Cougars claim six-seed in NCAA Tournament

PROVO, Utah – Coming off a strong spring season, BYU claimed a six-seed at the Pullman Regional of the 2013 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Championships Monday night.

The Cougars will travel to Pullman, Wash. to compete in the 14-team regional tournament on May 16-18 at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club hosted by Washington State.

Five other regional tournaments will occur simultaneously with the low five teams from each regional advancing to the finals at The Capital City Club, Crabapple Course in Atlanta, Ga.

“With the win at the Cougar [Classic], hopefully we’re just full of confidence and we go up there and make a lot of putts,” BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said.  “If we do that we’ll have some success, but it is a shootout. Every year there are so many great teams around the country. You have 54 holes and you have to figure out how to get one of those spots.”

BYU has found its groove as of late, finishing seven straight tournaments in the top-three, including two team victories during the spring. Over the course of the season, the Cougars have claimed 10 top-five finishes among the 12 tournaments they’ve competed in. Senior Zac Blair has claimed two individual tournament titles, while Justin Keiley and Devon Purser have both claimed one apiece.

“I think the guys have really done a great job this semester moving down 35 or 40 spots,” Brockbank said. “It’s really good golf because we haven’t been able to do that the last couple years, especially coming out of the snow.

The Pullman Regional features No. 1 California as well as West Coast Conference foe No. 24 Saint Mary’s (Calif.). Eighty-one teams total compete in the six regionals with 30 teams advancing to the finals on May 28-June 2.

BYU last competed in the NCAA regionals as a team during the 2009-10 season finishing in sixth place at The Capital City Club, host of this year’s finals. Blair tied for 45th place at the 2010 regionals and looks to help the Cougars return once again to those same links.

Follow the Cougars and the NCAA Pullman Regional live at golfstat.com. For a complete list of all teams competing in this year's NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships visit ncaa.com.

Pullman, Wash. Regional - Palouse Ridge Golf Club