News
This Week's Syllabus: Oct. 21-27
__FAB FIVE
MEN
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1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
The Cowboys certainly have the depth to overcome Peter Uihlein's absence from at Isleworth, as their No. 1 player competes for U.S. at the World Amateur Team Championship in Argentina. It will be curious, however, to see how the bottom part of the lineup does when it's leaned on a little more heavily than in previous starts this fall.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 23-26
2. Florida (2)
Finish at the Jerry Pate Invitational, where they had the lead but finished second to Auburn, will serve as good motivation for the Gators at Isleworth. Missing Colombia's Andres Echevarria, who will also be in Argentina playing at the World Amateur, could be an issue but if__Tyler McCumber__ continues to be the pleasant surprise he has been this fall, Florida should contend again.
Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 23-26
3. Auburn (3)
A 71.58 adjusted scoring average for the Tigers shows that the team knows how to go low. Bridgestone event will be interesting test as Auburn will be the clear favorite; how will the team handle being the hunted rather than the hunters?
Next event: UNGC Bridgestone Collegiate, Forest Oaks CC, Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 23-24
4. California (NR)
Back to back wins at the Prestige and the Alister MacKenzie have coach Steve Desimone thinking this might be a special year for the Golden Bears. While having plenty of talent coming back, seeing freshman Ben An step up the way he has, with two top-three finishes, has to make the folks in Berkeley pretty pleased.
Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., Oct. 23-26
5. Iowa (4)
Georgia, LSU and Illinois are all eyeing this final spot, but I keep it for the Hawkeyes for at least one more week. Three wins is three wins, regardless of some folks questioning the strength of schedule. That said, the team needs to keep producing.
Next event: Baylor Intercollegiate, Royal Oaks CC, Dallas, Nov. 1-2
__WOMEN
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1. Alabama (1)
Not hard to see why the Crimson Tide have two victories when you notice that Camilla Lennarth and Brooke Pancake are ranked No. 3 and 5, respectively, in the Golfstat Cup ranking. Oh, and Jennifer Kirby is No. 27.
Next event: Pac-10/SEC Challenge, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Nov. 5-7
2. LSU (2)
The Tigers are enjoying a little break this weekend with a couple days off for school. The down time will allow senior Megan McChrystal to shake a mild cold, which is the first "double bogey" she has carded all season.
Next event: Pac-10/SEC Challenge, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Nov. 5-7
3. Purdue (3)
Laura Gonzalez-Escallon's fellow Boilermakers are watching the Belgium native from afar as the sophomore compete in this week's Women's World Team Amateur Championship. Otherwise, all is quiet in West Lafayette as dreams of an NCAA repeat will drive the squad through the winter break.
Next event: Fall season over
4. USC (4)
Give credit to Lisa McCloskey, who hasn't be the least bit distracted by trying to adjust to a new school after transferring from Pepperdine. The junior had a standout summer and has only continued the strong play into the fall.
Next event: Pac-10/SEC Challenge, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Nov. 5-7
5. California (5)
Pia Halbig and Emily Childs are tied for first in the nation in par-3 scoring (2.75) while the Golden Bears as team are ranked No. 1 as well as being tied for ninth in par-4 scoring.
Next event: Pac-10/SEC Challenge, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Nov. 5-7
__STAT OF THE WEEK
1986
__Last time the Oklahoma women finished in the top two in three consecutive tournament. The Sooners were runners-up at the Suzie Maxwell Berning in September, followed by a T-2 showing at Johnnie Imes Invitational, before winning last week's Dale McNamara Invitational.
"I'm proud of the girls," said OU coach Veronique Drouin, in her second year running the program. "We've been working hard all season and to have this payoff is a great way to end our fall season.
__RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
__Which school right now would be the favorite if the powers that be in college golf hosted a mixed-team tournament using the starting line-ups from both the men's and women's programs? California? Alabama? LSU?
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR__
Suffice it to say, participating schools should find the Lakeside Course playing firmer and faster than it did in the spring. As was the case previously, caddies are being provided for all the players with leader boards situated around the course. Meanwhile, the club's practice facility has been expanded, with 45 yards added in length as we'll as double to teeing area. And this year also features another interesting addition to the course: corportate skyboxes around the 18th green.
__TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
Men
UNCG Bridgestone Golf Collegiate
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Oaks CC, Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 23-24
Host: UNC Greensboro
Field: Auburn, Charlotte, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Toledo, UNC Greensboro, VCU, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Georgia Tech (21-under 843) by seven strokes over Virginia; Virginia's Amory Davis (11-under 205) by one stroke over North Carolina's Jack Fields and Michigan State's Jack Newman
Skinny: Aside from Forest Oaks being a former PGA Tour venue, the course will also be hosting an NCAA Regional in 2012.
__
St. Mary's Invitational
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Bayonet and Blackhorse Course, Seaside, Calif.
Oct. 24-25
Host: St. Mary's (Calif.)
Field: Cal Poly, Florida Gulf Coast, Loyola (Md.), Loyola Marymount, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), Nevada, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Pacific, San Francisco, Santa Clara, St. Mary's (Calif.), UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara
__Defending champion:__Nevada (five-over 869) by four strokes over Oregon State; San Francisco's Domingo Jojola (seven-under 209) by three strokes over Oregon State's Diego Velasquez
__Skinny:__Diverse group of schools coming to Northern California to play two of the most underrated courses in the Monterey area.
__U.S. Collegiate Championship
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga.
Oct. 24-26
Host: Georgia Tech
Field: California, Clemson, Duke, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kent State, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington
Defending champion (April 2009): Clemson (12-over 876) by two strokes over Stanford; Alabama's Bud Cauley and UCLA's Erik Flores (four-under 212)
Skinny: For the school that claims the title, it will be a great way to head into the winter break.
__Isleworth Collegiate Invitational
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla.
Oct. 24-26
Host: Texas Tech
Field: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech, UCF, Vanderbilt
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (17-over 881) by five strokes over Florida; Alabama's Bud Cauley (five-under 211) by one stroke over Stanford's Sihwan Kim
Skinny: How strong is the field at Isleworth? Consider that the five previous medalists (Pablo Martin, Chris Kirk, Brian Harmon, Russell Henley and Bud Cauley) have all claimed either first or second team All-American honors that same season.
__
Old Dominion/OBX Collegiate
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Kilmarlic GC, Powell's Point, N.C.
Oct. 24-26
Host: Old Dominion
Field: Delaware, Drexel, East Carolina, Elon, Furman, George Mason, Hartford, James Madison, Liberty, Longwood, Louisville, Old Dominion, Radford, Richmond, St. Joseph's, Towson, William & Mary, Winthrop
Defending champion: Old Dominion (24-over 584) by four strokes over George Washington; ODU's Eric Onesi (four-under 136) by two strokes over Hartford's Nick MacDonald
Skinny: ODU's fall tournament moves from Seascape GC in Kitty Hawk, N.C., to new venue near Carolina's Outer Banks.
__Kauai Collegiate Invitational
__Puakea, GC, Lihue, Hawaii
Oct. 24-26
Host: Hawaii
Field: British Columbia, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Pacific, Northern Colorado, Osaka Gakuin, San Diego, Seattle, UT-San Antonio
Defending champion: San Diego (35-under 829) by 30 strokes over James Madison; San Diego's Joseph Harrison (11-under 205) by one stroke over San Diego's Alex Ching
Skinny: Hard to see anyone but the Toreros claiming the team title again. Same on the individual side, where my guess is Ching does one better than his runner-up showing last fall.
__Memphis Intercollegiate
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Colonial CC, Memphis, Tenn.
Oct. 25-26
Host: Memphis
Field: Arkansas State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Army, Akron, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Marshall, Memphis, Mercer, Missouri, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Tulsa, Wisconsin
Defending champion: South Alabama (18-over 882) by five strokes over UALR; South Alabama's Marc-Etinene Bussieres (nine-under 207) by 10 strokes over Denver's Espen Kofstad
__Skinny:__Can anyone match the 59 that Al Geiberger shot at Colonial during the PGA Tour's Danny Thomas Memphis Classic in 1977?
__Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate
__New Mexico State University GC, Las Cruces, N.M.
Oct. 25-26
Host: New Mexico State
Field: Air Force, Boise State, Idaho, Illinois State, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Texas State, UNLV, Utah, UTEP, Washington State, Weber State, Western New Mexico, Wichita State
Defending champion: UNLV (23-under 829) by eight strokes over Washington State; UNLV's Derek Ernst and New Mexico State's Timothy Madigan (nine-under 204)
Skinny: Host New Mexico State has won the event 15 times since its inception in 1966. Both Ernst and Madigan have a chance to become only the second players to win medalist honors more than once. New Mexico State's Ben Kern won in 1968 and 1969.
__WOMEN
The Landfall Tradition__
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CC of Landfall, Wilmington, N.C.
Oct. 22-24
Host: UNC Wilmington
Field: Chattanooga, Duke, Florida State, Michigan State, North Carolina, N.C. State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion (2008): 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: Event resumes after a year hiatus to host the NCAA Fall Preview in 2009.
__Memphis Women's Invitational
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Ridgeway CC, Germantown, Tenn.
Oct. 25-26
Host: Memphis
Field: Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Belmont, Boise State, Butler, Cincinnati, Evansville, Illinois, Indiana State, IPFW, Marshall, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri State, Samford, Southern Mississippi, UAB
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: The Tigers' inaugural home event is the second to last on their fall schedule.
__Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown
__ (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Boulder Creek GC, Boulder City, Nev.
Oct. 25-27
Host: UNLV
Field: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado State, East Carolina, Idaho, Kent State, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, San Diego State, San Jose State, UC Irvine, UNLV, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion: Arizona (14-over 878) by five strokes over Florida; Arizona's Sherlyn Popelka (seven-under 209) by two strokes over Sara-Maude Juneau
Skinny: Five schools--Arkansas, Kent State, Louisville, San Diego State and host UNLV--will be without golfers usually in the starting lineup because of their participation at this week's Women's World Amateur Team Championship.