April 28, 2007

Spartanburg, S.C. - For the second straight year, the USC Upstate men's golf team has received a bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships as one of 16 teams to qualify for the Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional to be played at the Savannah Quarters Country Club in Savannah, Ga., May 7-9.

The Super Regional combines two regionals and is played on one course. The winners of the Southeast and Atlantic Regionals earn automatic berths into the Nationals May 22-25 at The Meadows in Allendale, Mich. Three at-large selections - the next three best team scores combining both regionals - will also be selected from the Super Regional, giving the Super Regional five qualifiers for Nationals.

Upstate is ranked fourth in the Southeast Region behind three fellow Peach Belt Conference schools. The Peach Belt makes up six of the eight spots in the Southeast Regional. Columbus State is the top ranked team in the region and is followed by Armstrong Atlantic State, three-time defending national champion USC Aiken, Upstate, Georgia College & State University, Presbyterian (SAC), Lander, and North Greenville (Independent).

Upstate is in just its second year of NCAA competition. The University fielded men's golf as a member of NAIA, but the program was discontinued in 1990. Upstate reestablished the program in 2004 with the hiring of head coach Todd Lawton and began competition in 2005-06, earning a trip to the NCAA Regionals and finishing seventh last year in its first season of competition. The Spartans are currently ranked 12th in the nation. Upstate's Baxter Culler leads the Peach Belt Conference with a 72.6 stroke average, won the Peach Belt individual title at the league championships two weeks ago, and also won the Kiawah Island Invitational early in the season. The Spartans claimed one team title and finished no worse than fifth in all six spring tournaments, including a second-place finish at the Peach Belt Championships. Upstate finished the spring with three second-place and two third-place finishes this spring.

2007 Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional

Southeast Regional Teams - Columbus State (PBC), Armstrong Atlantic State (PBC), USC Aiken (PBC), USC Upstate (PBC), Georgia College & State University (PBC), Presbyterian (SAC), Lander (PBC), and North Greenville (Ind.).

Atlantic Regional Teams - Barton (CVAC), Belmont Abbey (CVAC), Anderson (CVAC), Pfeiffer (CVAC), Coker (CVAC), Mount Olive (CVAC), Fayetteville State (CIAA), and Limestone (CVAC).