ECU Set For River Landing Intercollegiate
April 07, 2011 | Men's Golf
April 7, 2011
WALLACE, N.C. --- East Carolina will co-host the 2011 River Landing Intercollegiate, along with UNC Wilmington, on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9, at the 6,997-yard, par 72 River Landing Country Club. The 54-hole competition will begin Friday morning at 7:30 a.m.
The field for this weekend's River Landing Intercollegiate consists of 14 teams: East Carolina (co-host), Jacksonville, Lamar, Liberty, Maryland, Memphis, Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Seton Hall, St. John's, UNC Wilmington (co-host), USC Upstate, Virginia and Winthrop.
Virginia is the highest rated team in the field, standing 18th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings followed by No. 20 N.C. State, No. 33 Liberty, No. 39 ECU and No. 55 UNC Wilmington.
ECU and Liberty are each one of 10 teams nationally to have 100 or more head-to-head victories this season. The Pirates became the first team to reach the century mark with their fourth-place finish at the Furman Intercollegiate on March 20.
In addtion to a quality field of teams, the River Landing Intercollegiate also features some of top amateur players in the country led by East Carolina junior Harold Varner, who is ranked 25th among Division I players by Golfweek. Virginia's Ben Kohles (No. 31) and Robert Karlsson of Liberty (No. 37) are also ranked among the top 40 players.
Varner has posted four top five finishes this season, earning the first-place trophy at the ODU/OBX Collegiate during the fall before recording a pair of runner-up finishes this spring. He has finished second in two of the last three tournaments.
Varner shot one-under last year during the River Landing Intercollegiate to finish eight strokes behind teammate David Watkins, who claimed medalist honors.
Watkins fired a five-under 67 during the final round to overcome a two stroke deficit and win his second tournament of the season at nine-under. UNCW's Josh Brock finished second, one stroke behind Watkins.
Brock helped the Seahawks claim the team title last season by two strokes over North Carolina with East Carolina coming home in third-place.
The 2011 River Landing Intercollegiate will begin Friday with the opening two rounds of play (36 holes). The teams are then scheduled to play the final 18 holes Saturday. Friday's second round is scheduled to begin at approximately 12 noon.
