Princeton University Athletics
Men's Golf Learns NCAA Fate, Stamps Ticket To Fresno
May 09, 2000 | Men's Golf
May 9, 2000
The Princeton University men's golf team will participate in the NCAA West Regional at Riverbend Golf Course in Madera, Calif., on May 18-20. This is the Tigers' first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1996, and the first time they have represented the Ivy League as champions since 1995.
The Tigers will be one of 27 teams who will play at Riverbend, the home course of the Fresno State Bulldogs. Each team will play one round apiece on May 18, 19 and 20. A minimum of eight teams will advance from the West Regional to the NCAA championship, although the Division I Men's Golf Committee can announce at a later date that more teams that will advance from the regional due to the overall strength of the field. The West Regional contains numerous Pac-10 teams, including champion Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA and Stanford. BYU, UNLV and host Fresno State are among the other teams competing at Riverbend.
Princeton secured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with a win in the Ivy League championship three weekends ago. Princeton shot a three-round total of 895, giving it a nine-stroke advantage over second-place Pennsylvania. Nat Hoopes (Fr., Marion, Mass.) led the way, winning the individual title with a three-round total of 219. He held a two-stroke advantage over Penn's Chad Perman and a four-stroke advantage over teammate Judd Pritchard (Sr., Fort Worth, Tx.), who shot a 223. Those two Tigers, along with fifth-place James Milam (So., Idaho Falls, Id.), who shot a 225, were all named first-team all-Ivy. No other team had three golfers named first-team All-Ivy. Princeton hasn't had one player named first-team All-Ivy in the past two years. Princeton's other two scorers were Cassidy Traub (Fr., Long Beach, Calif.), who shot a 230, and Peter McWhorter (Jr., Greenwich, Conn.), who shot a 231. Those five will likely form the lineup that Princeton will use at the West Regional. The Tigers have a storied tradition in men's golf, winning 12 national championships between 1914 and 1930, including four straight between 1927-1930. Princeton hasn't been a contender for the national title since it finished second in the 1980 championship meet. The Tigers are playing in their first NCAA tournament since 1996, when they tied for 14th in the District Championship. This is the first trip to regionals since 1994, when the Tigers placed 19th at the East Regional in Opelika, Ala.