April 7, 2008

LUBBOCK, Texas - In its final tune up for the Big 12 Championships just two weeks away, No. 28 Texas Tech men's golf will head to Austin for the Morris Williams Intercollegiate April 7-8.

Joining the Red Raiders on the par-71 7,412-yard University of Texas Country Club will be eight of the top 50 teams in the country, including top-ranked Alabama. Also competing in the field will be No. 15 Auburn, BYU, No. 20 Central Florida, Fresno State, No. 18 Louisville, New Mexico, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 35 Pepperdine, San Diego, No. 48 TCU and No. 14 UNLV, who won the event last year.

Tech enters the event with three team titles on the year and a total of five top-five finishes overall. Two Red Raiders finished among the top 20 individually in the teams last tournament, the Western Intercollegiate, in Santa Cruz, Calif. Sophomore Will Griffin finished tied for 10th, while junior Garrett Merrell finished 14th. Griffin has led the team for most of the year and enters the tournament with a 72.22 stroke average. Merrell has posted the team's lowest stroke average through much of the spring, while sophomore Chris Ward has tallied an average of 72 in two events this spring.

Action is set to tee off with the first two rounds Monday and the final round Tuesday. Live scoring is available at www.golfstat.com.