Eight men's teams and six women's teams are headed to the central coast for the 2009 Big West Conference Golf Championship on April 20-21.
After five consecutive years at Tijeras Creek, the San Luis Obispo Country Club holds the honor of hosting the championship for the first time. The 54-hole tournament includes 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday with tee times beginning at 7:10 a.m. each day. The men's course is a par-72, 6,769 yard layout while the women's course measures 6,168 yards. Admission to the event is free and live scoring for the championship will be provided at www.golfstat.com.
The UC Irvine Anteaters have dominated the championship over the past few years with the women's team claiming two straight titles before joining forces with the men's team to sweep the 2007 and 2008 championships. UC Irvine women enter the tournament as four-time defending champions, while the men are two-time defending champions.
Competing men's teams include Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific. Participating women's teams include Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Riverside. Looking for their fifth consecutive title, the UC Irvine women received the top seed and the men, going for three-in-a-row, are seeded second. UC Davis secured the number one seed on the men's side.
The Aggie men hold the highest ranking in the current Golfweek/Sagarin ratings among Big West teams at No. 33 and are followed by UC Irvine at No. 52. UC Davis finished in the top three seven times this year, including two tournament crowns. The most recent victory was April 6-7 at the Cowboy Classic.
The Anteater women has been consistent throughout the year, claiming three tournament titles and finishing no lower than fifth. UC Irvine's performance is reflected in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings as it sits 28th to lead the conference. Headlining the squad is Jane Chin with an impressive seventh-place individual ranking. Long Beach State checks in at No. 48 and UC Davis follows close behind at No. 55.
Men's Seeds
1. UC Davis
2. UC Irvine
3. Pacific
4. Cal State Northridge
5. UC Santa Barbara
6. Long Beach State
7. Cal Poly
8. UC Riverside
Women's Seeds
1. UC Irvine
2. Long Beach State
3. UC Davis
4. UC Riverside
5. Cal Poly
6. Cal State Northridge