Cal Poly First Big West Team To Host Tournament: A total of eight men's teams and 10 women's squads will compete in the second annual Firestone Grill College Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at the Monarch Dunes Golf Club in Nipomo, Calif. In addition to Cal Poly, other men's teams in the field this year are Big West foe Cal State Fullerton, North Dakota, San Diego State, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal Baptist, Holy Names and Cal State San Marcos. The women's field includes the Mustangs, North Dakota, Santa Clara, Southern Utah, Cal State Bakersfield, Utah Valley, Cal Baptist and Big West members Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside.
Teams will tee off with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Monday, with the second round to follow. The final round is scheduled for Tuesday with split tee times starting at 7:30 a.m. The par 71 course measures 6,810 yards for men and 5,847 yards for women.
Long Beach State, Cal State Northridge Join The Hosting Ranks: The annual Del Walker Invitational, hosted by the Long Beach State men's program, is slated for Oct. 16-17 at the Virginia Country Club. Comprising the 14-team field are host Long Beach State, Arizona, Colorado State, Cal State Northridge, Houston, UC Irvine, Loyola Marymount, North Texas, Pacific, San Jose State, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UT-San Antonio and Weber State. Thursday will be 36 holes followed by 18 on Friday with tee times starting at 7:00 a.m. on both days.
The Cal State Northridge men's team is gearing up for the Bill Cullum Invitational, which is slated for Oct. 26-27 at the Wood Ranch Golf Course in Simi Valley, Calif. Other Big West teams joining the Matadors are Cal State Fullerton, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific.
Final Four Teams Begin Season This Month: After one month of competition, four men's teams have yet to step foot on the links with their clubs in hand. That all changes in the first few weeks of October. In its first season since being reinstated last year, Cal State Fullerton opens the year at the Firestone Grill Intercollegiate Oct. 5-6. Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara also play their first few rounds of golf the same weekend as the Titans, but instead of playing near the beach the 49ers and Gauchos head to the desert for the Desert Intercollegiate Invitational. The Pacific Tigers have the honors of being the last team to take to the course as they travel to Arkon, Ohio, Oct. 12-13 to participate in the Firestone Invitational.
UC Irvine Women Open 2009-10 Season With A School Record: UC Irvine finished sixth in the Golfweek Conference Challenge at the Primm Valley Golf Course with a 54-hole total of 890 (307-297-286). The Anteaters shot a 286 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, which ties the lowest round in the UCI record books, matching last year's team that carded the same score at the New Mexico State Invitational (10/15/08). At the same event, sophomore Joy Trotter shot a career-low 68 in the final round of competition to place second, also a career best.
Aggies' Austin Graham Unstoppable In First Event Of The Year: UC Davis junior Austin Graham tied the Palouse Ridge Golf Club course record with a seven-under 65 on Tuesday (9/15) on his way to third place, helping the Aggies men's golf team rally into third in the final team standings at the Palouse Collegiate hosted by Washington State.
Career Best Performances By Medina (CSUN) And Guidry (UCR): Junior Maurissa Medina finished a career-best ninth at the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational at Hangman Valley Golf Course. After blasting a three-round total of 227 (78-74-75), she placed in the Top 20 for the first time in her collegiate career. Medina redshirted the 2006-07 season and did not post a top-20 finish during the 2007-08 or 2008-09 seasons when she competed in eight tournaments for the Matadors.The Cal State Northridge women's golf team went on to finish fourth at the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational with a three-round score of 921 (313-301-307).
Also competing at the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational was UC Riverside, who finished fifth with a 932 total. The Highlanders were led by Natalie Guidry, who finished 25th with a three-round 233 (79-83-71). Her one-under-par 71 on the final round of play was a career-low, as well as the second-lowest of the day and fourth lowest for the tournament.
UC Davis Sweeps September Golfer Of The Month: UC Davis opened the 2009-10 season collecting both the men's and women's Big West Golfer of the Month honors. Austin Graham was recognized on the men's side and Alice Kim received the women's accolade.
Graham began the Fall season with an impressive showing at the Palouse Collegiate, where he placed third after firing a three-round total of 211 (73-73-65). His final round of seven-under-par 65 tied a course record. The following week, the junior from San Clemente, Calif., grabbed his second third place finish after totaling 208 at the Spartan Classic. He opened the 13-team tournament with rounds of 68 and 69 on Saturday and shot even-par 71 on Sunday. Graham was the Aggies top placer at both the Palouse Collegiate and the Spartan Classic.
Kim concluded the month of September as UC Davis' top finisher with two Top 20 finishes. She tied for 15th at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational after posting a three-day score of 220 (73-72-75) and finished second at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, shooting even-par 216 (71-74-71). At the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, Kim led after the first day and also notched the tournament's low round in the third round.