Alabama Opens Play at NCAA Athens Regional on Thursday
5/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 16, 2012
ATHENS, Ga. - Alabama's second-ranked men's golf team begins NCAA postseason action on Thursday at the NCAA Athens Regional, which will be played on the par-71, 7,253-yard University of Georgia Golf Club.
Alabama is the top seed in the 54-hole tournament that includes 13 teams and 10 individuals from across the nation. The top-five teams at the end of three rounds will advance to the NCAA Championships on May 29-June 3 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
The regional runs May 17-19 and marks the eighth straight year that the Crimson Tide has reached a NCAA Regional under head coach Jay Seawell and the ninth time in 10 years. Alabama has made 21 NCAA Tournament appearances and qualified for 13 NCAA Championships in its history.
The Tide's starting lineup features senior captain Hunter Hamrick along with the SEC Player of the Year in Justin Thomas and first-team all-conference picks Cory Whitsett and Bobby Wyatt at the top of a potent lineup. Scott Strohmeyer, who has a 73.93 scoring average, completes the Tide lineup.
Alabama boasts four golfers in the top 53 of the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Thomas leads the way at No. 4 while Whitsett and Wyatt are ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively, and Hamrick is 53rd.
Joining the Crimson Tide in the Athens Regional is second-seeded North Florida, No. 3 New Mexico, No. 4 Georgia (host), No. 5 Iowa, No. 6 East Carolina, No. 7 Long Beach State, No. 8 and two-time defending national champion Augusta State, No. 9 Wake Forest, No. 10 Houston, No. 11 Texas-Arlington, No. 12 North Carolina Wilmington and No. 13 Loyola (Md.).
The NCAA hosts six regional sites around the country with three consisting of 13 teams and 10 individuals and three with 14 teams and five individuals. The top-five teams and the top individual on a non-qualifying team advance to the NCAA Championships at Riviera Country Club on May 29-June 3. Alabama has advanced to the NCAA Championships in two of the three years under this format.
The Crimson Tide is scheduled to tee off at 7 a.m. (CDT) from the first tee box. UA will be paired with second-seed North Florida and No. 3-seed New Mexico.
Live stats can be found at www.golfstat.com. Follow breaking news on the Crimson Tide on Facebook at Alabama-mens-golf and on Twitter at @AlabamaMGolf.
Players Mentioned
