Sept. 8, 2009
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Saturday, the UCF men's golf team will begin the 2009-10 campaign at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate in Zionsville, Ind. After five rounds of qualifying, the Knights' lineup is now set.
Freshman Andrew Colvin (Longwood, Fla.), junior Nuno Henriques (Funchal, Portugal), sophomore Connor Arendell (Cape Coral, Fla.), sophomore Brad Schneider (Valrico, Fla.) and senior Simon Ward (County Monaghan, Ireland) will participate in the event for head coach Bryce Wallor.
UCF began qualifying for the season-opening tournament on Sept. 1 and Sept. 3 with two rounds of play at the Rio Pinar Country Club. Colvin posted the top 36-hole score to earn a spot in the team's lineup in Indiana. Qualifying continued Sept. 4, 6 and 8 with one round at Stoneybrook and 36 holes at North Shore. With the top three-round total, Henriques took the second spot in the lineup.
Arendell, Schneider and Ward all qualified for the Wolf Run as a result of their five-round performance.
"We are trying to have a qualifying system that teaches winning," Wallor said. "We are trying to put our players against the best players from our team, have them compete against one another and learn how to win."
Ward and Schneider were both key members of UCF's squad that finished 10th at the NCAA Championship a year ago. The Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, Ward played in 12 of 13 tournaments and recorded three top-10 finishes. Schneider was an All-C-USA Second Team and all-rookie squad pick after posting three top-10 showings during the campaign.
Henriques did not compete a year ago, but played in seven tournaments in 2007-08 for UCF. Arendell is in his first year with the Knights after transferring from Louisville. In August, he advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Championship in Tulsa, Okla. Colvin is one of two freshman on the squad.
In Indiana, Wallor's team will play 36 holes Saturday and then conclude the 17-squad event with one round Sunday. Indiana is hosting the tournament.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
First Qualifier, Sept. 1/Sept. 3 (Rio Pinar Country Club)
1. Andrew Colvin 69-72=141
2. Brad Schneider 71-71=142
3. Connor Arendell 72-73=145
4. Simon Ward 77-70=147
5. Nuno Henriques 76-72=148
6. Devin Spies 78-71=149
7. Reid Martin 78-75=153
Second Qualifier, Sept. 4/Sept. 6/Sept. 8 (Stoneybrook/North Shore/North Shore)
1. Nuno Henriques 68-71-70=209
2. Connor Arendell 69-70-72=211
3. Simon Ward 74-72-70=216
4. Brad Schneider 71-73-74=218
5. Reid Martin 77-73-72=222
6. Andrew Colvin 78-72-73=223
7. Devin Spies 77-77-74=228
Five-Round Qualifier, Sept. 1/Sept. 3/Sept. 4/Sept. 6/Sept. 8
1. Connor Arendell 72-73-69-70-72=356
2. Nuno Henriques 76-72-68-71-70=357
3. Brad Schneider 71-71-71-73-74=360
4. Simon Ward 77-70-74-72-70=363
5. Andrew Colvin 69-72-78-72-73=364
6. Reid Martin 78-75-77-73-72=375
7. Devin Spies 78-71-77-77-74=377