May 5, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the ninth consecutive year, Northwestern University has earned a berth in the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships. The Wildcats earned the No. 10 seed in the Central Regional Championships, which are being hosted by Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. on May 15-17.
The national championships will be conducted May 27-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. Oklahoma State University is the host institution for this year's championships.
In addition to the regional at Kansas State, Auburn University is hosting the East Regional, while the University of Washington hosts the West Regional. A total of 27 teams and six individuals have been selected for regional competition with 10 teams and two individuals advancing from each regional to the championships finals.
Northwestern has earned trips to the NCAA finals four times under head coach Pat Goss, and eight times overall. NU's last national championships appearance came in 2000, when the 'Cats finished eighth. Last year in Little Rock, Ark., the Wildcats missed a fifth trip in six years by a pair of strokes.
Texas, the Big XII champion, is the top seed in the Central Region. Also joining the Wildcats in Manhattan are Big Ten schools Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan State and Ohio State. For a complete listing of the tournament field, visit NCAA Golf Championships. (click on "Sports & Championships")
The Wildcats are led by junior Tom Johnson (Sacramento, Calif./Del Campo), who currently owns the fifth-best single-season stroke average (71.45) in school history.