PROVO — The BYU men's golf team hasn't won its own Cougar Classic — the tournament it used to win on a regular basis during the 1970s, '80s and '90s, — for the past three years.
With a talented and deep team that is ranked No. 4 in the latest national rankings, the Cougars are hoping to use the tournament as a springboard into the Mountain West Conference Tournament, the NCAA West Regionals and they hope, the NCAA tournament in early June.
The Cougars will play host to the annual tournament today and Saturday at Riverside Country Club. After playing 36 holes today, the tournament will conclude with 18 holes beginning Saturday morning.
After a stellar spring season, BYU is coming off its poorest performance earlier this week at the U.S. Intercollegiate Championship in Atlanta, where it finished in ninth place.
"We are ready to get back on track," said BYU coach Bruce Brockbank. "Playing at home may be just what the doctor ordered for us."
The Cougars will be joined by fellow MWC school UNLV, which is ranked No. 7 in the nation, and 14 other schools. In-state schools Utah, Southern Utah, Weber State, Utah State and Utah Valley State are also in the field, along with MWC schools Colorado State, Wyoming and Air Force.
Defending champion Fresno State rounds out the field along with 28th-ranked UNC Charlotte, UTEP, Nevada, Hawaii and Boise State.
"There will be a lot of great young golfers competing out at Riverside," Brockbank said. "It should be a lot of fun to watch and would be an important victory for us if we can play well."
For the Cougars, it will be the last home tournament for two-time all-American Oscar Alvarez, who won the Morris Williams Intercollegiate last week. The other Cougar regulars are junior Clay Ogden, who competed in the Masters last week, junior Jake Ellison, junior Nick Becker and sophomore Danny Summerhays.
In last year's tournament, BYU finished in second place at 36-under-par 828, eight strokes behind tournament champion Fresno State.
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