Stanford will have to wait a year to defend their 2019 title
Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona was set to play host for both the men’s and women’s championships. The Tom Fazio designed Raptor course is an absolute beast from the tips, at 7090 yards. Thanks to scheduling a three-year agreement with Grayhawk, the course will not miss out on playing host as it is set to host the 2021 and 2022 Division I championships.
The NCAA women’s championship would have ended May 27 and the men’s championship would have started May 29, giving us four new champions (two individuals, two teams) to crown in the world of golf. However, with COVID-19 shutting everything down, golf fans will never know how the 2019-20 golf season would have played out.
Haskins Award winner and Pepperdine one bag
Sahith Theegala had high hopes for his team. Pepperdine finished No. 1 in the final Golfweek Coaches Poll following the abbreviated season.
“We knew there was a lot left in the tank,” Theegala told AmateurGolf.com. “We were definitely starting to find our stride there at the end.”
No. 2 ranked Oklahoma was set to host an NCAA regional at Jimmie Austin Golf Club in Norman, Okla. Not being able to give his seniors a chance to compete on their home course one last time was something Sooners’ head coach Ryan Hybl wishes his team got to experience.
“Obviously I feel like we had as good of a shot as anybody this year,” Hybl told AmateurGolf.com. “We were deep enough and we’re talented enough and we’ve had quite a bit of experience. In the last four years, a lot of these guys have been there.”
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NCAA Championship host Arizona State was also in contention on both the men’s and women’s side. Ranked No. 7 in the men’s poll and No. 3 in the women’s poll, the Sun Devils were on pace to be contenders.
“We had this feeling within the team we’re really trending in the right direction, which we always knew we would,” Arizona State head coach Matt Thurmond told Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic. “Our goal was to be at our best today, and we were on our way.”
“We really hadn’t really clicked yet,” Sun Devils women’s head coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. “but you want to peak at the end. You don’t need to be No. 1 in January. You need to be No. 1 today.”
College golf fans will have to wait another 12 months to see Grayhawk’s debut for a now two-year stint of hosting the NCAA’s. But, with many seniors electing to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, some will get the opportunity to avenge their lost season.
ABOUT THE
NCAA Division I Championship
The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship is the pinnacle of collegiate golf in the United States, held annually in late May or early June. The event brings together the nation's top 30 teams and six individual qualifiers, all of whom have advanced through a grueling regional qualifying process. Conference champions earn automatic regional berths, while a selection committee fills the remaining spots.
The championship begins with 72 holes of stroke play to determine the individual national champion. Following this, the top 8 teams advance to a match play bracket to compete for the team title — a format introduced in 2009 that added a dramatic head-to-head element to the final days of competition.
Some of the most decorated names in professional golf have competed in this event, including Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Winning the individual title now includes an added bonus: the champion receives an invitation to the following year’s Masters Tournament, provided they maintain amateur status.
The tournament dates back to 1897, originally run by the National Intercollegiate Golf Association. The NCAA began officially sponsoring the event in 1939. Over time, the championship has become not just a collegiate milestone, but also a launching pad for future PGA Tour stars.
After 72 holes of stroke play, the individual champion is crowned, and the low 8 teams advance to match play to determine the team champion.
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