May 14, 2003
The Texas A&M men's golf team will challenge for its first NCAA Championships berth since 1997 at the NCAA Central Regional Thursday through Saturday at Colbert Hills Golf Course.
The top 10 teams and top two individuals not an advancing team from each of three regionals will advance to the NCAA Championships May 27-30 in Stillwater, Okla. The East Regional is being played in Auburn, Ala., and the West Regional is being played in Auburn, Wash. Each regional includes 27 teams and six individuals for a total of 423 players participating in regional competition.
The Central Regional will consist of 18 holes each day for a total of 54 holes. The top four individual scores from each team will count toward each day's team score. A&M will begin play at 7:12 a.m. on Thursday and 11:51 a.m. on Friday. Saturday's tee times will be based on team standings after the first two rounds.
In addition to A&M, the field includes No. 4-ranked Texas, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 19 North Carolina State, No. 20 Arkansas, No. 21 Illinois, No. 24 Oklahoma, Northwestern, SMU, Baylor, Tulsa, Kentucky, Lamar, Toledo, Michigan State, Wichita State, North Texas, Ohio State, Kent State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State and Wright State.
Colbert Hills Golf Course measures a whopping 7,525 yards and plays to a par of 72. The course was designed by Jeff Brauer and former PGA Tour standout Jim Colbert. The Aggies struggled to a ninth-place finish at the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate last fall at Colbert Hills, but Shaun Helmle -- A&M's lone senior -- had the best tournament of his career, finishing second with rounds of 74-71-77=222 in cold, windy conditions.
"We are excited to be heading back to regionals and that we are playing at Colbert Hills again," A&M coach J.T. Higgins said. "I think it is a big plus for us that we have already played the course as it is a very difficult test of golf. It's a long course and demands precision off the tee. Our players are hitting the ball very well right now. This tournament is pressure packed, but we have prepared for it all year and I think we are going to have a great week.""
Joining Helmle in the lineup will be juniors Stephen Reed, David Tasker and Parker Briley, and freshman Andrew Parr. Those five players have formed A&M's lineup in all seven spring tournaments.
After struggling in its first three tournaments, A&M closed its fall schedule with a second-place finish at the Adams Cup of Newport and an eighth-place showing at the Barona Collegiate Cup. The Aggies have been inconsistent in the spring, failing to finish in the top 10 in three tournaments, but finishing third at the Louisiana Classics and winning the Border Olympics.
A&M came from 16 shots down in the final round to win the Border Olympics, the largest single round comeback in school history. The Aggies went on to place fourth at the Big 12 Championships, its highest finish in the league's seven-year history. Overall, A&M has posted eight top-10 finishes and four top fives in 12 tournaments.
Reed earned a spot on the 2003 All-Big 12 team in a vote of the league's coaches and is the only player in the A&M lineup with regional experience, placing 12th as a freshman in 2001 in Stillwater, Okla. He has played in all 12 tournaments this season and has posted seven top-30 finishes, including three top-six performances.
Reed tied for second at the Louisiana Classics and the Border Olympics, where his 209 total was the lowest 54-hole score by an Aggie in five years. For the season, he ranks second on the team in scoring with a 73.64 average, but he leads the team in the spring with a 72.71 average in seven tournaments.
Tasker leads the Aggies in scoring with a 73.15 average and has posted six top-25 finishes and a three top 10s, including a tie for third at the Big 12 Championships. He won the long-drive contest at The Maxwell on May 9 in Ardmore, Okla., with a blast of 374 yards. Tasker has posted six rounds in the 60s this season and leads the team with 10 sub-par rounds.
Briley carded a six-under-par 64 in the second round of The Maxwell on May 10, tying the school record set by Steve Veriato at the 1971 Southwest Conference Championships. Briley unquestionably is playing the best golf of his career. He tied for 19th at the Big 12 Championships, the best finish of his career to that point, then followed with a tie for 10th at The Maxwell (74-64-73=211). Briley played in just one fall tournament but has been in the lineup for all seven spring events.
Parr arguably has been the team's most consistent player since early April. He has posted three top 25 finishes in his last four starts, including a tie for ninth at the Border Olympics (71-72-71=214) and a tie for 21st at The Maxwell (74-72-69=215).
"Parker Briley is definitely playing the best golf of his career, Andrew Parr is looking really strong both physically and mentally, and Shaun Helmle had his best tournament at Colbert Hills earlier this season," Higgins said. "But David Tasker and Stephen Reed will be the keys to our success. Both are capable of winning this tournament and both are hitting the ball remarkably well. They just need to stay focused, stick to their game plans and be patient."
All five players in the A&M lineup have showed the ability to post low scores and all five players have posted top-10 tournament finishes. In addition to his 64 last week, Briley carded a 67 at the Waikaloa Intercollegiate, while David Tasker also has recorded a 67. Reed and Parr have had 68s and Shaun Helmle has posted a 69. Tasker and Reed lead the Aggies with 10 sub-par rounds each, followed by Parr with seven, Helmle with five and Briley with three.
The Aggies are 22-32-1 against teams in the Central Regional field, but are 22-20-1 this spring. A&M has not played nine teams in the field (Minnesota, North Carolina State, Illinois, Northwestern, Kentucky, Wichita State, Ohio State, Kent State and Wright State). Of the remaining 18 teams, the Aggies have posted at least one victory against all but seven (0-4 vs. Oklahoma State and Tulsa, 0-2 vs. Texas and TCU, 0-1 vs. North Carolina, Toledo and Michigan State). Against the rest of the field, A&M is 22-13-1 this spring.
A&M has played in 12 NCAA regionals in 15 years since regional play began in 1989. A&M twice has advanced through regional play to the NCAA Championships, finishing 21st in 1996 and 13th in 1997.
Overall, A&M has competed in 20 NCAA Championships since its first team appearance in 1960. A&M won the NCAA Central Regional in 1996 in Ann Arbor, Mich., and placed third in 1997. A&M has narrowly missed NCAA berths several times, finishing 11th at regionals in 1993, 12th in 1994, 11th in 1998 and 13th in 2000 and 2001.
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