LAS VEGAS--The No. 8-ranked Texas A&M men's golf team faces its toughest test of the spring season when the Aggies compete in the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters this weeekend.

Rounds are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the par-72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club. Action will get underway at 8 a.m. (PT) with tee times off the Nos. 1 and 10 holes.

A&M is one of five top-10 squads playing in the event, which year in and year out is one of the country's most competitive prior to postseason play.

"The Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters is the best tournament of the spring," head coach J.T. Higgins said. "It has the best teams and Southern Highlands is an incredible test of golf. We love playing in this event because the course is always set up tough with thick rough, fast greens and difficult pin locations which usually rewards a team with great patience. This has been a strong trait of this team the last few years and we are hopeful that continues this week."

The field includes 10 teams ranked in the latest GolfWorld/Nike Golf coaches' poll. Competing this weekend in Vegas are No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 6 Texas, No. 8 A&M, No. 14 Georgia, No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 21 California, No. 22 Duke, No. 24 USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, TCU and host UNLV.

"This will be our first chance to compete against some of these teams this spring and I know the boys are looking forward to going up against such a strong field," Higgins said.

The Aggies are coming off a victory two weeks ago at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate and have finished fourth or better in every tournament this year. A&M will field its same squad that won the tourney in Palm Springs, which includes seniors Nacho Elvira (72.0 average), John Hurley (72.5) and Conrad Shindler (72.3), junior Jordan Russell (71.4) and sophomore Cameron Peck (72.5). Sophomore Case Cochran (73.4) will compete as an individual.

Russell leads the team with four top-5 finishes this spring and Elvira has not placed out of the top 20 all season. Shindler is one of the hottest golfers in the country, placing second, fourth and third in his last three events.

Live scoring of the event will be available on golfstat.com.

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE MASTERS BREAKDOWN
March 11-13 - Southern Highlands Golf Club (par 72/7,510 yards) - Las Vegas, Nevada

The Field (15 teams): No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 6 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 14 Georgia, No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 21 California, No. 22 Duke, No. 24 USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, TCU, UNLV
Format: team stroke play, 54 holes
Round 1: Friday, 10 a.m. CT
Round 2: Saturday, 10 a.m. CT
Round 3: Sunday, 10 a.m. CT
Host Institution: UNLV
Defending Champions: UNLV (899, +35) and UCLA (899, +35); Jesper Kennegard, Arizona State (219, +3)
A&M Lineup: John Hurley (Sr., 72.5 average); Cameron Peck (So., 72.5); Jordan Russell (Jr., 71.4); Nacho Elvira (Sr., 72.0); Conrad Shindler (Sr., 72.3). Case Cochran (So., 73.4) will compete as an individual.
Live Scoring: golfstat.com
Updates: via twitter at @aggie_m_golf
Up Next: March 20-22 at Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ball Ground, Georgia