RICHARDSON, Texas –– Eighty-two golfers – 47 men, 35 women – are set to tee off on Monday (April 19) at the 2010 American Southwest Conference Golf Championships being played over two days for the first time at Horseshoe Bay Resort. The conference office released the field on Wednesday (April 14).

The event, in its 14th year, will feature nine men's teams (top-seeded Texas-Tyler followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mississippi College, Schreiner, Concordia Texas, Texas Lutheran, Hardin-Simmons, McMurry and Texas-Dallas), seven women's squads (top-seeded Texas-Tyler followed by Schreiner, McMurry, Mary Hardin-Baylor, LeTourneau, Texas Lutheran and Texas-Dallas) and two medalists (LeTourneau's Spencer Rothluebber and Louisiana College's John Willie).

Starts times are set for 8:30 a.m. each day. The men, who will have shotgun starts, are scheduled for 54 holes (36 on Monday, 18 on Tuesday) at the par-71 Ram Rock course. The women, who will have progressive tee times on Monday followed by a final-round shotgun start, will play 36 holes (18 each day) at the par-72 Apple Rock course. Each championship team will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Golf Championships.

On the men's side, Mary Hardin-Baylor enters as the two-time defending champion. The Cru, guided by then first-year head coach Aaron Rodeffer, put together rounds of 304, 297 and 299 for a 900 total and a three-stroke victory over runner-up McMurry last year at Hurricane Creek Country Club in Anna, Texas. Now-graduated Eric White of UMHB won his second straight individual crown with a 2-over-par 218, while Rodeffer took coach of the year honors.

Texas-Tyler's Brandon Ellis and Texas-Dallas' Brian Vaughn return after first team all-conference performances last season. McMurry's Nick Mehigan, UMHB's Johnathan Sustaita and Mississippi College's Joel Richardson are back after they earned second team all-conference honors at the 2009 ASC Championships.

Texas-Tyler is the women's defending champion. The Patriots, guided by reigning coach of the year King Campbell, fired a tournament-low 335 on the final day to cap a 684 card and a 12-stroke victory over runner-up Schreiner at Hurricane Creek. LeTourneau sophomore medalist Leslie Lee took the individual honors with a 15-over-par 159.

All five first team all-conference performers from the 2009 ASC Championships return. Lee is joined by Texas Lutheran's Angela Aufderhaar, McMurry's Monica Harris, UT Tyler's Katie Harris and SU's Sarah Stillwell. Second Team All-Conference players Liz Calderon and Surraya Minhas of Schreiner, Allison Williams of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Libby Scarlett of McMurry are also coming back.

NOTES: This is the first time in ASC Championships history that the men will play a par 71 format. . . . Mary Hardin-Baylor has won the most combined conference titles with 11 (seven for the women, four for the men) and the most combined individual crowns with seven (five for the women, three for the men). . . . At the national level last season, the UT Tyler men went on to finish a conference-record fourth, while the UMHB finished tied for 25th. On the women's side, UT Tyler came in 19th. This year's national tournaments are set for May 11-14 (men at Hershey Links and Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pa., and the women at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.). . . . Horseshoe Bay Resort website: http://www.hsbresort.com/

Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Men: 54 holes (36-18) / Ram Rock course (Par 71)
Women: 36 holes (18-18) / Apple Rock course (Par 72)

 

MEN'S FIELD:

Teams (seed)

(1) Texas-Tyler

(2) Mary Hardin-Baylor

(3) Mississippi College

(4) Schreiner

(5) Concordia Texas

(6) Texas Lutheran

(7) Hardin-Simmons

(8) McMurry

(9) Texas-Dallas

Medalists:

Spencer Rothluebber, LeTourneau; John Willie, Louisiana College

WOMEN'S FIELD

Teams (seed):

(1) Teas-Tyler

(2) Schreiner

(3) McMurry

(4) Mary Hardin-Baylor

(5) LeTourneau

(6) Texas Lutheran

(7) Texas-Dallas