Vanderbilt Men's Golf Advances to NCAA Regional for First Time in School History 5/5/03

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For the first time in school history the Vanderbilt men's golf team will get a chance to compete in the NCAA Men's Golf Championship after qualifying as the No. 10 seed for the 2003 NCAA East Regional in Auburn, Ala. The East Regional, hosted by Auburn University, will be played May 15-17 at the Auburn University Club.

"I'm so proud of this group because they have worked tirelessly to get Vanderbilt golf to this level," Head Coach Press McPhaul said. "We all are honored to have the opportunity to be the first ones to represent Vanderbilt in the NCAA Championship."

Clemson, which is the nation's No. 1 team, earned the top seed in the 27-team field for the East Regional. A total of six Southeastern Conference teams were selected in the East Region, including Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Alabama. Arkansas and Kentucky were selected for the Central Region, while Georgia was selected for the West Regional.

"Obviously, we will be competing against some of the best teams in the country," McPhaul said. "We want to be well prepared for the challenge and represent Vanderbilt the best we can once the tournament begins."

The regional will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes played each day. The top eight teams and top two individuals - not on one of those eight teams - advance to the NCAA Championships May 28-31 at the Karsten Creek course in Stillwater, Okla. (Oklahoma State, host).

2003 NCAA East Regional

1. Clemson
2. Augusta State
3. Wake Forest
4. Florida
5. Auburn
6. Georgia Tech
7. Tennessee
8. South Carolina
9. College of Charleston
10. Vanderbilt
11. Virginia Tech
12. East Tennessee State
13. Duke
14. Georgia State
15. North Carolina-Wilmington
16. Alabama
17. Jacksonville State
18. Georgia Southern
19. Penn State
20. Charleston Southern
21. Maryland
22. James Madison
23. Rhode Island
24. Yale
25. New York-Binghamton
26. Liberty
27. Jackson State