The 15th-ranked Texas A&M men’s golf team will be part of the year’s toughest collegiate golf field this weekend when the Aggies tee it up at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters.
A&M joins a 15-team field that features 13 squads ranked among Golfweek’s top 50, including four of the top five, five of the top 10 and 11 of the top 25. All 15 teams are ranked inside the top 80. Rounds are scheduled for Friday through Sunday on the par-72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club.
“I think the name says it all for this tournament, the Collegiate Masters,” head coach J.T. Higgins said. “It brings the best teams and players to a great venue that we see every year. It is always set up the same, firm and fast with thick rough so we know what we're up against. Southern Highlands is always a challenge where the toughest survive and you have to be as strong mentally as you are physically able to execute. It is just a great event and we are always happy to be part of it.”
Top-25 teams competing this weekend in Vegas are No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 USC, No. 5 UCLA, No. 10 Cal, No. 11 and host UNLV, No. 12 Stanford, No. 15 A&M, No. 16 Duke, No. 24 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Florida. Rounding out the field are Arizona State, New Mexico State, TCU and Texas Tech.
The Aggies, who are coming off consecutive top-five finishes to open the spring, will feature the lineup of senior All-American Jordan Russell (72.0 stroke average), junior All-American Cameron Peck (71.7), redshirt freshman Greg Yates (70.4), true freshman Ty Dunlap (73.6) and redshirt sophomore Jade Scott (73.9). Senior Geoff Shaw (73.9) will compete as an individual.
This marks the seventh consecutive year that Texas A&M will participate in the tournament. The Aggies, who finished third in 2010, had their best showing ever last season—carding a 6-over 870 to finish second in yet another very strong field.
Live scoring throughout the weekend can be found on golfstat.com and aggieathletics.com. Fans can also follow the action with updates via twitter at @AggieMensGolf and @SHCollegiate.
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE MASTERS BREAKDOWN
March 9-11, 2012
Southern Highlands Golf Club (par 72 / 7,510 yards)
Las Vegas, Nevada
Host: UNLV
The Field (15 teams): (#1) Texas, (#3) Alabama, (#4) USC, (#5) UCLA, (#10) California, (#11) UNLV, (#12) Stanford, (#15) Texas A&M, (#16) Duke, (#24) Oklahoma State, (#25) Florida, Arizona State, New Mexico State, TCU, Texas Tech.
Format: team stroke play, 54 holes
Defending Champions: Oklahoma State (863, -1); Morgan Hoffman, OSU (206, -10)
Round 1: Friday, 8 a.m. (PT) (holes 1 & 10)
Round 2: Saturday, 8 a.m. (PT) (holes 1 & 10)
Round 3: Sunday, 8 a.m. (PT) (holes 1 & 10)
A&M lineup: Jordan Russell (Sr., 72.0); Cameron Peck (Jr., 71.7); Greg Yates (RFr., 70.4); Ty Dunlap (Fr., 73.6) and Jade Scott (RSo., 73.9). Geoff Shaw (Sr., 73.9) will compete as an individual.
Live Scoring: Click Here (golfstat.com)
Updates: via twitter at @AggieMensGolf and @SHCollegiate
Preview Article: Golfweek.com
Up Next: March 16-17 at Morris Williams Intercollegiate, Austin, Texas
