February 23, 2012

COMMERCE, Texas -- Following a winter hiatus, the A&M-Commerce men's golf team returns to the links, hosting its annual Crawford Wade Intercollegiate at the Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro on February 27-28. 14 teams will compete in the event as the Lions look to defend their 2011 team title.

The tournament will have a slightly different look to it this year as Texoma Chevy Dealers takes over as the title sponsor for the event. The Texoma Chevy Dealers Intercollegiate is in its 18th year at Tanglewood, beginning in 1994 when 11 teams from the Midwest descended on Pottsboro to escape the snow. Southern Methodist University hosted the tournament for the first two years before turning it over to the current regime.

Some amazing talent has made their mark on the annual event at Tanglewood. The University of Minnesota competed in the event in 2002 en route to winning the NCAA national championship and PGA golfers Hank Kuehne (SMU), Ben Curtis (Kent State) and Luke Donald (Northwestern) each won individual championships during their collegiate careers.

In last year's event, A&M-Commerce dominated its host event, capturing the team title by a convincing 24 strokes over second-place Harding. Chris Leasor tied for the individual title with a 3-over 219 following a 4-under 68 in round one, leading the A&M-Commerce golf team which had four players finish among the top-12.

The tournament gets underway Monday morning at 8 p.m. with a shotgun start, with round two scheduled to begin at approximately 1 p.m. Monday afternoon. Tuesday's final round commences at 8 a.m.

A&M-Commerce will look to repeat as team champions against a challenging 13-team field, including Harding, East Central, Incarnate Word and Southeastern Oklahoma, all of which finished among the top-six at last year's event. Arkansas-Fort Smith, Ashford, Oklahoma Panhandle State, Ouachita Baptist, Paris Junior College, Southeastern Oklahoma J.V., Southern Arkansas, St. Mary's and Texas A&M International round out the 2012 competitors.

Full results from the 2012 Texoma Chevy Dealers Crawford Wade Intercollegiate will be posted as they become available. Twitter followers can also receive updates by following A&M-Commerce @Lion_Athletics.

2012 Texoma Chevy Dealers Crawford Wade Intercollegiate
Dates: Monday, February 27 and Tuesday, February 28
Course: Tanglewood Resort • Pottsboro, Texas
Par/Yardage: Par 72 • 6,536 yards
Format: Shotgun start, beginning at 8 a.m.
Field (14 Teams): A&M-Commerce, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Ashford, East Central, Harding, Incarnate Word, Oklahoma Panhandle State, Ouachita Baptist, Paris Junior College, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Varsity and J.V.), Southern Arkansas, St. Mary's, Texas A&M International.
2011 Crawford Wade Invitational Final Results (PDF)