No. 1 Auburn Golf Returns To Action Sunday At The U.S. Collegiate - AuburnTigers.com

No. 1 Auburn Golf Returns To Action Sunday At The U.S. Collegiate The 14-team field boasts four top-10 and eight top-25 programs.

Jackson Beindorf

Oct. 21, 2011

AUBURN - The top-ranked Auburn men's golf team begins play Sunday at the 2011 U.S. Collegiate Championship at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga.

The Tigers will take on a field boasting four top-10 and eight top-25 programs - No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 Georgia Tech, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 11 USC, No. 12 Clemson, No. 18 Florida State, No. 21 Duke, No. 23 Virginia, East Tennessee State, Iowa, Kent State, Wake Forest and Washington.

So far this season, Auburn has amassed 5-3-1 record against top-10 and a 13-4-1 record against top-25 competition.

"It is an exciting opportunity to play in an event like the U.S. Collegiate," said Auburn head coach Nick Clinard. "We have had a good amount of time to work on our games since the Jerry Pate. We are feeling confident and ready to play."

Unlike other college golf events, the U.S. Collegiate provides a caddie to every player and requires long pants for competitors. Galleries often follow the players as you would see in a Walker Cup or U.S. Amateur atmosphere.

Senior Will McCurdy will lead the Tigers in the No. 1 spot on Sunday followed by junior Blayne Barber in the No. 2 position.

McCurdy currently leads the 2011-12 Auburn men's golf team in scoring average (71.78), up-and-downs and par-5 performance. Barber, the Tigers' 2011 Palmer and Walker Cup selection, is third on the team in scoring average and has finished top-15 in 10-of-12 events since transferring to Auburn from Central Florida in 2009.

Junior Dominic Bozzelli will play the third spot for the Tigers after counting a perfect 6-for-6 rounds during the first two events of the season. The Pittsford, N.Y., native leads the team in greens in regulation (77.8 percent) and sand saves (66.7 percent).

Freshman Michael Johnson will make his fourth consecutive appearance for the Tigers after signing with Auburn as the No. 7 junior golf recruit in the world. The Birmingham, Ala., native ranks second on the team, averaging just 30.7 putts per round.

Junior Jackson Beindorf will make his first appearance for Auburn since the Tigers' win at last season's Bluegrass Invitational.

Directions to The Golf Club of Georgia are available at the club's website, www.GolfClubOfGeorgia.com. Live scoring and tee times will be made available via www.GolfStat.com.