The NCAA announced on May 4 that the New Mexico State men’s golf team will be the No. 12 seed and play in a regional tournament at the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas, May 14-16. Four other WAC individuals were also invited to play in another regional at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California.
“Going to Austin again for the second time in about a month is a good break for our team because we have already seen the course,” head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. “Through the experience we had a month ago we know what is expected and how we will need to prepare going into the regional tournament. I’m happy with the selection.”
This is the second straight trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the Aggies. NM State won its third WAC Championship last week, earning a spot at the regional tournament.
Joining the Aggies, who just won their third Western Athletic Conference title in four years to get the automatic bid to the regional tournament, will be the following teams ranked in order:
Stanford, Florida, Texas Tech, Texas, UNLV, California, Lamar (Southland Conference), Michigan, Texas-Arlington, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, New Mexico State (Western Athletic Conference), Jackson State (Southwestern Athletic Conference). Teams winning automatic qualification are designated by their conferences in parentheses.
Last year at the 2008 NCAA East Regional Tournament, the Aggies finished 12th overall. Travis Reid (Clovis, N.M.) was the top Aggie finisher as he tied for 17th with a three-day score of 4-under-par 209. He brought in scores of 72, 67, and 70 in the three days of play. The 67 in round two was just one stroke off Reid’s low of the season.
Joining the Aggies in postseason play are four players that will be competing in Daly City, California. WAC Player of the Year Grant Doverspike and his teammate Bhavik Patel will represent Fresno State while Nevada's Scott Smith and San Jose State's Mark Hubbard will also participate in the tournament as individuals. Doverspike placed second in last week's WAC championship, three strokes behind New Mexico State's Travis Reid. Hubbard was eighth, Patel tied for ninth and Smith tied for 12th.
For more information on the NCAA golf tournament, fans can check out the NCAA website at www.ncaa.com.