University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Golf Looking For NCAA Regional Berth
04/20/2006 | Men's Golf
April 20, 2006
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Richmond men's golf team will continue its quest for a NCAA Regional at-large bid when it plays at the Rutherford Intercollegiate on Saturday and Sunday at Penn State's par-72, 6,545-yard Blue Course.
Four teams from the Mid-Atlantic Region advance to one of three NCAA Regional Championships and Richmond is in the mix for a berth with two tournaments remaining. According to Golfweek's Mid-Atlantic rankings, the Spiders are second in the region. Both of their remaining tournaments - the Rutherford Intercollegiate and the Atlantic 10 Championship - include Mid-Atlantic rival George Washington, another team in the hunt for a Regional spot.
The Spiders have not played in the NCAA Regionals since 2001. Richmond made three-straight NCAA Regional appearances from 1999-2001, including making the NCAA National Championships in 1999.
"The team's ready," Richmond head coach Adam Decker said. "We've had a good week of practice and the team's looking to compete for the tournament title and continue to help ourselves in our goal of earning a NCAA Regional berth."
Richmond will use the same lineup that it has used in the last three tournaments, including the victory at the Towson Invitational on April 1-2. Senior Tyler Randol, sophomores Jordan Utley, Chris Bagley and Billy Hanes, and freshman Tim Courtney will be in the lineup.
Utley leads the team with a 73.5 stroke average with four of his last five rounds coming at even-par or under-par. Bagley is second on the team with a 74.1 stroke average, followed by Randol (74.3), Courtney (74.6) and Hanes (75.8). Junior Jason Pelet, who has a 76.6 stroke average, will also make the trip. He will compete as an individual.
The Rutherford Intercollegiate is the last tune-up before the Atlantic 10 Championship to be held May 5-7 at Orange County National in Orange County, Fla.
This is a homecoming for Decker, who was an All-American for the Nittany Lions in his senior year of 1997. Decker served as an assistant coach at Penn State last year, before taking the head coaching job at Richmond.
