The Loop
This week's syllabus: Oct. 24-30
__THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now
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With Rickie Fowler back after shooting the low score at the World Amateur Team Championship in Australia, the Cowboys seem to be in position to do something they have never done: win the title at Isleworth. In the first four editions of the event, OSU has been second twice and fourth twice.
Next event: Isleworth-UCF Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 26-28
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Conversely, the Bulldogs have won outside of Orlando three of the four times the event has been play ... and by an average score of nearly 13 strokes. With the Brickyard victory helping to build momentum, UGa looks ready to make it four of five.
Next event: Isleworth-UCF Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 26-28
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It's time to see what the Fighting Illini is really all about when they compete at Isleworth. A good finish will validate the three victories this fall. A so-so finish and teams (including the one in Urbana-Champaign) will spend the winter break wondering just how good Illinois really is.
Next event: Isleworth-UCF Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla., Oct. 26-28
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Having only played one event thus far in 2008-09, it's hard to figure out just how good the Trojans are ... or might be. In that sense, how things play out in Isleworth might be more intriguing for these California boys than any other team set to tee it up next week.
Next event: Isleworth-UCF Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windemere, Fla., Oct. 26-28
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The Rams made it four wins in five starts when they closed out their fall season with a one-stroke victory at the Sycuan Collegiate Invitational last Tuesday. While their strength of schedule isn't as strong as most nationally ranked teams, CSU has shot a combined 82 under par in its four victories (27 under at Gene Miranda; 13 over at Wyoming; 41 under at Del Walker; and 27 under at Sycuan. Bottom line: scores don't lie, and those red numbers are pretty impressive.
Next event: Concluded fall play
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WOMEN
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Another victory for the Bruins, this time at the Stanford Intercollegiate, makes them a perfect three-for-three this fall. Even better news for UCLA fans was that Ryann O'Toole, playing as an individual in Palo Alto, finished T-5. If you're sixth golfer is posting top-five finishes, you know you've got things rolling.
Next event: Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ginn Reunion Resort, Kissimmee, Fla., Nov. 2-4
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The Women of Troy have lost to just one other school--crosstown rival UCLA--all fall. The problem, of course, is that they've lost to them three times. Still, a 42-3 record for a team that lost two All-Americans from last year's starting line-up bodes well in their quest to repeat as NCAA champions.
Next event: Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ginn Reunion Resort, Kissimmee, Fla., Nov. 2-4
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With junior Anna Nordqvist set to compete at the final stage of LPGA Q School in December, the question looms whether this the Derby will be the Swede's last tournament as a Sun Devil?
Next event: The Derby Invitational, Auburn University Club, Auburn, Ala., Oct. 24-26
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Never mind just why Laura Matthews so unexpectedly resigned as coach last week. The real question for the Cowgirls is how they'll respond to the abrupt change at the top. A fourth-place showing last weekend at Stanford suggests they have the ability to overcome the off-course drama with their on-course talent.
Next event: Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, Boulder Creek GC, Boulder Creek, Nev., Oct. 27-29
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With their second straight win, a 17-stroke victory on their home course at the Lady Northern, the Boilermakers not only reasserted themselves as the team to beat in the Big Ten but suggested they continue to belong among the elite nationally as well.
Next event: Concluded fall play
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STAT OF THE WEEK
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The score, in relation to par, that Wichita State junior Dustin Garza has shot in his five fall tournaments for the Shockers after winning this week's Sycuan Collegiate Invitational with a 16-under 200 at Willow Glen GC in El Cajon, Calif. Garza won four of his five starts and finished the fall with a 68.53 stroke average. Garza shot a then career best 66 at the VCU Shootout earlier this month, then shot a 65 in his next start, the Wolf Pack Classic, only to shoot a 61 this week at the Sycuan Collegiate. There's still obviously a half a year left before All-American awards are handed out ... here's hoping (again) that a guy at a lower-profile school doesn't get looked over.
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR__
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TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
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(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
The Ridges G&CC, Jonesborough, Tenn.
Oct. 24-26
Host: East Tennessee State
Field: UAB, Auburn, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Kent State, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Virginia Tech and Tennessee (12-under 852); Tennessee's Chris Paisley (10-under 206) by two strokes over Kent State's John Hahn and Maryland's Chris Gold
Skinny: Six players in the field have already shared or won individual titles outright this fall: UAB's Zack Suchar (Shoal Creek), East Tennessee State's Rhys Enoch (Shoal Creek), N.C. State's Matt Hill (Hartford Hawks), Ohio State's Vaughn Snyder (Memphis Invitational), Tennessee's Robin Wingardh (Ping/Golfweek Preview), Wake Forest's Brendan Gielow (VCU Shootout).
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CC of Landfall (Nicklaus course), Wilmington, N.C.
Oct. 24-26
Host: UNC Wilmington
Field: Davidson, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Iowa, UNC Wilmington, Tulsa, VCU, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky, William & Mary, Wisconsin, Xavier
Defending champion: Virginia Tech and Tulsa (eight-over 872), Hokies winning tiebreaker of non-counting, final-day scores; Tulsa's Nicolas Geyger (nine-under 207) by five strokes over Ohio State's Kyle Coconis
Skinny: Geyger, a senior, is looking to three-peat as medalist after also claiming a share of the individual title in 2006.
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla.
Oct. 26-28
Host: UCF
Field: Alabama, Arizona, Charlotte, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UCF, UCLA, USC
Defending champion: Georgia (23-under 841) by 21 strokes over Clemson; Georgia's Harris English (11-under 205) by three strokes over USC's Jamie Lovemark
Skinny: With perhaps the exception of the Ping/Golfweek Preview, no fall tournament has a deep field; eight of the top nine teams in the most recent Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll will be competing, and 13 of the top 25.
Baylor Intercollegiate
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Royal Oaks CC, Dallas (Par 71, 7,068 yards)
Oct. 27-28
Host: Baylor
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, BYU, Charleston, Houston, Kansas, Lamar, New Mexico, Oklahoma, SMU, St. Mary's (Texas), Texas A&M
Skinny: The tournament returns after a two-year hiatus, moving from Waco where the host Bears last one the event in 2005, to much-lauded Royal Oaks in Dallas.
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Forest Oaks CC, Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 27-28
Host: UNC Greensboro
Field: Duke, Eastern Michigan, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, UNC Greensboro, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, South Alabama, Toledo,
Defending champion: Louisville (four-under 860) by three strokes over Mississippi State; Louisville's Derek Fathauer (10-under 206) by five strokes over Kent State's Brett Cairns
Skinny: Forest Oaks was the site of the PGA Tour's stop in Greensboro from 1977 to 2007.
ODU/Seascape Invitational
Seascape GL, Kitty Hawk, N.C.
Oct. 27-28
Host: Old Dominion
Field: Binghampton, Campbell, Drexel, Elon, George Mason, George Washington, James Madison, Liberty, ODU, Radford, USC-Upstate, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's , Temple, Towson.
Defending champion: Hartford (nine-over 569) by three strokes over Campbell; Richmond's Jordan Utley (three-under 137) by one stroke over three strokes over Hartford's A.J. Oleksak, Wofford's Garrett Medeiros and Elon's Jimmy Lytle
Skinny: Tournament is celebrating its 29th playing.
Sam H. Hall Intercollegiate
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Canabrake CC, Hattiesburg, Miss. (Par 72, 6,902 yards)
Oct. 27-28
Host: Southern Mississippi
Field: Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Illinois State, Jacksonville, Jacksonville State, Longwood, Middle Tennessee State, Murray State, New Orleans, Rhode Island, Southern Mississippi, St. John's, Texas-Pan American, Troy, Winthrop
Defending champion: UAB (six-over 858) by one stroke over Southern Mississippi; ULM's David McKendrick (10-under 203) by two strokes over New Orleans' Jose Toledo
Skinny: The event is named after a former Southern Mississippi player and two-time coach with the Eagles, who won more than 300 tournaments as an amateur in the Gulf States area.
Roadrunner Invitational at Comanche Trace
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Comanche Trace, Kerrville, Texas
Oct. 27-28
Host: UT-San Antonio
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Boston College, Central Arkansas, DePaul, Florida Gulf Coast, Louisiana Lafayette, McNeese State, Sam Houston State, South Florida, Southeast Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, UTSA
Defending champion: St. John's (20-under 844) by three strokes over SMU; Western Kentucky's Brent Long (16-under 200) by one stroke over St. John's Mike Ballo Jr.
Skinny: Course hosts the event for a third year and will also host the men's Southland Conference Championship next spring.
Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
New Mexico State GC, Las Cruces, N.M. (Par 72, 7,074 yards)
Oct. 27-28
Host: New Mexico State
Field: Air Force, Akron, Ball State, Cal Poly, Colorado, Denver, Idaho, Iowa State, Kansas State, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, UTEP, Utah, Washington State, Weber State
Defending champion: Texas Tech (21-under 831) by four strokes over UT-Arlington; Texas Tech's Sergio Franky (11-under 202) by two strokes over Kansas State's Joe Ida
Skinny: Host Aggies are riding high after winning the Wolf Pack Classic in their last start.
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WOMEN
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Auburn University Club, Auburn, Ala.
Oct. 24-26
Host: Auburn
Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Furman, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tulane, UCF, Virginia
Skinny: Event, named in honor of former Auburn standout Virginia Derby Grimes, returns after a one-year hiatus. No non-SEC school has claimed the team title in 11 playings.
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
CC of Landfall (Nicklaus course), Wilmington, N.C.
Oct. 24-26
Host: UNC Wilmington
Field: East Carolina, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, N.C. State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tulsa, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Wake Forest (14-over 878) by nine strokes over Purdue; Wake Forest's Nannette Hill (one-over 217) by one stroke over Michigan State's Laura Kueny
Skinny: The tournament, entering its seventh year, is considered by many the best of all the events that feature concurrent men's and women's competitions.
Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown
(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)
Boulder Creek GC, Boulder Creek, Nev. (Par 72, 6,265 yards)
Oct. 27-29
Host: UNLV
Field: BYU, Colorado State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa State, Long Beach State, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, UC Davis, UNLV, Washington
Defending champion: Denver (six-under 858) by 11 strokes over Arizona; Denver's Katie Kempter (eight-under 208) by three strokes over Arizona's Alison Walshe and Denver's Chelsea Benton
Skinny: Diverse mix of schools from around the country will make for an interesting tournament.
Kent Youel Invitational
Kapolei GC, Honolulu (Par 72, 6,140 yards)
Oct. 28-29
Host: Hawaii
Field: Cal Poly, CSU-Northridge, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Southern Illinois, Stanford, UC Irvine, UC Riverside
Defending champion: UCLA (17-over 881) by four strokes over USC; UCLA's Maria Jose Uribe and Tiffany Joh (one-over 217)
Skinny: Our guess for team most excited about playing in Hawaii: Southern Illinois. Projected high on Oct. 28 in Hawaii is 84 degrees. Back on campus it's supposed to be 62.