No. 3 Sooners Head West for N.I.T.

NORMAN —The No. 3 Oklahoma men's golf team travels to Tucson, Ariz., as it competes in the 2019 National Invitational Tournament hosted by the University of Arizona. The three-day, 54-hole tournament will take place Monday-Tuesday at the par-72, 7,262-yard at the Catalina Course at the OMNI Tucson National.

The 16-team field features three teams ranked in the Golfweek top five. The Sooners are the tournament's top-ranked team, coming in at No. 3 in the latest Golfweek rankings. Arizona State enters the event in fourth, while USC is ranked fifth.

The Sooners earned their first team win of the spring, claiming the tournament title at the Southern Highlands Collegiate. Redshirt junior Quade Cummins helped the Sooners win the event by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on hole No. 18.

Cummins tied for seventh place at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, earning his third straight top-10 finish. Redshirt junior Thomas Johnson claimed sole possession of eighth place, his best finish in OU's lineup.

Cummins and Johnson will be joined in the lineup this week by juniors Riley Casey and Garett Reband along with freshman Patrick Welch.

Seniors Brad Dalke and Blaine Hale will compete as individuals at the Sonoran Showdown, which will take place at the par-70, 6,552-yard Sonoma Course at the OMNI Tucson National.

Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com. The Sooners will tee off on Monday at 9 a.m. CT.

THE FIELD (GOLFWEEK RANKINGS)
Oklahoma (3)
Arizona State (4)
USC (5)
Arizona
Colorado
Colorado State
Iowa State
New Mexico
North Texas
San Diego
San Diego State
UNLV
Utah
UTEP
Washington State
Wyoming

OU LINEUP
1. Thomas Johnson, RS-Junior: Earned eighth place finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, recording a three-day 212 (-4) … Took second place in the Puerto Rico Individual Classic with a three-day 212 (-1) …. Had career-low 66 (-5) at Puerto Rico Individual Classic … As a sophomore, played in two events in the team lineup last year.

2. Quade Cummins, RS-Junior: Named to Ben Hogan Award Watch List and earned a spot on the U.S. Palmer Cup Team … Placed seventh at the Southern Highlands Collegiate at 211 (-5) ... Tied for seventh place at the Puerto Rico Classic with a 212 (-4) … Three straight top-10 finishes … Won the Marathon Sun Bowl All- American Classic after winning the playoff … Shot the third-lowest three-round score in program history at the Ka'anapali Classic with a 198 (-15) ... 2018 Division I PING All-America honorable mention selection ... All-Region pick by the GCAA last season.

3. Garett Reband, Junior: Three top-20 finishes this season and competed in six team events … Shared 24th place at the Southern Highlands Collegiate …Tied for seventh place at the Puerto Rico Classic with a 212 (-4) ... Finished second in the Carmel Cup posting a 200 (-16) including two rounds in the 60s … Competed in 10 team events last season

4. Patrick Welch, Freshman: Earned top-20 finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate, sharing 19th place at 215 (-1) … Tied for sixth in his individual collegiate appearance at the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic … Posted three consecutive rounds in the 60's … Collected a win against Iowa State in the Big 12 Match Play … Four-time Rhode Island Junior Player of the Year … Qualified for the U.S. Amateur on four occasions… Plays crossed-handed.

5. Riley Casey, Junior: Competed in seven team events this season ... Placed 13th at the Puerto Rico Classic with a 213 (-3) ... Recorded three top-10 finishes in the past four tournaments ... Carded a 13-under 200 to finish fourth at the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic … Carded a 65 to finish in the top five at the Carmel Cup at 204 (-12) ... Tied for ninth place at the Gopher Invitational with a 54-hole 213 (E).

Individual: Brad Dalke, Senior: Competed in five fall events ... Carded a 69 at the Carmel Cup, finishing in 18th at 211 (-5) to open the season ... Recorded two top-20 finishes this season … Second-team Division I PING All-American and All-Region selection by the GCAA last season.

Individual: Blaine Hale, Senior: Competed in five team events in the fall ... Earned first individual win when at the Gopher Invitational with a 206 (-7) ... Shot a 65 in the opening round at the Carmel Cup, tying for 13th at 210 (-6) ... Recorded two top-20 finishes … Two-time All-American.

THE COURSE
The par-72, 7,262-yard Catalina Course at the OMNI Tucson will serve as the course for the N.I.T. The par-70, 6,552-yard Sonoran Course will host the individual Sonoran Showdown.

FORMAT
Teams will play 36 holes on Monday with a shotgun start set for 9 a.m. CT. Tuesday's final round will begin at 10 a.m. CT with a shotgun start.

WEATHER FORECAST
Monday: Mostly sunny with a high of 79 degrees and wind from the east at 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny with a high of 82 degrees and wind from the east at 10 mph.

OU'S N.I. T. HISTORY
This marks OU's first appearance at the N.I.T. at the OMNI Tucson National.

LIVE COVERAGE
Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com.