Men's Golf Earns Top Seed at NCAA Indiana Regional
5/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 9, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama men's golf team garnered its seventh straight invitation to NCAA postseason competition on Monday when it was selected to compete in the 2011 NCAA Indiana Regional on May 19-21 at Wolf Run Golf Club in Zionsville, Ind.
The third-ranked Crimson Tide is the regions' No. 1 seed and feature four of the top individuals in the nation in Bud Cauley, Cory Whitsett, Bobby Wyatt and Hunter Hamrick. The Wolf Run Golf Club is a par-71, 6,805-yard layout that opened in 1989.
Since Seawell's arrival in Tuscaloosa prior to the 2002-03 season, the Crimson Tide has qualified for seven straight NCAA postseasons and eight overall, including four NCAA Championship appearances (2005, 2007-09). The 2011 selection is the 20th overall NCAA appearance in school history.
The NCAA men's golf tournament is in the third year of a new format adopted for the 2009 season. The old 30-team, three-regional was replaced by a six-regional schedule. Three of the regionals will have fields of 13 teams and 10 individuals, with the other three consisting of 14 teams and five individuals each for a total of 75 players at each site. The NCAA Indiana Regional will consist of 14 teams and five individuals.
The top five teams and the top individual not on an advancing team will qualify from each regional site for the NCAA Division I Men's Championship at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. The NCAA Championship begins on May 31 and concludes on June 5. The finals also have a new format with the top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play facing off in match play to determine the national champion. The individual winner is crowned after 54 holes instead of 72 as in past years.
Joining Alabama in the NCAA Indiana Regional is No. 2-seed Illinois, Iowa, Stanford, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida State, Michigan, Charlotte, Memphis, Wichita State, Missouri-Kansas City and Sacred Heart. Individuals that were selected to participate in the regional include Eric Steger (Ball State), Nathan Sutherland (Miami, Ohio), Cameron Carrico (Murray State), Johan Ericksson (Eastern Kentucky) and Michael Powell (Indiana/Purdue-Indianapolis).
Last season Alabama participated in the NCAA New Haven (Conn.) Regional after winning the NCAA Galloway (N.J.) Regional in 2009.
NCAA Indiana Regional
Wolf Run Golf Club - Zionsville, Ind.
Hosted by the University of Indiana
1. Alabama
2. Illinois
3. Iowa
4. Stanford
5. Wake Forest
6. Tennessee
7. Indiana
8. Florida State
9. Michigan
10. Charlotte
11. Memphis
12. Wichita State
13. UMKC
14. Sacred Heart
Teams (seeded in the following order):
Individuals:
1. Eric Steger, Ball State
2. Nathan Sutherland, Miami (Ohio)
3. Cameron Carrico, Murray State
4. Johan Ericksson, Eastern Kentucky
5. Michael Powell, Indiana/Purdue-Indianapolis
