April 6, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The men's golf team will travel to Charlotte, N.C. April 9-10 to compete in the annual Palisades Collegiate Classic co-hosted by the Charlotte Sports Commission, the Charlotte 49ers, Davidson College and Belmont Abbey College. The 54-hole tournament will be played at the Palisades Country Club for the first time after being held at the Birkdale Golf Club the past eight years.

Traveling to North Carolina for the Memphis Tigers and the line-up for the tournament will be junior golfer Ian Rochester, junior Robbie Greenwell, freshman Hugo Lauzon, sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin and freshman Brandon Bunn.

"I am looking forward to going to Charlotte," said head coach Grant Robbins. "I've heard the course there is really nice, and I am looking forward to playing there. It will be a pretty strong field. It will be the last tournament before conference, and I am hoping we can gain some momentum this week."

The 18-team field will consist of some of the best teams from the Southeast, along with some top teams in the country. Memphis enters the tournament ranked 88th. One team enters the tournament ranked in the top-5. Five teams enter the tournament ranked in the top-50, eight teams are ranked in the top-100 going into the tournament and three teams are ranked in the top-200.

The tournament field consists of Charlotte (23), Davidson (168), Francis Marion (151), Lamar (4), Louisville (20), Mercer (147), Mississippi (56), Mississippi State (73), Nebraska (78), North Florida (63), Sam Houston State (48), South Alabama (76), Southeastern Louisiana (35), Tennessee-Chattanooga (43), Texas-Arlington (98) and Xavier (53). Division II standouts Belmont Abbey and USC-Aiken are also competing in the tournament.

Memphis did not participate in the tournament last year. Charlotte has won the tournament the past two years. Some past champions from the tournament are Central Florida, North Carolina, Wake Forest, East Tennessee State, VCU and Columbus State. Neil O'Briain of Wofford was the medalist for the tournament last year. Charlotte's Andrew DiBitetto was the 2005 medalist.

Sunday, April 8 will start the practice round, with official tournament play beginning on Monday, April 9.