OU Heads to Tulsa for Big 12 Championship

NORMAN — Looking for its first conference title since 2006, the No. 10 Oklahoma men's golf team travels to Tulsa, Okla., to participate in the three-day, 72-hole Big 12 Championship. The tournament will be played April 27-29 (Monday-Wednesday) at the 7,151-yard, par-70 Southern Hills Country Club.

Seven of the conference's nine teams are ranked within the top 50 of the latest Golfstat rankings, including the Sooners.

"We are ready for championship week," said Ryan Hybl, sixth-year OU head coach. "Our guys have been feeling good all week and the preparation all year has allowed us to be where we are right now. Our patience will have to be in check all week long, and hopefully we will have a chance coming down the stretch on Wednesday."

The Sooners are coming off consecutive wins to close the season at the Aggie Invitational and Liberty Spring Invitational. The victories marked the eighth and nine for OU under Hybl.

OU's lineup will include seniors Michael Gellerman and Charlie Saxon, juniors Beau Titsworth and Luke Kwon and freshman Grant Hirschman.

The No. 3 seed Sooners will tee off at 8 a.m. CT on Monday from the first hole with No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed Texas Tech. Admission to the event is free.

THE FIELD (GOLFSTAT RANKINGS IN PARENTHESES)
Texas (2)
Texas Tech (9)
Oklahoma (10)
Baylor (17)
Oklahoma State (20)
TCU (33)
Iowa State (42)
Kansas
Kansas State

FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS (WITH TOURNAMENT SEED)
First tee
8 a.m. CT No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 3 Oklahoma
8:50 a.m. CT No. 7 Iowa State, No. 8 Kansas, No. 9 Kansas State

10th tee
8 a.m. CT No. 4 Baylor, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 6 TCU

OU LINEUP
1. Michael Gellerman, Senior: Coming off a tie for seventh place at Liberty Spring Invitational … Has finished in top 20 in eight of nine events this year … Ranked No. 40 by Golfweek … Recorded first career victory at 2014 Wyoming Cowboy Classic (6-under 204), becoming OU's first individual medalist since 2011.

2. Grant Hirschman, Freshman: Claimed share of first at Liberty Spring Invitational at 3 under par … Tied for seventh place at prestigious Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters … Finished in career-best sixth place at Royals Oaks Intercollegiate with a 1-under 212 … Has finished in top 20 in seven of his nine collegiate events … Ranked No. 54 by Golfweek.

3. Charlie Saxon, Senior: Tied for first at Liberty Spring Invitational with a 3-under-par 213 … Took a share of seventh at competitive Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters … Made his season debut at UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational (tied for 45th) after missing the fall with an injury … Won 2013 Lions Classic as an individual with a two-round 141 (+1).

4. Beau Titsworth, Junior: Took a share of first at Liberty Spring Invitational with a 213 (-3) … Tied for 19th at Olympia Fields CC/Fighting Illini Invitational with a 221 (+11) … Placed on 2014 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team after taking a share of fifth, a career best for team events, with a 290 (+2).

5. Luke Kwon, Junior: Tied for 22nd at Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational, a career best in OU team events … Opened spring season by tying for 29th at UTSA/Oak Hills Invitational … Played his first season at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas … Was named a 2011 Division II honorable mention PING All-American.

THE COURSE
The 7,151-yard, par-70 Southern Hills Country Club serves as the track for the 19th-annual Big 12 Championship. Southern Hills has played host to the conference event twice, most recently in 2006 when the Sooners took home the team title.

FORMAT
Teams will compete in 72 holes of stroke play over three days (36 on Monday, 18 on both Tuesday and Wednesday). Play will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Monday with tee times from holes No. 1 and 10.

WEATHER FORECAST
Monday: Cloudy with a 60 percent chance of showers. High of 63 degrees with winds from the east, northeast at 15-20 mph.
Tuesday: Cloudy with a 60 percent chance of showers. High of 59 degrees with winds from the north, northeast at 5-10 mph.
Wednesday: High of 72 degrees with winds from the north, northwest at 5-10 mph.

OU'S BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Last season, the Sooners finished seventh at the Big 12 Championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, with a four-round 1192 (+40). Then-sophomore Beau Titsworth tied for fifth place at 2 over par. Overall, OU has 16 conference titles, with the last coming in 2006 at Southern Hills Country Club.

LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available at Big12Sports.com.