Oct. 12, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University men's golf team will participate in its fourth tournament of the 2008 fall season Monday and Tuesday at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate hosted by the University of Alabama. The two-day competition will be held at the Old Overton Club.

The 2008 Jerry Pate Intercollegiate will feature a field of 12 teams. On Monday, the teams will play 36 holes, while the third-and-final round of the 54-hole tournament will be held Tuesday.

The tournament is named in honor of 1974 U.S. Amateur champion Jerry Pate. The former Alabama golfer plays on the PGA's Champions Tour after a successful career on the PGA Tour.

The 2008 field includes 12 teams, five of which are ranked in the Golf World/NIKE Golf Coaches' poll and/or the Golfweek Sagarin Rankings. Alabama, the tournament's defending champion, leads the list of ranked teams in both polls at No. 8 in the Coaches' poll and No. 10 in the Golfweek rankings.

Baylor is ranked No. 5 in the Golfweek rankings. UNLV is No. 8 in the Golfweek rankings and No. 21 in the Golf World/Coaches' rankings. Auburn is ranked No. 20 in the Coaches' poll and No. 39 by Golfweek. UAB is ranked No. 46 by Golfweek. Rounding out the field is Samford, Georgia State, Memphis, North Carolina, North Carolina-Wilmington, North Florida and SMU.

Samford's 2008-09 roster boasts nine returning letterwinners and a talented transfer from Mississippi State, Alex Harper. Samford's senior class consists of Bobby Baird, Jeremy Cox, Ian Cutting and Andrew Villarreal.

The Bulldogs don't have any freshmen on this year's squad, therefore junior Don Franklin and sophomores Tyler Baird, Martin Bunt, Chris Duffy and Houston Hough will be looked upon to anchor the team.

Head coach Woodie Eubanks is in the midst of his sixth season at the helm of the Samford men's golf program. Assistant coach Ryan Mayberry is in his first season on the coaching staff.

Following Samford's opening two rounds of competition Monday, the Bulldogs will return to the Old Overton Club in Birmingham on Tuesday for the final round of competition in the 2008 Jerry Pate Intercollegiate.