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Illini MGolf opens play at NCAA New Haven regional

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Sep 16, 2006
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Tournament2022 NCAA New Haven Regional
DateMay 16-18
LocationNew Haven, Conn.
CourseYale Golf Course
Live ScoringGolfstat
Illinois InfoTournament Notes (PDF) | Roster | Schedule | Season Stats
ShopFighting Illini Store
Social MediaTwitter | Instagram | Facebook
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Fighting Illini men's golf team - ranked No. 17 and No. 20 in the latest Golfweek and GolfStat team rankings, respectively - tees off Monday at Yale Golf Course to begin three days of competition at the 2022 NCAA New Haven Regional hosted by Yale University. The Orange and Blue are making their 14th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and are also looking to advance to the NCAA Championship round for the 14th consecutive time.

THE SETTING
The 2022 NCAA New Haven Regional is hosted by Yale University at Yale Golf Course in New Haven, Conn. The par-70, 6,766 yard course has been ranked No. 83 in the world by Golf Magazine and the No. 1 college course in America by Golfweek. It opened in 1926 and is considered one of the finest examples of the portfolio of renowned golf course architect Charles Blair Macdonald, who designed the track in collaboration with Seth Raynor. Large greens with deep bunkers and wide, rolling fairways are the core of Yale's strategic and penal character. The course has been the site of every significant state championship, two USGA Junior National events, and five previous NCAA Regionals in 1991, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015.

Two current Illini - seniors Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Tommy Kuhl - have competed on the course during their time in the Orange and Blue, teeing off as individual competitors during their freshman season when the Illini won the team title at The Macdonald Cup in the fall of 2018. Dumont de Chassart shot 69-68-65 to finish in tie for second with a 54-hole total of 202 (-8). Kuhl shot 73-98-72 to finish with a 3-over 213 in a tie for 19th. Overall seven Illini captured top-25 individual finishes during that event, which the team won by seven strokes over host Yale.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 54-hole tournament will be played over three days, Monday-Wednesday, with 18 holes slated for each day. The low four scores will count towards the team score in each round. The top five teams, and the low individual not on one of those teams, will advance to the NCAA Championship.

THE FIELD
The Fighting Illini enter the postseason as the No. 4 seed at the New Haven Regional in a strong field that includes 10 programs ranked inside the top-60 of the latest Golfstat team rankings. No. 5 North Carolina is the top seed at the regional, followed by No. 8 Texas Tech, and No. 17 Wake Forest just ahead of the Illini. No. 27 NC State is the fifth seed, followed by Charlotte (31), North Florida (39), Georgia Southern (49), Mississippi State (52), and Virginia (58). UCF (68), Seton Hall (90), host Yale (166) and Sacred Heart (204) round out the 14-team field vying for five bids to the NCAA Championship, May 27-June 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The 10 Individual qualifiers for the NCAA New Haven Regional are: Roberto Nieves, Delaware; Eddy Lai, UCLA; Caleb Manuel, UConn; Adrian Vagberg, VCU; and Ryan Tall, Lafayette.

FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Adrien Dumont de Chassart
No. 2: Piercen Hunt
No. 3: Tommy Kuhl
No. 4: Jackson Buchanan
No. 5: Jerry Ji
Alt: Nico Lang

ILLINI HISTORY AT THE NCAA REGIONALS
The 2022 NCAA New Haven Regional marks the 20th regional appearance for the Fighting Illini since 1989, and the 17th under the guidance of head coach Mike Small, who has now led the program to 14 consecutive regional berths dating back to 2008.

Small's teams have experienced great success in the regional round, having advanced to the NCAA Championship in each of their last 13 events, sitting one behind Texas for the longest active streak in the nation.

Small has also guided the Orange and Blue to five NCAA Regional team titles, including their most recent in 2019 at Myrtle Beach. The Illini claimed four consecutive regional titles in 2013 (Fayetteville), 2014 (Sugar Grove), 2015 (Noblesville), and 2016 (Kohler), becoming just the second program to ever accomplish the feat (Arizona, 1990-93).

Individually, four different Illini have captured five medalist finishes at regionals. Former Illini, and current tour professionals, Michael Feagles (2019 Myrtle Beach), Nick Hardy (2017 West Lafayette), Brian Campbell (2015 Noblesville and 2014 Sugar Grove), and Luke Guthrie (2011 Central) also took home regional medalist honors during their collegiate careers.

Seniors Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Tommy Kuhl are each playing in their third regionals, having also teed off as freshmen in 2019 at Myrtle Beach and last season at Stillwater. Dumont de Chassart finished tied for fourth in 2019, and grabbed a share of third last season at Karsten Creek. Kuhl tied for 20th at Myrtle Beach, and finished in a tie for 47th last year.

Junior Jerry Ji also has NCAA Regional experience, having finished in a tie for eighth last season in his NCAA postseason debut in Stillwater following the abrupt end to his true freshman season in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Sophomore Piercen Hunt and freshman Jackson Buchanan are each expected to make their NCAA Regional debuts for the Orange and Blue, though Hunt did travel with the team as an alternate competitor throughout the 2021 postseason run, a spot held by junior Nico Lang this season.

LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the NCAA New Haven Regional will be available on Golfstat.com. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of competition.

UP NEXT
The top five teams and low individual at the New Haven Regional will advance to the NCAA National Championship, which will be played, once again, on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 27-June 2. Illinois is in search of the program's 14th-consecutive NCAA Championship berth dating back to 2008, a streak that ranks second nationally, one behind Texas.

FOLLOW THE #ILLINI
For more Fighting Illini men's golf news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow @IlliniMGolf on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook.

- #Illini -
 
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