2007 CCIW Men’s Golf Championship Preview

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The new-look College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Golf Championship begins Friday as eight member schools embark on a four-day tournament for the first time in the 61-year history of the conference. In previous years, the tournament lasted only two rounds.

The athletics directors of the CCIW recently approved a change in the tournament format, moving from two rounds to four rounds, spread out over two weekends and played in two locations. The first two rounds will be held April 20-21 at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Ill., while the third and fourth rounds will be held May 4-5 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., near the Quad Cities. This will be the first time that the CCIW Men’s Golf Championship will be more than two rounds, while it is also the first time since 1986 that the CCIW Men’s Golf Championship will not be held at the Pontiac Elks Club.

The winner of the tournament will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship, held May 15-18 in Fishers, Ind., and Carmel, Ind.

Carthage enters 2007 as the defending champion, having won the 2006 championship with a team score of 608, followed by Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan (618), Augustana (622), Elmhurst (631), Wheaton (648), North Central (673) and North Park (684).

Carthage’s Tyler Wollberg (71 + 75 = 146) earned medalist honors last season as a freshman and recently shot a 77 at the Loras College Invitational on April 2, at the Meadows Golf Club in Dubuque, Iowa. Scott Hood tied for 13th place at the Loras College Invitational with a 75.

Millikin recently finished third as a team (322 + 318 = 640) at the Maryville Spring Invitational as Mark Linton finished tied for fourth after shooting a 155 over the two-day tournament held April 1-2. Mike Pariso finished tied for 11th with a score of 160. Illinois Wesleyan placed fourth recently at the Duhawk Spring Invitational, held at Thunder Hills Golf Course in Pesota, Iowa on Monday, April 2. Mike DeRuntz finished tied for fourth with an even par 72.

The Augustana Men’s Golf Invitational, scheduled for April 6-7, was canceled due to bad weather. Augustana recently competed at the Duhawk Invitational as Andrew Benton shot a 75, tying for 13th place. The Vikings finished 15th as a team.

Elmhurst’s Kyle Mann, a freshman in 2006, finished second at last year’s CCIW championship, shooting a 149 over the two days (74 + 75). He averaged an 81 over three tournaments in the fall. The Bluejays recently placed 13th as a team at the Loras Invitational.

Wheaton recently shot a 598 (seventh place) at the two-day Viking Classic at Grand View College two weeks ago. Chip Wedgeworth had the best score for the Thunder with a score of 149 (74 + 75), finishing tied for 19th.

New North Central head coach Jeffrey Naruszewicz and the Cardinals kicked off its spring season on April 13 at the Big Blue Classic, hosted by Millikin. North Central was slated to begin April 6 at the Augustana Invitational, but the event was canceled due to bad weather. Freshman Joshua Brantner finished with the highest team score, shooting an 81 to tie for 58th.

North Park recently competed at the Wiscon Corporation Invite, hosted by Loyola Academy of Chicago. Peter Johnson shot a two-round score of 154 (78 + 76) for the Vikings, while John Holt shot a 160 (81 + 79).

About Bolingbrook Golf Club
Bolingbrook Golf Club, designed by noted architect Arthur Hills, is an upscale, 18-hole championship golf course owned by the Village of Bolingbrook and operated by KemperSports. The course offers a 76,000-square-foot clubhouse with a state-of-the-art golf shop, casual and fine dining, corporate meeting spaces, banquet facilities, executive locker rooms, men’s and women’s lounges and a fitness facility. The Golf Academy at Bolingbrook Golf Club offers a bent grass tee that accommodates 70 hitting stations, target greens, short game area and professional instruction. For information regarding Bolingbrook Golf Club, visit www.bolingbrookgolfclub.com.

About TPC Deere Run
TPC Deere Run, part of the Tournament Players Club network, is one of 23 facilities across the United States, founded by then PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman. TPC Deere Run is an 18-hole course designed by Illinois native D.A. Weibring, and is located between the Rock and Mississippi rivers in Silvis, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa. The course opened in 2000 and has been the annual host for the PGA’s John Deere Classic. For information regarding TPC Deere Run and tee times, visit www.tpc.com/daily/deere_run/index.html.