Men’s golf team en route to NCAA tournament

Another Hoosier sports team has been selected to participate in an NCAA Tournament.

The men’s golf team will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to compete against 13 other schools May 17-19. There will also be five individual golfers not from a tournament team vying for a chance to play in the finals. The Greensboro Regional will take place at Grandover Resort’s East Course.

“Typical of many resort courses, there is ample opportunity to hit the ball in play, not real tight, not real demanding off the tee,” Coach Mike Mayer said. “I am sure they will do some things to the golf course before NCAA Tournament time to toughen things up a little bit. .”

The men’s golf team has been represented in the NCAA Tournament for 10 straight years. In eight of those years, the entire team made the tournament. The Hoosiers were represented by individuals in the other two.

“It’s used for recruiting. The people coming in know they will have the opportunity to play at the highest level, which every athlete wants to do,” Mayer said. “Success breeds success.”

During the 10-year tournament run, the Hoosiers’ best finish as a team was in 2007-08, when they advanced to the finals and finished 21st. In that same year, now-pro golfer Jorge Campillo finished second overall individually.

“This team has a good mix. I think it is a seasoned team,” Mayer said of this year’s squad. “From top to bottom, from one to 11, we’re as strong as anyone in the country.”
The Hoosiers, No. 28 in the Golfstat rankings and No. 33 in Golfweek/Sagarin, earned a fifth seed this year. The tournament will last 54 holes.

The top nine teams and four individuals from the regional will advance to the finals. The teams and individuals who advance past the regional tournaments will travel to Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the NCAA Championship. The University of Southern California  will play host to the tournament from May 29 through June 3, but play will take place at the Riviera Country Club.

“We are thrilled with our success, but we are hungry for more,” Mayer said. “I think I’ve got the team that wants to give it their best shot to make it to finals, and I think they believe they think they can do anything.”

— Jason Haddix