Whirlwind Golf Club To Host 16th Annual Wyoming Cowboy Classic
The University of Wyoming and Troon Golf will welcome a talented field of NCAA Division I men’s golf teams to the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz., for the 16th annual Wyoming Cowboy Classic on Monday and Tuesday. A group of 15 teams, as well as individual players from Arizona State, will play 54 holes at Whirlwind’s Cattail Course.
This year marks the fourth consecutive year that Whirlwind Golf Club will host the Cowboy Classic, which began in 2003 under UW head coach Joe Jensen. The tournament was played on the North Course at Talking Stick Golf Club for its first 12 years until transitioning to Whirlwind in 2015. Whirlwind’s par-72 Cattail Course measures 7,334 yards.
The field features three past tournament champions. McNeese State won the Cowboy Classic in 2015 with a team score of 838 (-26), tied for the lowest team total in tournament history, while Gonzaga claimed the title in 2013. Field member UC Davis holds more Cowboy Classic victories than any other team, recording three straight titles from 2007-2009. Sam Houston State is the top ranked team in this year’s tournament at No. 73 according to GolfStat, while Wyoming is just behind the Bearkats at No. 78.
Last season, UC Santa Barbara claimed the team title by tying the Cowboy Classic team score record with a 54-hole total of 838 (-26). UCSB’s Zach Smith won the individual title with a 206 (-10). Kansas State’s Benn Juffer holds the individual tournament score record, as he signed for a 198 (-12) in 2010 at Talking Stick.
Wyoming enters the 54-hole tournament looking for its fourth event victory this season and second in a home event. The Cowboys won the Wyoming Southern Dunes Invitational at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in October.
Participating teams include:
- Wyoming Cowboys
- Air Force Falcons
- Arizona St. Sun Devils (Individuals)
- CSU-Fullerton Titans
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Houston Baptist Huskies
- Long Beach State 49ers
- McNeese State Cowboys
- Sam Houston State Bearkats
- Southern Utah Thunderbirds
- Texas State Bobcats
- UC Davis Aggies
- UTSA Roadrunners
- Utah State Aggies
- Utah Valley Wolverines
- Wichita State Shockers
The first two rounds of the Cowboy Classic will be played on Monday, beginning with a 7:30 a.m MST shotgun start. The competitors will start the second round immediately following the first. Tuesday’s final round will also be a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start. Live scoring for all three rounds will be available via Golfstat.com.