05/05/2008 - Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men’s golf team received its ninth straight (15th overall) NCAA regional bid on Monday. The Blue Devils were seeded No. 4 in the East Region and will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. from May 15-17 to compete for a spot in the NCAA Championship. The East Regional will be held at the par-72, 6,999-yard Council Fire Golf Club.

"We are really looking forward to the East Regional and the NCAA Finals," said head coach O.D. Vincent. "We approach the event as a seven round tournament focusing on winning regional, not just qualifying.  We need to be fully prepared and execute all we have learned this year." 

Duke has competed in the East Regional 14 times recording a program-best fourth place finish in 1997 regional at the Cascade Course in Hot Springs, Va. The Blue Devils have advanced on to the NCAA Championships from the East Regional seven times overall.

The regional will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes played each day. The top 10 teams and top two individuals (not on one of those 10 teams) advance on to the NCAA Championships to be played May 28-31 at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex-The Kampen Course in West Lafayette, Ind.

Duke is coming off a second place finish in the ACC Championship. The Blue Devils have a pair of tournament wins (Coca-Cola Duke Golf Classic & River Landing Intercollegiate) and have finished in the top 5 in seven of 10 team events this season. All-ACC selections Michael Schachner and Clark Klaasen headline the Blue Devil lineup that has had all five members record at least one top 10 finish this season.

Vincent is in his first season with the Blue Devils after spending the previous 11 years at Washington (1995-2001) and UCLA (2002-2007). He has led his teams to 35 tournament wins, including back-to-back regional crowns during his first two seasons at UCLA.

As a team, Duke is ranked No. 13 in the latest Golf World/NGCA Division I Coaches’ Poll. The East Regional will feature six other teams ranked in the top 25 of the coaches’ poll.

EAST REGIONAL (May 15-17)
Council Fire Golf Club – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Hosted by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Teams (seeded in the following order):
1. Georgia
2. Charlotte (Atlantic 10 Conference)
3. South Carolina
4. Duke
5. Chattanooga (Southern Conference)
6. Auburn
7. East Tennessee State
8. Michigan State (Big 10)
9. Mississippi
10. UAB (Conference USA)
11. Virginia Tech
12. North Carolina State
13. Mississippi State
14. Georgia State (Colonial Athletic Conference)
15. North Florida (Atlantic Sun Conference)
16. UC Irvine (Big West Conference)
17. Augusta State
18. SMU
19. Middle Tennessee
20. Coastal Carolina (Big South Conference)
21. Memphis
22. Virginia
23. Western Carolina
24. Colorado State (Mountain West Conference)
25. New Mexico State (Western Athletic Conference)
26. Western Illinois (The Summit League)
27. Jackson State (Southwestern Athletic Conference)

Individuals:
1. Keegan Bradley, St. John’s (New York)
2. Jose Toledo, New Orleans
3. Johnny Caldwell, South Alabama
4. Michael McGrady, Troy
5. Jon Curran, Vanderbilt
6. Grant Leaver, Austin Peay State

• • •

CENTRAL REGIONAL (May 15-17)
Scarlet Golf Course – Columbus, Ohio
Hosted by The Ohio State University

Teams (seeded in the following order):
1. Alabama (Southeastern Conference)
2. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Conference)
3. Georgia Tech
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Lamar (Southland Conference)
7. Wake Forest
8. Indiana
9. Texas A&M
10. Louisville
11. Wichita State (Missouri Valley Conference)
12. Kent State
13. Penn State
14. Arkansas
15. Michigan
16. TCU
17. Texas-Arlington
18. Illinois
19. Ohio State
20. Baylor
21. Colorado
22. Eastern Kentucky (Ohio Valley Conference)
23. Marquette (Big East Conference)
24. Eastern Michigan (Mid-American Conference)
25. Cleveland State (Horizon League)
26. Loyola (Maryland) (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
27. Sacred Heart (Northeast Conference)

Individuals:
1. Chris Baker, Iowa State
2. Clayton Rask, Minnesota
3. Josh Sandman, Notre Dame
4. Victor Almstrom, Minnesota
5. Brent Long, Western Kentucky
6. Jordan Weber, Northern Iowa

• • •

WEST REGIONAL (May 15-17)
Gold Mountain Golf Club – Bremerton, Washington
Hosted by University of Washington

Teams (seeded in the following order):
1. Southern California
2. UCLA
3. Florida State (Atlantic Coast Conference)
4. Stanford
5. Clemson
6. UNLV
7. North Carolina
8. Texas Tech
9. Central Florida
10. Arizona State (Pacific-10 Conference)
11. San Diego State
12. Texas
13. LSU
14. Oregon State
15. Pepperdine
16. Oregon
17. California
18. St. Mary’s (California)
19. Kentucky
20. Wisconsin
21. Washington
22. Oklahoma
23. Kansas State
24. San Diego (West Coast Conference)
25. Denver (Sun Belt Conference)
26. Navy (The Patriot League)
27. Columbia (Ivy Group)

Individuals:
1. Troy Merritt, Boise State
2. Brian Locke, Loyola Marymount
3. Tarquin Macmanus, Arizona
4. Jason D’Amore, Loyola Marymount
5. Nathan Stamey, North Carolina-Greensboro
6. Jimmy Lytle, Elon