May 19, 2004
WEST POINT, N.Y. - With grueling final exams behind them, the Army golf team can now focus on their next big test, the NCAA East Regional, held at the Golf Course at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. The Black Knights are one of 27 teams dueling for one of the top 10 spots and a berth to the NCAA Championship in Hot Springs, Va.
Army is making its second appearance in the regional tournament in three years. The Black Knights captured the 2004 Patriot League title, earning them the automatic bid into the regionals. Army bested second-place Lehigh by 13 strokes en route to winning the conference crown.
Army joins some of the elite teams in the country at the East Regional, including the top three ranked teams in Division I by golfweek.com. Florida owns the best Sagarin rating at 69.93, while Clemson (70.56), the defending NCAA champion, and Georgia (70.74) follow close behind. For comparison, Army's ranking is 76.52. Other teams competing in the tournament include Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Augusta State, Wake Forest, Duke, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana State, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, N.C. State, Alabama-Birmingham, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Georgia Southern, Penn State, Georgetown, Towson, Rhode Island, Maryland, Binghamton, Yale and Long Island.
Head coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger has selected juniors Scott Manley, Pete Phipps and Mark Erwin as well as sophomores D.J. Reeves and Austin Luher to represent the Academy at the regional.
Manley is the only player on the Black Knight roster with NCAA experience, having competed in the 2002 Central Regional in Little Rock, Ark. A former Patriot League "Player of the Year", Manley owns a team-low 74.8 stroke average, and was the top Army finisher at the 2002 Regional with a 54-hole total of 234 (76-77-81), placing him 108th.
Phipps appeared in all eight spring tournaments for the Black Knights, averaging 76.1 strokes per round. He placed in the top 10 in three tournaments this season, including a second-place showing at the Patriot League/Ivy League Classic in Somers Point, N.J. Also of note, Phipps and Manley earned All-Patriot League honors following the conference tournament.
Erwin walked 17 rounds this spring, boasting a 78.9 stroke average. During a solid 2003 fall slate, Erwin posted low rounds for 18 holes (71), 36 holes (150) and 54 holes (219). Additionally, Erwin shot a "hole-in-one" on the second hole at the Sam Houston Invitational in March.
Reeves has consistently lowered his scores throughout the spring and looks to be a significant contributor to the Army team score. The runner-up at the 2004 Patriot League Tournament, Reeves carded a three-round score of 229, just six strokes behind medallist Billy Hurley of Navy. In 15 rounds this spring, Reeves averaged 78.1 shots per round.
Rounding out the Army contingent is Luher, who along with Phipps is the only Army golfer to appear in all 19 rounds this spring. He is third on the squad with a 76.3 stroke average and posted a career-low round of 70 at the Bradford Creek Intercollegiate in early April.
The three-day regional tournament is set to begin Thursday, May 20 in New Haven, Conn. Fans can follow the action live on the internet by clicking HERE. The top 10 teams from each of the three regionals advance to the NCAA Championships, to be held June 1-4 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va.
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