Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Golfers Prepare For NCAA Central Regional
5/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 12, 2008
MILWAUKEE -- School is out for summer, but competition on the golf links continues for the NCAA Central Regional-bound Marquette Golden Eagles. Marquette will be one of 27 teams in Columbus, Ohio, May 15-17, vying for a spot to compete in the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship finals later this month. It is the first-ever NCAA postseason event for the men's golf team.
Each team has a scheduled practice round on Wednesday, May 14, allowing every participant an opportunity to play and to take notes on the par-71, 7,419-yard Scarlet Golf Course.
2008 NCAA Division I Central Regional
May 15-17, 2008
The Scarlet Golf Course
Columbus, Ohio
Par 71 / 7,419 Yards
Links:
Live Scoring(Golfstat.com)
Marquette Postseason Media Guide (PDF)
NCAA Golf Blog (courtesy of GoMarqutte.com)
Participating Teams (27): Alabama, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Florida, Tennessee, Lamar, Wake Forest, Indiana, Texas A&M, Louisville, Wichita State, Kent State, Penn State, Arkansas, Michigan, TCU, Texas-Arlington, Illinois, Ohio State (host), Baylor, Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Marquette, Eastern Michigan, Cleveland State, Loyola (Md.), Sacred Heart.
About the Course: The Scarlet course is rated as one of the top collegiate courses in the nation. It was designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie, who also designed Augusta National, and underwent a restoration project overseen by former OSU legend Jack Nicklaus. The par-71 course stretches as far as 7,455 yards (7,419 for the regional) and carries a rating of 76.1.
Last Time Out: Marquette won the BIG EAST Championship, April 20-22, defeating defending champ Louisville by two strokes. MU senior Ted Gray was the only player to shoot under par. His five-under 211 (68-68-75) took medalist honors. It was the first conference championship for the Golden Eagles and first-ever BIG EAST Championship for any MU team since the school joined the league in 2005.
About the Field: There are 10 teams at the NCAA Central Regional that have earned automatic berths granted by their respective conferences, and 17 at-large selections. Eight teams are ranked in the Top-25 nationally by Golfstat, led by No. 3 Alabama, and 16 teams are ranked in the Top-50. Six individuals have also been chosen by the NCAA golf committee to compete at each of the three regional tournaments.
Ins & Outs: Mike Van Sickle is the only Golden Eagle with NCAA tournament experience, having played as an individual at last year's Central Regional. Van Sickle has also played The Scarlet prior to this week -- he missed qualifying for the U.S. Open here in June 2007 when his 144 (71-73) missed a playoff by one stroke.
Leading Off: Marquette was chosen as the No. 23 seed in the NCAA Central Regional, the team's first-ever NCAA championship berth, by virtue of receiving the BIG EAST Conference's automatic bid. The Golden Eagles captured the BIG EAST title at Traditions Golf Club in Hebron, Ky., April 20-22.
Tee Times: Team practice rounds are slated for Wednesday, May 14. Marquette will tee off on hole 10 at 12:20 p.m. EST. Thursday's first round will tee off on holes one and 10 beginning at 7 a.m. Dustin Schwab will tee off first for Marquette at 7:47 a.m. and Mike Van Sickle will be the last Golden Eagle to tee off at 8:25 a.m. Marquette will be paired with Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Michigan in the first round and will start on hole one.
Historical Season for Marquette: In addition to making its first NCAA Championship appearance, MU has posted nine top-five finishes in 11 events, including a school record three victories and a pair of runner-up finishes in 2007-08. Collectively, MU owns a 291.22 season scoring average heading into the Central Regional, which is on pace to shatter the program's current mark of 293.03 set in 2005-06.
Eagles Golden for MU: Marquette leads the nation with 22 eagles this season. Freshman Kelly Kretz paces the squad and ranks second nationally among all NCAA Division I individuals with eight eagles. Mike Van Sickle ranks third nationally with seven eagles, while the junior's 153 birdies leads the country.
Seniors Marked By Experience: Mike Bielawski moved ahead of former teammate Nathan Colson earlier this season for most career rounds played. Going into the NCAA Championship, Bielawski has played in 46 collegiate events, including 132 rounds played. Fellow senior Ted Gray also passed Colson (122) and has now played 128 rounds for the Golden Eagles.
Active Players Among All-Time Scoring Leaders: Four of the top nine scoring averages all-time at MU belong to current Golden Eagles. Junior Mike Van Sickle ranks first with a 72.14 career average followed by senior Ted Gray (74.06). Fellow senior Mike Bielawski ranks fifth (75.09) and junior Dustin Schwab ranks ninth (76.04). Although freshman Kelly Kretz has not played the minimum 45 rounds to qualify, his current mark of 74.72 after 32 rounds would rank third.
Players Mentioned
