The Meadows GC & Grand Valley State to Host NCAA Golf Finals

Players and teams from as far away as California Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and Alabama are set to vie for the NCAA Division II individual and team golf championships beginning May 22 in Allendale, Mich., on the campus of Grand Valley State University. In all, 105 players will compete in the 72-hole national tournament.

The Meadows Golf Club will host the men's Division II event, marking the sixth time Grand Valley has hosted an NCAA final at The Meadows. The course was designed a little over a decade ago by noted golf architect Dr. Michael Hurdzan.

"We're delighted to have a national event here in west Michigan again," said Terry Sack, general manager of The Meadows Golf Club. "Our last men's championship featured some fabulous play and people are still talking about the three-way playoff we had for the individual title. With the talent coming in this year, we believe this event should be the equal of our last men's tournament."

Sack's comments were echoed by Tommy Riggs of Pittsburg State University, chairman of the Division II men's golf committee. "The Meadows at Grand Valley State University will serve as a perfect venue for this year's NCAA Division II Men's national golf championships. The course will provide an excellent test for the teams and individuals competing for the year's top honors. The Grand Valley athletic department, the staff at The Meadows and the great people in Allendale will serve as wonderful hosts in making this a memorable student-athlete experience."

A total of 20 teams and five individual qualifiers will be part of the 2007 event, including Ferris State University at nearby Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris won the Great Lakes Region title behind medalist Jeff Carlson, who played high school golf at West Ottawa in Holland, Mich., not far from the Grand Valley campus.

Other prominent teams that qualified for the championship include region winners Columbus State (Ga.), the University of North Alabama, Cameron University (Okla.), Washburn University (Kans.), California State-San Bernadino, Western New Mexico, Lemoyne College (N.Y.), Fairmont State (W.Va.) and Belmont Abbey (N.C.).

Columbus State was the 2006 runner-up behind three-time champion the University of South Carolina at Aiken. The top returning individual finisher from last year's event is Greg Koch of Florida Southern, who posted a four-round total of 282 to finish third behind individual champion Jamie Amoretti of St. Mary's University.

The Meadows Golf Club is located on the campus of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, 15 miles west of downtown Grand Rapids and just off state highway M-45. Admission to the 2007 NCAA Division II Men’s golf championship is free for all four days of competition and the public is encouraged to attend. For more information on the event, visit www.gvsu.edu/meadows, or call 616/895-1000.