UCLA among elite teams to compete at Inverness event
6/10/2008The University of Toledo men's golf team has hosted top-flight college teams for years at its annual Inverness Intercollegiate.
The level of competition will go up another notch when the Rockets host the Ping/Golfweek Preview Invitational, a 54-hole event on Sept. 28-30. The field recently was announced for the tournament that serves as a preview for the 2009 NCAA championships, which will be held at the Inverness Club.
The 15 teams that Golfweek invited to play are a combination of the top 10 finishers at this year's NCAA championships and the top 11 in the final Golfweek rankings, with a few at-large choices. UCLA, the 2008 national champion, headlines the field.
"This is a great buildup to the NCAA championship and an exciting way to start the year for us," UT men's golf coach Jamie Mauntler said. "The Inverness Club and the university are so exciting about hosting the national championship."
As the host team UT will compete in the tourney. Other teams participating are Alabama, Arizona State, Charlotte, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Southern Cal, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Tennessee.
Florida State won the 2007 Inverness Intercollegiate. Kent State placed sixth in the 2008 NCAA championships, the best finish of any Mid-American Conference team in league history.
The 2009 championships will come to Toledo on May 27-30.
"This is probably our only opportunity to host a national championship and we're looking to put our best foot forward," Mauntler said.
Contact Maureen Fulton at: mfulton@theblade.com or 419-724-6160.
UT freshman Erica Rivard advanced to the second stage of qualifying for this year's United States Women's Open yesterday. The Tecumseh, Ont., native tied for sixth place with a nine-over par 81 at Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Mich.
Rivard will now compete in the sectional qualifier on Monday, June 9 at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Ill. The 63rd U.S. Women's Open Championship will be held at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn., on June 26-29.