Aug. 6, 2008
2008-09 Men's Golf Schedule
WACO, Texas - Baylor men's golf coach Greg Priest announced his team's schedule for the upcoming 2008-09 season on Wednesday. The Bears will be aiming for their 12th-straight NCAA Regional appearance, after finishing 25th overall last season at the NCAA Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio.
Priest's squad will continue its trend of playing a tough schedule as the Bears will participate in events hosted by five teams that finished last year in the Golf World/NIKE Golf Top 25 poll - Texas A&M (12th), Alabama (13th), Arizona State (tied for 17th), Texas (19th) and UAB (23rd).
"I think this is our strongest schedule since I've been here and one of the strongest Baylor has ever had," Priest said. "We're looking forward to the opportunity to play a schedule against such a high caliber of competition.
"We are excited to hit the links and start the season with the team we have."
The Bears will open their five-event fall season at the Shoal Creek Intercollegiate hosted by UAB in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 22-23. The following weekend, Baylor will head north to North Falmouth, Mass., to participate in the Hartford Hawks Invitational, hosted by Hartford on Sept. 28-30.
Two weeks later, the Bears return to Birmingham for the two-day Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, hosted by Alabama on Oct. 13-14.
Baylor returns home to host its only tournament of the season with the Baylor Invitational on Oct. 27-28 at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas. The 7,068-yard, par-71 course will serve as the tournament site for the 12-team field that includes Arkansas, BYU, College of Charleston, Houston, Kansas, Lamar, New Mexico, Oklahoma, SMU, Saint Mary's (Calif.) and Texas A&M. The tournament returns after a two-year hiatus; the Bears won the Baylor Invitational in 2005.
Baylor then concludes its fall schedule at the Turtle Bay Intercollegiate in Kahuku, Hawai`i, on Nov. 10-12.
The Bears open their spring schedule with back-to-back trips to the Sunshine State. Baylor will participate in the Rio Pinar Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 23-24 before traveling to Dade City, Fla., for the Ron Smith/USF Invitational on March 6-8.
Junior golfer Colton Williams will look to defend his individual title the following week at the annual Border Olympics on March 13-14 in Laredo, Texas.
Baylor faces four more tournament tests before the conference golf tournament.
The 2009 Big 12 Conference Championship, in which the Bears finished fifth last season, will be held at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchison, Kan., on April 27-29.
NCAA Regionals are slated for May 14-15 at three different sites, while the 112th annual NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships will be held at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, on May 27-30.
