Virginia Men's Golf Team Receives NCAA Bid
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Charlottesville, VA For the second straight year the Virginia men’s golf team has received a bid to the NCAA Championships. The Cavaliers will compete as the number nine seed among 14 teams at the Regional Championship site at Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway, N.J. All six regionals take place May 14-16.
The NCAA is using a new format this year that features six regional sites. Three sites have 13 teams and three have 14 squads. The top five teams, and one individual from a non-qualifying team, will advance to the NCAA Championships scheduled for May 26-30 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. In the past the NCAA used three regional sites to provide the field for the NCAA Championships with 10 teams qualifying from each field.
The Cavaliers enter postseason play ranked No. 51 by Golfstat and No. 52 by Golfweek. The Cavaliers are one of eight ACC teams to receive a bid to the NCAAs.
“From the look of things, this is a very tough regional,” said coach Bowen Sargent. “For us to be a number-nine seed shows the overall strength of the regional. I have heard Galloway National can be a very difficult course. There are a lot of undulating greens, fast greens and chipping and putting will be at a premium. Our guys are excited because they want to establish themselves as a team that can compete for a spot at the NCAA Championships every year. We didn’t finish the season as well as we played earlier in the year, so they are anxious to get out there and prove themselves.”
The regional berth marks the 13th time since 1990 the Cavaliers have advanced to postseason play. Virginia is looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for the 12th time in its history. Last year the Cavaliers placed 10th at the NCAA East Regional and went on to a 26th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
The field for the New Jersey Regional includes (listed by seed): Clemson, Alabama, Illinois, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Colorado State, Kent State, Coastal Carolina, Virginia, Penn State, Minnesota, VCU, Columbia and Sacred Heart.
Other 2009 NCAA Regional Sites
University of Texas Golf Club
Austin, Texas
Host: University of Texas
Field (listed by seed): Stanford, Florida, Texas Tech, Texas, UNLV, California, Lamar, Michigan, Texas-Arlington, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, New Mexico State and Jacksonville State
Lake Merced Golf Club
Daly City, Calif.
Host: University of San Francisco
Field (listed by seed): USC, Texas A&M, Arizona State, San Diego State, UC Davis, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, UC Irvine, Kansas State, Oregon State, San Diego and San Francisco
Red Tail Golf Club
Sorrento, Fla.
State: Florida
Host: University of Central Florida and the Central Florida Sports Commission
Field (listed by seed): Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, Central Florida, Florida State, Arizona, Augusta State, Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Iowa, Charlotte, Campbell and Loyola-Maryland
The Club at Olde Stone
Bowling Green, Ky.
Host: Western Kentucky University
Field (listed by seed): Washington, Georgia Tech, NC State, UCLA, Mississippi, East Tennessee State, Duke, Louisville, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State, Austin Peay, Cleveland State and Bucknell
Karsten Creek Golf Club
Stillwater, Ok.
Host: Oklahoma State University
Field (listed by seed): Oklahoma State, Arkansas, TCU, LSU, Chattanooga, Pepperdine, Michigan State, Baylor, Northwestern, Tulsa, Denver, Wichita State and Oral Roberts