PROVO -- The fourth-ranked BYU men's golf team looks to improve on an already stellar season as they play host to the 44th-annual PING Cougar Classic at the Riverside Country Club April 14-15.
Coming off a disappointing showing on Monday and Tuesday at the U.S. Intercollegiate Championship, the Cougars are eager to show why they are one of the top ranked teams in the country.
"We are ready to get back on track," said BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank. "Playing at home may be just what the doctor ordered for us."
The Cougars will host a field of 16 teams, including every Division I golf program in the state of Utah and No. 7 UNLV and No. 28 UNC Charlotte in their lone home tournament of the season. This will also be the last home tournament for two-time All-American Oscar Alvarez.
"If people want a reason to come see the tournament, Oscar is the answer," Brockbank said. "He's a pretty good player to watch."
Alvarez is coming off his second career tournament victory. He won the Morris Williams Collegiate earlier this month, leading the Cougars to a third place finish as a team.
With two top ten golf teams going head-to-head, it should be a battle worth watching. The tournament is free and open to the public.
"We'd love to have our fans come out and support us," Brockbank said. "It should help us make a few more birdies."
Despite finishing in second and fifth during the last three years, the Cougars have had tremendous success at the Classic. They have earned 31 tournament championships in the last 44 years. Their last tournament championship came in 2002 when they shared the title with Colorado State and Nevada and the last outright victory came in 2000. Former BYU All-American Andy Miller was the last Cougar to win the individual crown at the Classic, shooting a record 54-hole low 201 and tying the record for the lowest round (63).
"There will be a lot of great young golfers competing out at Riverside," BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said. "It should be a lot of fun to watch and would be an important victory for us if we can play well."
In last year's tournament, BYU finished in second place at 36-under-par 828, just eight strokes behind tournament champion Fresno State.
This year's 16 team field includes: BYU (4), UNLV (7), UNC Charlotte (28), Colorado State (77), Fresno State (74), Nevada (78), Hawaii (104), Utah (127), Southern Utah (121), UTEP (147), Weber State (101), Boise State (79), Wyoming (115), Air Force (188), Utah State and Utah Valley State. (Rankings based on golfstat head-to-head rankings)
2006 PING Cougar Classic QUICK FACTS
DATE: April 14-15 (Friday & Saturday)
ROUNDS: Three-rounds (54 holes); 36 holes on Friday (tee times on
the 1st and 10th tees beginning at 8 a.m.), 18 holes on Saturday with
tee times beginning at 8 a.m.
FRIDAY TEE TIMES: First round will be a shotgun start begining arond
9:00 a.m (weather permitting).
SATURDAY TEE TIMES: Third round starts at 8:30-10:18 a.m. on 1st and
10th tees. In case of bad weather, the tournament will change to a
shotgun start at approximately 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
(weather permitting)
COURSE: Riverside Country Club
PAR: 72
YARDAGE: 6,950
2005 TEAM CHAMPION:
Fresno State 272-271-277--820 (-44)
2005 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION:
Mark Mogdlin, Fresno St., 66-64-72--202 (-14)
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: Best four of five scores counted on a daily basis.
In case of a first-place tie, the three round total of the fifth
score will be used to break the tie. A tie for the individual
championship will be broken by a sudden death playoff beginning on
hole no. 1.
Media Contact: Call Dave Broberg at the BYU Media Relations Office
(801) 422-4907, or email: david_broberg@byu.edu with any requests.
During the Tournament you can reach Dave on his cell phone at (801)
372-0704.