May 9, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS - The Texas A&M men's golf team earned the top seed in the NCAA Arizona Regional in Tucson, the selection committee announced Monday.
The NCAA bid is the ninth in a row for the Aggies, a school record. Play is scheduled for May 19-21 at the Omni Tucson National Resort. It is the second consecutive No. 1 seed for A&M, which has advanced to the finals in three straight and six of the last seven years.
"I think (the No. 1 seed) is great," head coach J.T. Higgins said. "It doesn't mean much once you're there--we'll get a good pairing and preferred tee times--but I think it's just more a congratulations for a great season for the guys. They played hard, worked hard all year to put a great season together, and I think that's fantastic they're getting recognized for doing everything right."
A&M tops the 14-team field, with the rest of the field (in order of seed) San Diego State, Texas Tech, Cal, Liberty, Washington, Pepperdine, Oregon State, Purdue, UC-Davis, host Arizona, UT Arlington, Loyola (Maryland) and Army. The field will also include five individuals.
The top five teams in each regional and the top individual not on an advancing team will earn a spot in the NCAA Championship, scheduled for May 31-June 5 at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla.
"The field is really strong," Higgins said. "Most of these teams are west coast teams and have played at Tucson National before. Obviously Arizona is hosting, and even though they're an 11-seed, they have to feel like they have a chance of getting in that top five on their home course. I think there are a lot of teams that have shown the ability to go low, and that's what you usually have to do in Tucson. I think it'll be a pretty competitive weekend."
The tournament will consist of 54 holes of stroke play on the par-72, 7,094-yard layout, with 18 holes each day. Tucson National has hosted more than 30 PGA Tour events and was the long-time home of the Tucson Open and the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. The University of Arizona hosts the National Invitational Tournament there each year, which the Aggies last participated in in 2007.
"We've played it before, here in 2007 and when I was at New Mexico we played it every year," Higgins said. "I've been to the course many times, and (assistant coach) Jim Anderson has played the course as a player and been there as a coach. So we have some experience on it and we know it. It's a tour-quality course, a fun course, but you still have to hit some good shots and you have to make the putts. We'll be ready to go."
A&M is one of seven Big 12 schools to make the field, joining Oklahoma State, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri. Five other sites will host regionals next weekend, including Erie, Colo. (University of Colorado); Ocala, Fla. (University of Florida); Radford, Va. (Virginia Tech University); Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (University of San Diego); and Zionsville, Ind. (Indiana University).
TEXAS A&M NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Year Site Finish 2011 Tucson, Ariz. ?? 2010* Bryan, Texas 2nd 2009* Daly City, Calif. 3rd 2008* Columbus, Ohio 7th 2007 Sugar Grove, Ill. T-10th 2006* Cleveland, Ohio 3rd 2005* South Bend, Ind. 3rd 2004* West Lafayette, Ind. 4th 2003 Manhattan, Kan. 23rd 2001 Stillwater, Okla. 13th 2000 Victoria, Texas 13th 1998 San Antonio, Texas 11th 1997* Norman, Okla. 3rd 1996* Ann Arbor, Mich. 1st 1995 Montgomery, Texas 17th 1994 Okla. City, Okla. 12th 1993 Columbus, Ohio 11th 1992 McKinney, Texas 17th 1990 Columbus, Ohio 18th 1989 McKinney, Texas 17th
* advanced to NCAA Championship
NOTE: A&M advanced to the NCAA Championship 18 times prior to the advent of regionals ... the Aggies will be gunning for their 27th NCAA Championship berth next weekend.