Oct. 18, 2006
ORLANDO - The UCF Golden Knights, the Tavistock Group and the Central Florida Sports Commission are once again ready for what has become the most entertaining regular-season college men's golf tournament in the nation. The Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational enters its third season and this year's version should be better than ever.
This is the second time in the last month UCF and the Central Florida Sports Commission have teamed to bring the nation's top collegiate golfers to Central Florida. On Sept 21-24, the two groups hosted the Golf Daytona Beach Women's Fall Preview at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. This time the best men's golfers swing into the area.
Georgia claimed the first two team titles, and after it won the inaugural version in 2004, the Bulldogs went on to win the NCAA title. In 2005, Oklahoma State finished second, but came through in the spring to claim the first-place crown at the NCAA Championships. Both programs, along with 16 other top teams in the country, will be vying for the 2006 trophy.
OSU's Pablo Martin and Georgia's Chris Kirk have put on quite a display each year. They both tied for medalist honors in year one, while Martin won by two strokes over Kirk last season. Each returns for another shot at the top of the individual leaderboard.
For UCF, it has earned third place twice and fourth once so far during the fall, and could be a surprise team in the field. Lone senior Steven Bain and junior Giwon Suh both hail from Orlando. Bain attended Trinity Prep and Suh went to Olympia High. Suh has been a regular in the lineup for the Golden Knights, as has Ponte Vedra Beach's Preston Brown and Palm City's Greg Forest. Sophomore Kyle Davis was the high finisher for UCF in its last tournament (Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Indiana), and he is the only student-athlete from Pennsylvania on the roster. Windermere's own Nico Donaldson, who attended Olympia High, also has been a key component to a very dynamic roster.
Since Isleworth is a private club, only family and close friends will be permitted to enter through the outside gates. For more information on the tournament, check out www.ucfathletics.com or www.isleworthcollegiate.com.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, Oct. 21 - Practice Round at 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 22 - First Round (18 holes) at 8 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 23 - Second Round (18 holes) at 8 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 23 - Isleworth Reception at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 - Final Round (18 holes) at 8 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 - Awards Presentation at 3:30 p.m.
Tournament Field
Rankings are the latest from Golfstat
No. 3 Florida
No. 4 Georgia
No. 7 Clemson
No. 8 Tennessee
No. 9 Oklahoma State
No. 11 North Carolina
No. 12 Georgia State
No. 17 Texas A&M
No. 18 Georgia Tech
No. 20 Wake Forest
No. 22 Duke
No. 24 UCF
No. 27 Florida State
No. 32 Texas Tech
No. 44 South Carolina
No. 60 Kentucky
No. 69 Texas
Arizona is also on the field, but does not have a Golfstat ranking. However, it is No. 25 in the latest GCAA poll.