May 5, 2008

TUSCALOOSA - For the second straight year, the University of Alabama men's golf team is a No. 1 seed in one of the three NCAA golf regionals that will take place nationally May 15-17. But, despite being the nation's No. 1 ranked team in both the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and the Golf World/Nike Coaches' poll and winning six out of its 10 tournaments this season, Alabama is not the top seed overall in the NCAA Championships. That distinction has gone to Georgia which is the No. 1 seed overall and the top seed in the NCAA East Regional which will be played in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Bulldogs were the top overall seed in 2007 as well. Southern California is the No. 2 seed overall and the top seed in the West Regional in Bremerton, Washington.

Alabama is the third seed overall in the tournament and the No. 1 seed in the Central Regional which will be played at The Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.

"I'm a little surprised," said Alabama head golf coach Jay Seawell whose team won the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championship and leads the country in team tournament wins this season. "I thought we would be the one seed in the East, but we are the one seed in the Central. That's where the committee put us, so we'll get on a jet and get to Columbus, Ohio, next week."

Each of the three NCAA regionals includes a field of 27 teams and six individuals. The top 10 teams and two individuals advance to the NCAA team finals which are hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., May 28-31. The finals field includes 30 teams and six individuals. Last year Alabama finished 2nd in the Central Regional and went on to finished sixth at the team finals. In 2007 Alabama was sent to the Central Regional as its top seed and the second overall seed.

The 2008 Central Regional field includes, in order of seeding and with the Golfweek/Sagarin ranking listed first and Golf World Coaches' ranking second, No. 1/No. 1 Alabama, No. 5/No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 8/No. 3 Georgia Tech, No. 6/No. 4 Florida, No. 11/No. 11 Tennessee, No. 27/No. NR Lamar, No. 22/No. 24 Wake Forest, No. 23/No. 22 Indiana, No. 17/No. 18 Texas A&M, No. 25/No. 23 Louisville, Wichita State, Kent State, Penn State, Arkansas, Michigan, TCU, Texas-Arlington, host school Ohio State, Baylor, Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Cleveland State, Loyola-Maryland and Sacred Heart.

"It looks like a mini-SEC's there in the top 10," said Seawell. "I know that Florida and Tennessee are in there in the top 10 with us. So it looks like a great regional. The top 10 teams that I saw are very, very good. At a glance they're all (each regional) difficult, but it looks like we have a difficult chore ahead of us. But it's the NCAA's, so you expect nothing else."

SEC Golfer of the Year and 2008 Masters participant Michael Thompson said he and his teammates are disappointed they will not be able to play closer to home at the East Regional which is within three hours of Tuscaloosa, but he says he and his teammates will go into the Central Regional with the same intent they would have gone into the East---to win one of those top 10 spots to advance to the finals where they can compete for a national championship.

"I guess the good thing is we're going to a regional and we're a No. 1 seed," said Thompson who finished T-4th at the NCAA finals in 2007, "but it's just hard to believe that we didn't get number one overall. But it happened. So we'll look forward to going to Columbus. I've never been to Columbus, so it'll be a fun trip."

It is the 12th time Alabama has qualified for NCAA regional play since 1991 and the fourth year in a row. Jay Seawell has now advanced Alabama to postseason play in five of the six seasons he has been Alabama's head coach.

Alabama has advanced to the team finals 10 times, including 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2007, though the NCAA has not always held regional qualifiers for the finals. Alabama played in its first regional qualifier in 1991 and did not advance. It did advance in 1992, 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2007. Alabama's best finish ever in golf at the NCAA finals is T-3rd in a Jerry Pate driven team in 1975. Alabama finished 11th in 1992, and Seawell's team cracked the top 10 again last season when it finished sixth at the finals. Alabama has been sent to the East Regional 8 times, the Central Regional three times (including 2008) and the West Regional once, in 2006.

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Following are the teams selected for each regional, in order of seeding. All regionals are May 15-17. Top 10 teams and two individuals (from teams that do not advance) go on to NCAA finals May 28-31 at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind.

EAST REGIONAL Council Fire Golf Club - Chattanooga, Tennessee Hosted by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Teams 1. Georgia 2. Charlotte 3. South Carolina 4. Duke 5. Chattanooga 6. Auburn 7. East Tennessee State 8. Michigan State 9. Mississippi 10. UAB 11. Virginia Tech 12. North Carolina State 13. Mississippi State 14. Georgia State 15. North Florida 16. UC Irvine 17. Augusta State 18. SMU 19. Middle Tennessee 20. Coastal Carolina 21. Memphis 22. Virginia 23. Western Carolina 24. Colorado State 25. New Mexico State 26. Western Illinois 27. Jackson State

Individuals: 1. Keegan Bradley, St. John's (New York) 2. Jose Toledo, New Orleans 3. Johnny Caldwell, South Alabama 4. Michael McGrady, Troy 5. Jon Curran, Vanderbilt 6. Grant Leaver, Austin Peay State

CENTRAL REGIONAL Scarlet Golf Course - Columbus, Ohio Hosted by The Ohio State University

Teams 1. Alabama 2. Oklahoma State 3. Georgia Tech 4. Florida 5. Tennessee 6. Lamar 7. Wake Forest 8. Indiana 9. Texas A&M 10. Louisville 11. Wichita State 12. Kent State 13. Penn State 14. Arkansas 15. Michigan 16. TCU 17. Texas-Arlington 18. Illinois 19. Ohio State 20. Baylor 21. Colorado 22. Eastern Kentucky 23. Marquette 24. Eastern Michigan 25. Cleveland State 26. Loyola (Maryland) 27. Sacred Heart

Individuals: 1. Chris Baker, Iowa State 2. Clayton Rask, Minnesota 3. Josh Sandman, Notre Dame 4. Victor Almstrom, Minnesota 5. Brent Long, Western Kentucky 6. Jordan Weber, Northern Iowa

WEST REGIONAL Gold Mountain Golf Club - Bremerton, Washington Hosted by University of Washington

1. Southern California 2. UCLA 3. Florida State 4. Stanford 5. Clemson 6. UNLV 7. North Carolina 8. Texas Tech 9. Central Florida 10. Arizona State 11. San Diego State 12. Texas 13. LSU 14. Oregon State 15. Pepperdine 16. Oregon 17. California 18. St. Mary's (California) 19. Kentucky 20. Wisconsin 21. Washington 22. Oklahoma 23. Kansas State 24. San Diego 25. Denver 26. Navy 27. Columbia

Individuals: 1. Troy Merritt, Boise State 2. Brian Locke, Loyola Marymount 3. Tarquin Macmanus, Arizona 4. Jason D'Amore, Loyola Marymount 5. Nathan Stamey, North Carolina-Greensboro 6. Jimmy Lytle, Elon