Field Announced for Fourth Annual Gopher Invitational

The University of Minnesota men's golf program announced the participating teams for the 2008 Gopher Invitational. The fourth annual event will take place at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minn., on Sept. 12-14. This year's three-day event is free to the public and begins on Friday with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Tee times for Saturday's second round and Sunday's final round will also begin at 8 a.m.

The field features 12 teams from eight different collegiate conferences. The Big Ten Conference has the biggest representation, as the host Minnesota Golden Gophers are joined by the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes are making their first appearance in the Gopher Invitational while the Badgers are back at the par 72, 7,020-yard Tom Fazio designed layout after finishing as the runner-up in last year's event.

Southern Methodist University is making its fourth consecutive visit to the Gopher Invite while the University of Washington is back after finishing in a tie for first in the inaugural event. Rounding out the field are Arkansas, Iowa State, LSU, Marquette, Pepperdine, Texas and Yale - all of which are making their first trip to the Gopher Invitational.

In its short tenure, the Gopher Invitational has been an excellent barometer of future success in that season's NCAA Championships. Minnesota won the inaugural Gopher Invitational in 2005 and went on to finish third in the 2006 NCAA Championships the next spring. The Stanford Cardinal edged the Gophers in 2006 and went on to capture the NCAA Championship.

Minnesota finished the 2007-08 campaign on a high note as they garnered a second place finish at the Big Ten Championships. The club did not receive a bid to the NCAA Central Regional but a pair of Gophers did, including senior Victor Almstrom. Almstrom, named to the All-Big Ten First Team as a junior, finished in a tie for 41st place at 13-over 226.

The Gophers roster will be experienced in 2008-09, as they return nine players that have collegiate golf experience, including Almstrom and fellow senior Yu Katayama. Katayama, a native of Tokyo, Japan, has been Minnesota's hottest golfer this summer, having won the Minnesota State Open and also qualified for the U.S. Amateur.

The youth is there as well with a recruiting class that consists of Robert Bell (Pierz, Minn.), Derek Chang (Alpharetta, Ga.), David Haley Jr. (Hilliard, Ohio), Chris Meyer (Edina, Minn.) and Tim Peterzen (Elk River, Minn.)

Team capsules for the Fourth Annual Gopher Invitational are below.

University of Arkansas coached by Brad McMakin (2nd year at Arkansas)...tied for 2nd at last years Gopher Invite... joins LSU as the only participants from the Southeastern Conference... finished tied for 19th at 2008 NCAA Central Regional...top returning players include Andrew Landry (72.83 stroke average last season...three top-five finishes and nine top-20 finishes) and David Lingmerth (73.39 stroke average last season...nine top 20 finishes).

University of Iowa coached by Mark Hankins (2nd year at Iowa)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... one of three Big Ten Conference teams amongst field... finished 10th at the 2008 Big Ten Championships... top returning players include Cole Peevier (73.9 stroke average last season) and Vince India (74.3 stroke average last season).

Iowa State University coached by Jay Horton (11th year at Iowa State)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... joins Texas as the only Big 12 Conference participants in the field... finished 9th at the 2008 Big 12 Championships... top returning players include Ben Herrera (73.45 stroke average last season) and Ross Menke (75.85 stroke average last season).

Louisiana State University coached by Chuck Winstead (4th year at LSU)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... joins Arkansas as the only participants from the Southeastern Conference... finished 8th at 2008 SEC Championships... finished 22nd at 2008 NCAA West Regional... 2008 recruiting class ranked #4 nationally by Golfweek Magazine... top returning players include Jarrod Barsamian (74.1 stroke average last season), Andrew Loupe (74.1 stroke average last season) and Josh Peterson (74.1 stroke average last season).

Marquette University coached by Tom Grogan, the 2008 Big East Conference Coach of the Year (18th year at Marquette)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... only Big East Conference team in the field... won the 2008 Big East Championships... finished 24th at 2008 NCAA Central Regional... top returning players include All-American Mike Van Sickle, the 16th ranked amateur in the country, (71.39 stroke average last season) and Kelly Kretz (74.97 stroke average last season).

Pepperdine University coached by John Geiberger (13th year at Pepperdine)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... only West Coast Conference team in the field... tied for 2nd at the 2008 WCC Championships... finished tied for 9th at the 2008 NCAA West Regional... top returning players include Andrew Putnam (73.07 stroke average last season) and Andrew Widmar (75.42 stroke average last season).

Southern Methodist University coached by Jay Loar (11th year at SMU)... have been a part of all three Gopher Invitationals ... finished 9th in 2007, 3rd in 2006 and 10th in 2005... only Conference USA team in the field... finished 4th at the Conference USA Championships... finished 23rd at 2008 NCAA East Regional... top returning players include Ben Tewes (72.18 stroke average last season) and Kelly Kraft (72.50 stroke average last season).

University of Texas coached by John Fields (9th year at Texas)... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... joins Iowa State as the only Big 12 Conference participants in the field... finished 2nd at the 2008 Big 12 Championships... tied for 9th at the 2008 NCAA West Regional... finished 19th at 2008 NCAA Championships... top returning players include Charlie Holland (71.39 stroke average last season) and Bobby Hudson (72.33 stroke average last season).

University of Washington coached by Matt Thurmond (8th year at Texas)... making second appearance in the Gopher Invite field... finished in a tie for first in the inaugural Gopher Invitational in 2005... only Pac-10 Conference participant in the field... finished 7th at the 2008 Pac-10 Championships... garnered a 4th place finish at the 2008 NCAA West Regional... finished 7th at the 2008 NCAA Championships... top returning players include Nick Taylor (72.81 stroke average last season) and Darren Wallace (74.26 stroke average last season)... Taylor finished in a tie for 2nd place at the 2008 NCAA Championships and played in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and the 2008 Canadian Open.

University of Wisconsin coached by Jim Schuman (5th year at Wisconsin)... second appearance in the Gopher Invite field... runner-up to Lamar University in the 2007 Gopher Invite... joins Iowa and Minnesota as Big 10 Conference participants in the field... finished 8th at 2008 Big Ten Championships... finished 14th at 2008 NCAA West Regional... top returning players include Dan Woltman (73.97 stroke average last season) and Dan Zimmerman (74.24 stroke average last season)... both qualified for 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst... Zimmerman finished in a tie for 1st place at the 2007 Gopher Invite.

Yale University coached by Colin Sheehan (1st year at Yale)... Sheehan replaces Dave Paterson, who retired after 33 years as the Bulldogs' coach... first appearance in the Gopher Invite field... lone Ivy League participant in the field... finished 2nd at 2008 Ivy League Championships... top returning player is Colby Moore (75.36 stroke average last season).

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Players Mentioned

Victor Almstrom

Robert Bell

Derek Chang

David Haley Jr.

Yu Katayama

Tim Peterzen

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University of Minnesota Athletics