Sooners ready for “big-time course” at NCAA Championship

For the fifth consecutive season, the No. 12 seed Oklahoma men’s golf team will compete at the NCAA Championships. This year’s tournament will be played Friday through Wednesday (May 29-June 3) at the 7,483-yard, par-72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.

OU is one of just six teams to reach the national tournament in each of the past five years, joining Georgia, Illinois, Texas, UCLA and USC.

"This is the big show, and we are on a big-time golf course," sixth-year OU head coach Ryan Hybl said. "It has some of the toughest green complexes I have ever seen, and it is a championship golf course. The guys are in good shape, and the goal is to go out and execute a game plan each day that fits each hole. This will be a grind all week for sure, and we are excited for that opportunity."

The Sooners qualified for the event by securing the NCAA San Diego Regional title in dominating fashion, winning by 20 strokes. It was OU’s first regional win since 2001 and fourth overall. Individually, Michael Gellerman and Max McGreevy tied for second place with 8-under-par 208s.

OU’s NCAAs lineup will include seniors Gellerman and Charlie Saxon, junior Beau Titsworth, sophomore McGreevy and freshman Grant Hirschman.

The Sooners will tee off at 12:30 p.m. CT from hole No. 1 for Friday’s first round. They will be paired with Georgia Tech and Stanford.

THE FIELD WITH TOURNAMENT SEED (GOLFWEEK/GOLFSTAT RANKINGS IN PARENTESES)
1. Florida State (3/1)
2. Texas (2/2)
3. Arizona State (6/3)
4. Illinois (1/4)
5. Vanderbilt (4/5)
6. South Carolina (7/6)
7. LSU (11/9)
8. Oregon (14/10)
9. Texas Tech (9/8)
10. Georgia Tech (10/12)
11. Stanford (5/7)
12. Oklahoma (12/11)
13. South Florida (13/14)
14. UAB (34/29)
15. Charlotte (45/47)
16. Washington (17/15)
17. Auburn (8/16)
18. UCLA (16/17)
19. Southern California (15/13)
20. Oklahoma State (18/19)
21. Virginia (27/25)
22. SMU (24/21)
23. TCU (31/32)
24. San Diego State (33/28)
25. UNLV (22/27)
26. Georgia (28/33)
27. Houston (38/35)
28. Clemson (35/36)
29. Florida (36/37)
30. Duke (41/45)

INDIVIDUALS WITH SEED
1. Robin Scoit-Siegrist, Louisville
2. J.T. Poston, Western Carolina
3. Kyle Mueller, Michigan
4. David Oraee, Colorado
5. Gudmundur Kristjansson, East Tennesee State
6. Tolver Dozier, Troy

OU LINEUP
1. Michael Gellerman, Senior: Coming off a tie for second place at NCAA San Diego Regional with an 8-under-par 208 … Has finished in top 20 in 11 of 12 events this year … Ranked No. 29 by Golfweek … Named to 2014 and 2015 All-Big 12 Team … Recorded first career victory at 2014 Wyoming Cowboy Classic (6-under 204), becoming OU’s first individual medalist since 2011.

2. Grant Hirschman, Freshman: Took 12th place at NCAA San Diego Regional … Claimed share of first at Liberty Spring Invitational at 3 under par … Tied for seventh place at prestigious Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters … Named to 2015 All-Big 12 Team … Has finished in top 20 in nine of his 12 collegiate events … Ranked No. 57 by Golfweek.

3. Charlie Saxon, Senior: Tied for first at Liberty Spring Invitational with a 3-under-par 213 … Claimed share of 14th at NCAA San Diego Regional … Took a share of seventh at competitive Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters … Made his season debut at UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational (tied for 45th) after missing the fall with an injury.

4. Max McGreevy, Sophomore: Coming off a career-best tie for second place at NCAA San Diego Regional after shooting a 208 (-8) … Took a share of fourth place at Royal Oaks Intercollegiate … Also tied for fourth place at season-opening Carmel Cup with a 5-under 211 … Ranked No. 75 by Golfweek.

5. Beau Titsworth, Junior: Coming off a tie for 23rd place at NCAA San Diego Regional … Took a share of first at Liberty Spring Invitational with a 213 (-3) … Tied for 20th at Big 12 Championship … Placed on 2014 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team after taking a share of fifth with a 290 (+2).

THE COURSE
The 7,483-yard, par-72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., serves as the track for the 2015 NCAA Championships.

FORMAT
The 30 teams and the six individuals who advanced to the NCAA Championships will compete in an individual stroke-play format over 54 holes from Friday through Sunday.

On Monday, the top 15 teams and nine individuals not on an advancing team will participate in a final round of stroke-play competition to determine the eight teams advancing to the  match play portion as well as the individual champion.

Match play competition, featuring the low eight teams from the 72-hole stroke play, will begin on Tuesday, with the quarterfinals and semifinals, while the finals will be played on Wednesday to determine the national champion team.

TV COVERAGE
Golf Channel will broadcast the NCAA Championships live, beginning on Monday from 3-6 p.m. CT. It will also air match play competition on Tuesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. CT (quarterfinals) and 2:30-6 p.m. CT (semifinals). On Wednesday, championship match coverage will air from 2-6 p.m.

WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: High of 90 degrees with winds from the east, northeast at 5-10 mph. Forty percent chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Saturday: High of 91 degrees with winds from the northeast at 5-10 mph. Twenty percent chance of rain.
Sunday: High of 91 degrees with a 60 percent chance of rain and winds from the northeast at 5-10 mph.
Monday: Partly cloudy with a high of 88 degrees with winds from the south, southeast at 5-10 mph and a 60 percent chance of rain.
Tuesday: High of 91 degrees and a 60 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms. Winds from the east, southeast at 5-10 mph.
Wednesday: Sixty percent chance of scattered thunderstorms with a high of 88 degrees and winds from the east at 10-20 mph.

OU’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This marks OU’s fifth straight and 36th overall NCAA Championships appearance, with a national title win coming in 1989. Last season, the Sooners took 16th at the NCAA Championships at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.

LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available at GolfStat.com.