May 22, 2006

With its top-10 finish in the NCAA East Regional, the South Carolina men’s golf team secured a berth in next week’s NCAA Championship, to be played at Crosswater Golf Club (Par 72 – 7,630 yards) at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., and hosted by the University of Portland. A total of 30 teams will vie for the 109th NCAA Crown. After three rounds of play (May 31, June 1 and June 2) the field will narrow to 15 teams for the fourth and final round (June 3).

Ticket Information
A complete tournament pass ($33) is available, or tickets can be purchased for each individual round ($13 each for rounds one, two and three, $18 for the final round). Ticket prices include a souvenir tournament program and an individual round pairing sheet.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the University of Portland at 503-943-7117. Tickets may also be purchased at the Sunriver Resort during the tournament. Pre-purchased tickets will be available to pick up at the Sunriver Resort

Carolina’s NCAA Tournament History
The Gamecocks will be making their 14th appearance in the NCAA finals (1964, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006). This will mark Carolina’s seventh trip to the Championship under head coach Puggy Blackmon. USC’s best showing is an eighth-place finish in 1988.

Including his 13-year tenure as the head coach at Georgia Tech, Blackmon has taken 24 teams to the NCAA Championship.

The Field
The top-10 finishers in each of three regionals, as well the top two individuals not on those teams, advanced to the Championship. In the West Regional, played in Tucson, Ariz., at OMNI Tucson National, Arizona and Florida tied for the team title. Arizona State, Washington, NC State, BYU, Loyola Marymount, East Tennessee State, Pepperdine and Nevada all made it through as well.

Wake Forest captured the team title at the East Regional at Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. The Demon Deacons were joined by Georgia, Texas Tech, North Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte, UCLA, Auburn, South Carolina and UNLV.

In the Central Regional, played in Cleveland, Ohio, at Sand Ridge Golf Club, Oklahoma State finished first and was followed by Northwestern, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Lamar, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Clemson, Duke and Kentucky to round out the top 10.

Five of the SEC teams that received a bid to NCAA Regionals also advanced on to the Championship, including: Florida, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina and Kentucky. The SEC is tied with the ACC for the most representatives in the NCAA Championship field.