LSU Gold

Men's Golf Earns Top Seed in NCAA Regional

by Will Stafford (@WillStaffordLSU)
2017 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Selection NCAA Regional Homepage +0
Men's Golf Earns Top Seed in NCAA Regional

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Tigers will play as a No. 1 seed in NCAA Regional play for the first time in program history as they prepare to host 14 teams, including defending NCAA Champion and No. 2 seed Oregon, and five individuals at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional scheduled for May 15-17 at the University Club.

The Tigers were tabbed the top team in their home regional live on Golf Channel on Thursday as teams and individuals competing in each of the six NCAA Regionals were announced on Golf Central.

Each of the 14 teams at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional will compete for five qualifying spots into the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships running May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms Golf Club in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Five will qualify from each of the six NCAA Regional sites across the country to make up the field of 30 teams at this year’s NCAA Championships.

This marks the 10th-straight season since 2008 and the 11th time in 12 seasons under head coach Chuck Winstead in which the Tigers have earned NCAA Regional selection. While hosting the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at the University Club, they will look to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.

LSU has established itself as one of the elite programs in college golf in recent years as it joins Illinois as the only two teams nationwide to qualify for the Match Play Eight at the NCAA Championships for each of the last three seasons. Bookending LSU’s SEC and NCAA title sweep in 2015 are trips to the NCAA Semifinals in 2014 and NCAA Quarterfinals in 2016.

The Tigers have followed with another successful season in 2016-17 as they have captured five tournament titles to sit No. 6 nationally in the final Golfstat power rankings heading into NCAA Regional play.

The NCAA Baton Rouge Regional sets up a rematch of sorts as Oregon defeated LSU, 3.5-1.5, in the quarterfinal round of match play at last year’s NCAA Championships en route to winning the national title on its home course at Eugene Country Club. The Ducks will arrive in Baton Rouge as the No. 2 seed in regional play and No. 7-ranked team in the country in the latest Golfstat power rankings.

Also headlining the 14 teams at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional are No. 3-seeded and No. 18-ranked Virginia, No. 4-seeded and No. 19-ranked Duke as the 2017 ACC Champion and No. 5-seeded Northwestern. Rounding out the field are No. 6 seed Arkansas, No. 7 seed Jacksonville, No. 8 seed Kentucky, No. 9 seed South Florida, No. 10 seed Iowa, No. 11 seed Georgia State, No. 12 seed Jacksonville State, No. 13 seed Loyola-Maryland and No. 14 seed Alabama State.

Mississippi State’s Peng Pichaikool, Arkansas State’s Zan Luka Stirn, UAB’s R.J. Keur, Texas-San Antonio’s Zander Lozano and Nicholls State’s Albert Badosa-Soler will compete as individuals at the University Club.

While the Tigers will play host to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at the University Club, The Grove (College Grove, Tennessee), Kampen Course (West Lafayette, Indiana), University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas), Stanford Golf Course (Palo Alto, California) and Aldarra Golf Club (Sammamish, Washington) will also serve as 2017 NCAA Regional host sites.

2017 NCAA MEN’S GOLF REGIONAL SELECTIONS
* – Indicates automatic qualifier as a conference champion.

NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
University Club – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1. LSU
2. Oregon*
3. Virginia
4. Duke*
5. Northwestern
6. Arkansas
7. Jacksonville
8. Kentucky
9. South Florida*
10. Iowa
11. Georgia State*
12. Jacksonville State*
13. Loyola-Maryland*
14. Alabama State*

NCAA College Grove Regional
The Grove – College Grove, Tennessee
1. Vanderbilt*
2. Texas Tech
3. Clemson
4. Georgia
5. Missouri
6. Lipscomb
7. Kennesaw State*
8. Central Florida
9. Middle Tennessee State
10. TCU
11. Troy
12. East Tennessee State*
13. Harvard*

NCAA West Lafayette Regional
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, Kampen Course – West Lafayette, Indiana
1. Florida
2. Illinois*
3. UNLV*
4. Auburn
5. South Carolina
6. Colorado
7. Purdue
8. New Mexico
9. Augusta*
10. Saint Mary’s
11. Campbell*
12. Richmond*
13. Cleveland State*

NCAA Austin Regional
University of Texas Golf Club – Austin, Texas
1. Oklahoma State
2. Wake Forest
3. Texas*
4. Ole Miss
5. Arizona State
6. NC State
7. Kansas
8. Liberty
9. Iowa State
10. Georgia Southern
11. College of Charleston*
12. McNeese State*
13. Wichita State*
14. St. Peter’s*

NCAA Palo Alto Regional
Stanford Golf Course – Palo Alto, California
1. Stanford
2. Baylor
3. Oklahoma
4. Georgia Tech
5. Pepperdine
6. North Carolina
7. North Florida
8. BYU*
9. Houston
10. Ohio State
11. UC-Santa Barbara*
12. Cal State Sacramento*
13. South Dakota State*

NCAA Sammamish Regional
Aldarra Golf Club – Sammamish, Washington
1. Southern California
2. Kent State*
3. Texas A&M
4. Florida State
5. Washington
6. Alabama
7. San Diego State
8. UTEP*
9. Penn State
10. Michigan
11. Michigan State
12. Seattle*
13. Marquette*
14. Bryant*