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Kicking Bird Golf. Photo Submitted -
Kicking Bird Golf. Photo Submitted
Edmond’s very own KickingBird Golf Course will be the site of the NCAA Division II men’s golf Central/Midwest regional tournament, May 9-11.
The nearly 7,000-yard course from the back tees is set to feature 20 D-II men’s golf teams, including UCO and Rogers State, as well as eight individual golfers starting Thursday and wrapping up with the final round Saturday.
“We are very excited to host this Super Regional featuring the Top 20 teams in Division II golf from the Central and Midwest regions,” said KickingBird Director of Golf, Brian Soerensen, “We are anxious to see how the new course will play for this group of talented college golfers… We are excited for the teams to experience our other amenities as well, and hope to provide the players, coaches and spectators with an exceptional experience.”
Soerensen says they have added over 200 yards to their championship tees, and that he is intrigued to see what type of challenges the new additions bring to the players.
All 20 teams and eight individuals will play three rounds in three days for a chance to advance to the regional final at Southern Nazarene University.
UCO will compete as the No. 1-seed in the Central Region after winning their final three tournaments to end the regular season and tying for sixth at the MIAA championships. The Bronchos finished in the top three of every event they participated in this season. They enter regional play ranked 17th in the country and look forward to playing on a familiar course.
"It's obviously nice the tournament is in Edmond at KickingBird," said UCO head coach Derrick Thompson. "Practicing there and having played there so much is good for us. But we still do have to go out there and do it."
All golf facilities at KickingBird, save for the Lookout restaurant, will be closed to the public May 8-11 in order to accommodate the tournament. The first round of action gets started at 7:30 P.M. on Thursday, May 9.