FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 28th, 2016
ADVISORY: FINAL ROSTERS SET FOR 2ND ANNUAL EAST LAKE CUP, HEADLINED BY OLYMPIANS AND TOP-RANKED AMATEURS, OCT. 31-NOV. 2
Nation’s Current Top-Ranked Programs; Reigning NCAA Champions, Olympians & Top-Ranked Amateurs to Convene, Airing Live on Golf Channel
Men’s Field: Oregon, Texas, Illinois and Vanderbilt
Women’s Field: Washington, Stanford, UCLA, Duke
Website: East Lake Cup
ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2016 – The final rosters have been announced for the 2nd annual East Lake Cup presented by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Atlanta, Ga., as the nation’s top-ranked golf programs will convene to compete in an elite college match play championship, Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, airing live on Golf Channel each day from 3-6 p.m. ET.
The participating universities include:
MEN’S DIVISION
2016 reigning NCAA national champions University of Oregon; runner-up University of Texas; the 2015 East Lake Cup champion University of Illinois, coming off a school-record nine-tournament-win season; and Vanderbilt University, currently the top-ranked program in the country with three top-five finishes – including one win – thus far in the 2016-17 season.
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Featuring all four teams from the 2016 NCAA National Championship semifinals, and headlined by reigning national champions University of Washington; 2016 runner-up and 2015 national champions Stanford University; three-time national champions and current top-ranked program in the country, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA); and six-time national champions Duke University.
OLYMPIANS AND TOP-RANKED AMATEURS HEADLINE FIELD
The elite eight team field will feature two players who represented their respective countries in the women’s golf competition in the 2016 Rio Olympics: Duke junior Leona Maguire, representing Ireland, and Stanford freshman Albane Valenzuela, representing Switzerland. Both finished tied for 21st, tying for low amateurs in the women’s golf competition.
Maguire, currently ranked No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, has held the top spot 15 of the past 17 months, dating back to May, 2015. She has advanced to the final stage of the 2016 LPGA Qualifying Tournament in December, with the hopes of earning her LPGA Tour card for 2017.
The field also will feature the top-ranked collegiate golfers in the nation (based on Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin rankings), including: Oregon senior Wyndham Clark (No. 1, Golfstat and Golfweek); Illinois junior Dylan Meyer (No. 3 Golfstat, No. 5 Golfweek); Vanderbilt senior Matthias Schwab (No. 6, Golfstat and Golfweek); and Texas senior Gavin Hall (No. 5 Golfweek, No. 8, Golfstat).
In addition to Maguire and Valenzuela in the women’s division, top-ranked players include: UCLA senior and 2015 ANNIKA Award winner Bronte Law (No. 1, Golfweek) and Stanford Freshman Andrea Lee (No. 2, Golfstat).
EAST LAKE CUP MEN’S DIVISION ROSTERS
(click on player names for full bios)
University of Oregon: Wyndham Clark (Senior), Ryan Gronlund (Sophomore), Nigel Lett (Senior), Sulman Raza (Senior), Edwin Yi (Sophomore), Head Coach: Casey Martin
University of Texas: Steven Chervony (Sophomore), Taylor Funk (Junior), Doug Ghim (Junior), Gavin Hall (Senior), Scottie Scheffler (Junior), Head Coach: John Fields
University of Illinois: Bryan Baumgarten (Freshman), Michael Feagles (Freshman), Nick Hardy (Junior), Edoardo Lipparelli (Sophomore), Dylan Meyer (Junior), Head Coach: Mike Small
Vanderbilt University: John Augenstein (Freshman), Will Gordon (Sophomore), Theo Humphrey (Junior), Patrick Martin (Sophomore), Matthias Schwab (Senior), Head Coach: Scott Limbaugh
EAST LAKE CUP WOMEN’S DIVISION ROSTERS
(click on player names for full bios)
University of Washington: Julianne Alvarez (Sophomore), Wenyung Keh (Sophomore), Eunwon Park (Freshman), Sarah Rhee (Sophomore), Ellen Takada (Freshman), Head Coach: Mary Lou Mulflur
Stanford University: Shannon Aubert (Junior), Casey Danielson (Senior), Sierra Kersten (Sophomore), Andrea Lee (Freshman), Albane Valenzuela (Freshman), Head Coach: Anne Walker
University of California (Los Angeles): Mariel Galdiano (Freshman), Bronte Law (Senior), Clare Legaspi (Freshman), Lilia Vu (Sophomore), Bethany Wu (Sophomore), Head Coach: Carrie Forsyth
Duke University: Ana Belac (Freshman), Virginia Elena Carta (Sophomore), Sandy Choi (Senior), Leona Maguire (Junior), Lisa Maguire (Junior), Head Coach: Dan Brooks
EXPANDED FORMAT FOR 2016
The East Lake Cup will expand to three days of live tournament action, following a format from the NCAA men’s and women’s Golf National Championships. On Monday, Oct. 31, the eight teams will compete in individual stroke play competitions to determine the individual champions and to seed for two days of match-play competition. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 1-2, two match-play tournaments will be hosted simultaneously for the men’s and women’s divisions, with the semifinals taking place on Tuesday and the finals and consolation matches on Wednesday.
Oregon won its first-ever NCAA Men’s Golf Team National Championship this past June, defeating Texas 3 to 2 after Sulman Raza earned the deciding point by rolling in a birdie putt on the third playoff hole of his match.
Washington claimed their first NCAA Women’s Golf Team National Championship in May, outlasting defending champion Stanford 3 to 2, thanks to Huskies’ Julianne Alvarez winning her match on the second playoff hole to secure the victory.
WHERE
EAST LAKE GOLF CLUB
The renowned East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., is the home course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones and is the oldest golf course in the city of Atlanta. Over the years, the golf course has hosted many national and regional championships, including the 1950 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 1963 Ryder Cup, and 2001 U.S. Men’s Amateur. It is now the permanent home of the TOUR Championship, the culminating event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup. Additional information may be found at www.eastlakegolfclub.com.
The East Lake Cup is designed to highlight the best of college golf as well as draw attention to the work of the East Lake Foundation. The foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to helping families build better lives and children reach their highest potential through its holistic approach to community revitalization incorporating mixed-income housing, cradle-to-college education and community wellness.
The East Lake Cup, benefitting the East Lake Foundation, also will present the 2nd annual Tom Cousins Award, in recognition of an outstanding male and female golfer who exemplify the values of the East Lake Foundation: exceling in academics, engaging in his or her community and overcoming adversity. This award is named for Tom Cousins, founder of the East Lake Foundation, which transformed a community in despair into a thriving neighborhood, now a national model for community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Monday, Oct. 31
11 a.m. Stroke Play to determine Tues.-Wed. seeding (Men & Women)
3-6 p.m. Golf Channel Live Coverage
Tuesday, Nov. 1
11 a.m. Semifinal Matches (Men & Women)
3-6 p.m. Golf Channel Live Coverage
Wednesday, Nov. 2
11 a.m. Championship & Consolation Matches (Men & Women)
3-6 p.m. Golf Channel Live Coverage
General Admission and public parking to the East Lake Cup Oct. 31-Nov. 2 is FREE
The mascots for the respective universities will be in attendance at East Lake Golf Club on Monday, Oct. 31 and Tuesday, Nov. 1, interacting with fans and participating in Golf Channel’s news and tournament coverage. In addition, Northern Illinois’ mascot – the host school for the 2017 NCAA Division I Golf Championships – will be on-site at East Lake Golf Club.
For more information about the East Lake Cup please visit the tournament website here. Stay connected with the championship using the hashtag #EastLakeCup.
-NBC Sports Group-
