Aug. 20, 2010
Norman, Okla. -
Illinois is one of 16 schools that have been invited to participate in the 2011 Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America. The event will be held at the Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground, Ga., on March 20-22 with Georgia Tech serving as host.
The tournament boasts one of the top fields in collegiate golf, which includes NCAA Championship qualifiers Baylor, Duke, East Tennessee State, Georgia, Illinois, Southern California, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and UCLA, Big Ten runner-up Iowa, as well as Alabama, Pacific, South Carolina and Washington State.
GCAA honors Illinois for Academic Achievement
The Golf Coaches Association of America has named Illinois to the All-Academic Team for the 2009-10 season. To be eligible teams must have a combined team grade-point average of 3.00 or higher. Illinois is one of four Big Ten schools to be honored, joining Iowa, Michigan State, and Northwestern
Mike Small named Midwest Coach of the Year
For the third time in his career, head coach Mike Small has been named the Midwest Coach the Year, having also claimed that distinction in both 2003 and 2009. Small, who helped the Illini win a Big Ten Championship as a player in 1988 now has done so the past two seasons as a coach. The Illini have had some near misses in Small's 10 seasons with runner-up finishes in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and a third-place showing in 2008. The Illini have won 16 tournament titles in the last three seasons, including six titles in 2009-10. Small led Illinois to the NCAA Finals for the fifth time during his tenure, capped off by Illini junior Scott Langley winning the NCAA individual title.
Langley, DeForest ready for U.S. Amateur
Illinois seniors Scott Langley and Chris DeForest will tee it up next week at the 110th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. The first two rounds are Monday and Tuesday at not only the 7,742-yard par 71 Chambers Bay course, but also the 7,420-yard Home Course. Following those two rounds, the field of 312 will be cut to 64 for Match Play.
Langley, who received an exemption as the NCAA Champion, placed seventh in stroke play and advanced to the round of 32 last year. DeForest, meanwhile, qualified after shooting a one-under par 141 at Whippoorwill Country Club in Armonk, N.Y.
Langley tees off at 3:40 pm CT on The Home Come Course on Monday and 10:25 AM CT from Chambers Bay on Tuesday. DeForest, meanwhile, tees off at 4 pm CT on Chambers Bay Monday and at 10:45 am from The Home Course on Tuesday.
Live scoring can be found at usga.org. The Golf Channel will provide live coverage of Match Play from 5:30-7:30 pm on Aug. 25 and 26 and from Noon-2 pm on Aug. 27. NBC will show the semifinal matches from 3-5 pm on Aug. 28 and the 36-hole final from 3-5 pm on Aug. 29.
