 CU-Stevinson
Ranch Invitational On Tap
TravelGolf.com Staff Report
Third Annual Meet Set For Monday, Tuesday
BOULDER (MARCH 22, 2001) - The third annual University of Colorado-Stevinson Ranch Invitational is next up on the collegiate golf schedule, as 14 teams including some of the nation's top golfers will compete on one of region's most challenging golf courses Sunday through Tuesday in Stevinson, Calif. Stevinson Ranch Golf Club, a 6,646-yard, par-72 configuration, plays host to the unique tournament, as it features 11 schools from the NCAA's District 5. The idea to play a tournament on a quality course in good weather was the brainchild of Colorado head coach Mark Simpson, who is also in his second year as the president of the Golf Coaches Association of America. The plan came to fruition thanks to George Kelley, the owner of Stevinson Ranch and himself a former CU golfer. Participating schools include Air Force, California, CU, Drake, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Pacific, SW Missouri State and Tulsa. Five individuals from four of the aforementioned schools will fill out the field to its maximum of 75. All are District 5 members with the exception of Air Force, Cal and Pacific. Four schools are currently ranked in the most recent Golfweek and/or MasterCard Collegiate Golf rankings: Kansas (#23/#39), Tulsa (#32/#35), California (#42/#48) and Colorado (#46/NR). "Stevinson Ranch is rated as one of the top 25 golf courses in the state of California, so this is a stellar test and one of the best courses we get to play all season," Simpson said. "I like it a lot because it's good preparation for the Big 12 Championships at Prairie Dunes (Hutchinson, Kan.). It's a similar course in that it's a link style course, and the Kansas coach (Ross Randall) feels the same way."
Randall also likes the course because his Jayhawks have won the first two Stevinson Ranch invites. KU defeated Fresno State by three strokes in 1999 and Colorado by eight strokes last year. Kansas has also boasted both medalists, Jake Istnick two years ago and Ryan Vermeer in 2000. "This was designed to be a District 5 tournament, and we have 11 of the top 13 in the district," Simpson added. "It's a very important tournament in regard to team rankings in the district and individual rankings for All-America purposes." Play calls for a College-Am and practice round on Sunday (March 25), with the tournament beginning in earnest on Monday, when there will be 36 holes of play before the tournament concludes with a single round on Tuesday. The shotgun format features tee times of 8 a.m. and approximately 1 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Four of the nation's top 100 golfers will be competing at Stevinson Ranch, led by Tulsa freshman phenom David Inglis, who was ranked 38th in the most recent MasterCard Collegiate Golf rankings. Kansas junior Travis Hurst comes in ranked No. 70, followed by a pair from the host Buffaloes, No. 81 Matt Call and No. 98 Kane Webber. Call, a senior, qualified and played in the 1999 U.S. Open, and Webber was the 2000 Newcomer of the Year in the Big 12 Conference. Another Jayhawk, sophomore Chris Marshall, is just outside the top 100, holding down the No. 111 spot. Over 2,500 golfers are ranked nationwide. |
