Belt
Predicted champion: Denver
Predicted player of the year: Espen Kofstad, Denver
Predicted freshman of the year: Kevin Gillick, Denver
NCAA Regional Bound: Denver, Middle Tennessee State

WAC
Predicted champion: Fresno State
Predicted player of the year: Bhavik Patel, Fresno State
Predicted freshman of the year: William Holdridge, New Mexico State
NCAA Regional Bound: Fresno State, New Mexico State

West Coast
Predicted champion: Pepperdine
Predicted player of the year: Alex Ching, San Diego
Predicted freshman of the year: Brian Bergna, Loyola Marymount
NCAA Regional Bound: Pepperdine, San Francisco, San Diego, Loyola Marymount


WOMEN
2009-10 outlook

Mid-American
Predicted champion: Kent State
Predicted player of the year: Mercedes Germino, Kent State
Predicted freshman of the year: Emily Podzielinski, Eastern Michigan
NCAA Regional Bound: Kent State

Mountain West
Predicted champion: UNLV
Predicted player of the year: Jodi Ewart, New Mexico
Predicted freshman of the year: Kelsey Vines, BYU
NCAA Regional Bound: UNLV, New Mexico, TCU, BYU

Southern
Predicted champion: Chattanooga
Predicted player of the year: Emma de Groot, Chattanooga
Predicted freshman of the year: Julia Thead, Furman
NCAA Regional Bound: Chattanooga, Furman

Sun Belt
Predicted champion: Denver
Predicted player of the year: Stephanie Sherlock, Denver
Predicted freshman of the year: Kimberly Kim, Denver
NCAA Regional Bound: Denver

WAC
Predicted champion: San Jose State
Predicted player of the year: Kayla Mortellaro, Idaho
Predicted freshman of the year: Lindsay Reeve, New Mexico State
NCAA Regional Bound: San Jose State, Idaho, Fresno State

West Coast
Predicted champion: Pepperdine
Predicted player of the year: Lisa McCloskey, Pepperdine
Predicted freshman of the year: Katrina Hegge, San Francisco
NCAA Regional Bound: Pepperdine, San Francisco

MEN
2009-10 outlook
Atlantic 10
Predicted champion: Charlotte
Predicted player of the year: Corey Nagy, Charlotte
Predicted freshman of the year: Nick Austin, Richmond
NCAA Regional Bound: Charlotte, Richmond, Xavier

Atlantic Sun
Predicted champion: East Tennessee State
Predicted player of the year: Seamus Power, East Tennessee State
Predicted freshman of the year: Kevin Phelan, North Florida
NCAA Regional Bound: East Tennessee State, North Florida, Mercer

Big East
Predicted champion: Notre Dame
Predicted player of the year: Riley Wheeldon, Louisville
Predicted freshman of the year: Paul McNamara III, Notre Dame
NCAA Regional Bound: Notre Dame, Louisville

Big West
Predicted champion: UC Irvine
Predicted player of the year: John Chin, UC Irvine
Predicted freshman of the year: Zeyu He, UC Irvine
NCAA Regional Bound: UC Irvine, Pacific

Conference USA
Predicted champion: SMU
Predicted player of the year: Kelly Kraft, SMU
Predicted freshman of the year: Chris Worrell, Tulsa
NCAA Regional Bound: SMU, UCF, Tulsa, East Carolina


WOMEN
2009-10 outlook
Atlantic Sun
Predicted champion: Campbell
Predicted player of the year: Belen Diaz Cisneros, Campbell
Predicted freshman of the year: Alex Buelow, Stetson
NCAA Regional Bound: Campbell, Stetson, East Tennessee State

Big East
Predicted champion: Notre Dame
Predicted player of the year: Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville
Predicted freshman of the year: Simone Strauss, Georgetown
NCAA Regional Bound: Notre Dame, Louisville

Big West
Predicted champion: UC Davis
Predicted player of the year: Alice Kim, UC Davis
Predicted freshman of the year: Demi Francis Runas, UC Davis
NCAA Regional Bound: UC Davis, UC Irvine

Conference USA
Predicted champion: Tulane
Predicted player of the year: Abby Bools, East Carolina
Predicted freshman of the year: Elisa Aoki, UCF
NCAA Regional Bound: Tulane, East Carolina, Tulsa, UCF

Pac-10

MEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Stanford
Predicted player of the year: Nick Taylor, Washington
Predicted freshman of the year: Andrew Yun, Stanford
NCAA Regional bound: Stanford, Washington, Arizona State, UCLA, Oregon, USC, California, Arizona
Team on the rise: Oregon--Casey Martin's young squad has earned valuable experience going to nationals the past two seasons.
Biggest question mark: USC--The Trojan freshmen class is going to be put to work right quick as Giles is the only returning player with any significant experience.
Wouldn't surprise me to see: The Trojans be this year's Pac-10 squad that flirts with missing the postseason because of the ".500 rule."
Would shock me to see: A Pac-10 school not win at least one of the six NCAA regionals next spring.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Washington
Players of the year: Matt Giles, USC; Nick Taylor, Washington
Freshman of the year: Gregor Main, UCLA
Coach of the year: Matt Thurmond, Washington
Pac-10 medalist: Darren Wallace, Washington

All-Pac-10 First team:
Erik Flores, UCLA
Matt Giles, USC*
Stephan Gross, Arizona State
Richard Lee, Washington*
Jamie Lovemark, USC
Tim Sluiter, USC
Nick Taylor, Washington*
Darren Wallace, Washington*
Steve Ziegler, Stanford*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Stanford
2. Washington
3. Arizona State
4. UCLA
5. Oregon
6. USC
7. California
8. Arizona
9. Oregon State
10. Washington State


WOMEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Arizona State
Predicted player of the year: Carlota Ciganda, Arizona State
Predicted freshman of the year: Tiffany Lua, UCLA
NCAA Regional bound: Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Stanford, California, Arizona, Washington
Team on the rise: Stanford--Talented freshmen Sally Watson and Kristina Wong will help give the Cardinal the depth they've been missing in recent years
Biggest question mark: UCLA--There's tons of talent in Westwood, but which player will step up and be the team leader?
Wouldn't surprise me to see: Any one of a half-dozen golfers contend for POY honors. The race is going to be amazing.
Would shock me to see: Pac-10 teams finish one-two-three at nationals ... again.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Arizona State
Player of the year: Lizette Salas, USC
Freshman of the year: Jennifer Song, USC
Coach of the year: Melissa Luellen, Arizona State
Pac-10 medalist: Carlota Ciganda, Arizona State

All-Pac-10 First team:
Carlota Ciganda, Arizona State*
Pia Halbig, California*
Stephanie Kono, UCLA*
Azahara Munoz, Arizona State
Juliana Murcia, Arizona State*
Lizette Salas, USC*
Jennifer Song, USC*
Glory Yang, UCLA*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Arizona State
2. USC
3. UCLA
4. Stanford
5. California
6. Arizona
7. Washington
8. Washington State
9. Oregon
10. Oregon State

Tomorrow's conference preview: Best of the rest

Big Ten

MEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Illinois
Predicted player of the year: Kevin Foley, Penn State
Predicted freshman of the year: Ross Frankenberg, Illinois
NCAA Regional bound: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State
Team on the rise: Iowa--The Hawkeyes played two freshmen and two sophomore at nationals last May. Got to like the experience they gained moving forward.
Biggest question mark: Indiana--Alex Martin emerged as a solid player last season, but he'll have to step up even more now that Jorge Campillo has graduated.
Wouldn't surprise me to see: Michigan build momentum off its Final 4 finish at nationals last spring and contend for the conference title.
Would shock me to see: Illinois win less than five tournament titles in 2009-10. The Illini have a deep roster and a "reasonable" schedule.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Illinois
Player of the year: Jorge Campillo, Indiana
Freshman of the year: Eric Chun, Northwestern
Coach of the year: Mike Small, Illinois
Big Ten medalist: Eric Chun, Northwestern

All-Big Ten First team:
Jorge Campillo, Indiana
Chris DeForest, Illinois*
Kevin Foley, Penn State*
Bo Hoag, Ohio State*
Scott Langley, Illinois*
Alex Martin, Indiana*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Illinois
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Indiana
5. Minnesota
6. Ohio State
7. Northwestern
8. Purdue
9. Michigan State
10. Penn State
11. Wisconsin


WOMEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Purdue
Predicted player of the year: Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Purdue
Predicted freshman of the year: Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, Purdue
NCAA Regional bound: Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa
Team on the rise: Ohio State--Transfer Allie White and freshman Rachel Rohanna come in just as the Buckeyes seem to be rebounding from a couple lean seasons.
Biggest question mark: Purdue--Had a lot of solid players behind Maria Hernandez, but are they ready to take over now that the four-year standout has graduated?
Wouldn't surprise me to see: The player-of-the-year race come down to the outcome of the Big Ten Championship.
Would shock me to see: Anyone not playing for Purdue or Michigan State to win the POY race.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Purdue
Player of the year: Maria Hernandez, Purdue
Freshman of the year: Vicky Villanueva, Ohio State
Coach of the year: Devon Brouse, Purdue
Big 12 medalist: Maria Hernandez, Purdue; Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Purdue

All-Big 12 First team:
Maria Hernandez, Purdue
Thea Hoffmeister, Purdue*
Junthima Gulyanamitta, Purdue*
Laura Kueny, Michigan State*
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Purdue*
In Hong Lim, Ohio State*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Purdue
2. Michigan State
3. Ohio State
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Indiana
7. Michigan
8. Wisconsin
9. Illinois
10. Penn State
11. Minnesota

Monday's conference preview: Pac-10

Big 12 Conference

MEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Oklahoma State
Predicted player of the year: Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State
Predicted freshman of the year: Cameron Peck, Texas A&M
NCAA Regional bound: Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma
Team on the rise: Texas--I just have a feeling that the Longhorns are done underachieving and are ready to make a statement.
Biggest question mark: Kansas State--Had a quietly solid season in 2008-09, but are Mitchell Gregson's shoulders broad enough to do it again?
Wouldn't surprise me to see: A freshman win conference player-of-the-year honors for a third straight season--besides Peck, Texas' Cody Gribble is a candidate too.
Would shock me to see: Fewer than three Cowboys win a tournament individually this season--they're that deep.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Oklahoma State
Player of the year: Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State
Freshman of the year: Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State
Coach of the year: Mike McGraw, Oklahoma State
Big 12 medalist: Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State

All-Big 12 First team:
Bronson Burgoon, Texas A&M
Nils Floren, Texas Tech*
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
Pat Grady, Colorado
Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State*
Trent Leon, Oklahoma State
Andrea Pavan, Texas A&M*
Derek Tolan, Colorado
Kevin Tway, Oklahoma State*
Trent Whitekiller, Oklahoma State*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Oklahoma State
2. Texas
3. Texas A&M
4. Texas Tech
5. Baylor
6. Missouri
7. Oklahoma
8. Kansas State
9. Colorado
10. Kansas
11. Nebraska
12. Iowa State


WOMEN
2009-10 outlook
Predicted champion: Texas A&M
Predicted player of the year: Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State
Predicted freshman of the year: Haley Stephens, Texas
NCAA Regional bound: Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Baylor
Team on the rise: Texas A&M--In her third year at College Station, Trelle McCombs is finding her way.
Biggest question mark: Oklahoma State--Lost a lot of experience with Pernilla Lindberg, Amanda Johnson and Karin Kinnerud graduating and Caroline Masson surprising everyone by deciding not to return this fall. Freshmen recruits will be hard pressed to pick up the slack.
Wouldn't surprise me to see: A player from a lower-profile school sneak off with POY honors. Missouri's Julia Potter and Baylor's Hannah Burke fit the bill.
Would shock me to see: Any conference school be a serious contender for the NCAA title. Just a lean year this year.

2008-09 Accolades
Team champions: Oklahoma State
Player of the year: Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State
Freshman of the year: Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State
Coach of the year: Sylvia Ferdon, Baylor
Big 12 medalist: Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M

All-Big 12 First team:
Hannah Burke, Baylor*
Emily Childs, Colorado
Kendall Dye, Oklahoma
Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M*
Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State*
Amanda Johnson, Oklahoma State
Pernilla Lindberg, Oklahoma State
Caroline Masson, Oklahoma State
Julia Potter, Missouri*
Nicole Vandermade, Texas*
Sarah Zwartynski, Texas A&M*
* returns in 2009-10

2009-10 predicted finish:
1. Texas A&M
2. Oklahoma State
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Missouri
6. Baylor
7. Kansas
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa State
10. Texas Tech
11. Colorado
12. Kansas State

Tomorrow's conference preview: Big Ten