UNCG, Greensboro Sports Commission to host NCAA Men’s Golf Regional at Forest Oaks in 2012

GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG Director of Athletics Kim Record confirmed Friday that the university and the Greensboro Sports Commission have been awarded a bid to serve as one of six regional hosts for the 2012 NCAA Men's Golf Championship.

The regional will be held at Forest Oaks Country Club, which served as a stop on the PGA Tour for 31 seasons from 1977-2007. It is also the home course of the UNCG men's golf program, hosting the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate since the spring of 2005.

It will be the first time that UNCG has hosted an NCAA Championship event as a "host" since the 1998 women's soccer championship. The Spartans have been the home team for several NCAA men's soccer tournament matches since then.

"We are pleased to be presented with this opportunity," said Record. "The city of Greensboro has a long history of hosting NCAA events and we are happy to be able to bring another one to the Triad – further strengthening the city's motto of 'Tournament Town'.

"Forest Oaks has been a wonderful home to our men's golf program the last several years and, with their help and the tireless efforts of our coach Terrance Stewart, the Bridgestone has become one of the premier in-season tournaments. I know they are very excited to have this event on their grounds and look forward to helping us host some of the best collegiate golfers in the country."

Along with UNCG, the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee also chose Michigan, Georgia, Western Kentucky, Stanford and Oklahoma as regional hosts in 2012.

"We couldn't be happier with the commitment of UNCG to pursue NCAA Division I Championship events and this men's golf regional will continue to enhance Greensboro's reputation for hosting top-level golf at superb facilities like Forest Oaks," said Kim Strable, president of the Greensboro Sports Commission, which will serve as a co-host. "Coach Stewart has done a fantastic job bringing national-profile programs to the Bridgestone event at Forest Oaks each fall. The word has gotten out that this long-time PGA course is a great test for collegiate golfers as well."

At its absolute longest, Forest Oaks can play to more than 7,400 yards. In the past, the par-72 course has been set at 7,197 yards for the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate.

"Forest Oaks Country Club is very excited to host one of the six NCAA regional tournaments in May 2012," said Geoff Dail, Forest Oaks' general manager and course superintendent. "We perceive this as an opportunity to again showcase our golf course and the city of Greensboro by hosting some of the game's top young players. Our appreciation expressed to the NCAA for this opportunity."

The regional sites for what will be the 115th NCAA Division I men's golf championship will be held May 17-19, 2012. The championship is slated for May 29 through June 3. Regionals are conducted as a 54-hole tournament. The championship uses a 54-hole tournament to determine an individual champion and cut the teams down to eight, after which match play is used to determine the national champion. Augusta State topped Oklahoma State in the final this past season.

Although subject to change in future seasons, this past year's tournament field had each regional site with either 13 or 14 teams and either five or 10 individuals from non-participating teams. The low five teams and low individual not on one of those five teams advanced to the championship.

- UNCG -