WVU to Host Mountaineer Intercollegiate

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (October 18, 2015) – It’s an historic week for the West Virginia University golf team, as head coach Sean Covich and company will host the inaugural Mountaineer Intercollegiate at Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, West Virginia, on October 19-20.

 “We are excited to host our inaugural tournament at one of our home courses, the Pete Dye Golf Club. The entire staff has done an amazing job welcoming more than 80 collegiate golfers to one of the premier courses in America,” said Covich. “We look forward to showcasing our state and the wonderful hospitality of West Virginia.”

 All 10 Mountaineers on the roster will compete in the event, with five competing for a team score and the rest playing as individuals. Max Sear, Avery Schneider, Easton Renwick, Chris Williams and Alan Cooke will compete as a team for West Virginia.

 Sear is coming off a runner-up finish at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 7. The true freshman was tied for first going into the second round, and guided the Mountaineers to a program-best finish as they took sixth place overall.

 Schneider and Renwick also posted top-20 finishes at the event, as Schneider finished tied for 13th and Renwick tied for 18th. It marked the second top-20 finish of the season for Renwick, who leads WVU with a stroke average of 72.25 through three tournaments.

 Williams and Cooke are each competing in their fourth tournament of the season for the Mountaineers. Cooke’s first-round score of 67 at the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational on September 15 tied the low round of the season for WVU, as Renwick also shot a 67 at Marshall. Williams led WVU with at the Graeme McDowell Invitational, taking 32nd place overall.

 “Our team played well in our last event at N.C. State and had a chance to win with nine holes to play,” said Covich. “I think that will give us the confidence we need to finish this fall season strong.”

 Mason Short, Tae Wan Lee, Tristan Nicholls, Cole Hand and Jon Ransone will compete as individuals for the Mountaineers.

 Due to weather concerns, changes have been made to the format of the Mountaineer Intercollegiate. With temperatures expected to drop below freezing on Sunday night, a frost delay was anticipated for Monday morning. Therefore, the tournament has been shortened from 54 holes to 36. Players will tee off in a shotgun start at an adjusted start time of 11:30 a.m. Monday morning and play 18 holes. Players will return to the course for the final 18 holes on Tuesday. Teams will tee off in a shotgun start at an adjusted start time of 9 a.m.

 Five of the 14 programs competing rank in the top-100 of GolfWeek’s most recent rankings (October 13), headlined by Penn State’s No. 15 ranking. UConn (No. 67), Missouri (No. 73), Miami (OH, No. 89) and Bowling Green (No. 100) are also in the top-100. Also participating the event are Cincinnati (No. 104), Akron (No. 105), Mississippi State (No. 106), Toledo (No. 107), Towson (No. 137), Marshall (No. 156), Seton Hall (No. 201) and St. John’s (No. 262). Both Penn State and Miami (OH) are coming off of NCAA Regional Appearances in 2015. The Mountaineers rank No. 155.

 Pete Dye Golf Club is located in Bridgeport, West Virginia. The course is ranked No. 45 on Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Courses and comes in at No. 9 on Golfweek’s ranking of Best Modern Courses. Mining remnants and rambunctious terrain combine across 250 acres in the Appalachian Mountains. Pete Dye previously played host to a PGA TOUR/web.com event (2004-09). The course runs 7,353 yards as a par-72 with a slope of 144 and a handicap rating of 75.7.

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