Inaugural UW Desert Intercollegiate to tee off

by Wyoming Sports.org

On the same site as the PGA’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Cowboy golf team will host the first ever University of Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate this weekend in Palm Desert, Calif.

The tournament will be played at the Classic Club and begins Saturday with 36 holes and conclude on Sunday with a single 18-hole round.

“The Wyoming golf program couldn’t be more excited about the first annual Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate,” said UW director of golf Joe Jensen. “The Classic Club is one of the premier golf courses in the country, and being able to host a college event there is a great thing for the sport. For these young men, playing in an event on the same property as a PGA event is a very unique and exciting experience.”

The inaugural Desert Intercollegiate will feature a 19-team field that includes Wyoming, Arizona, Boise State, Colorado State, Denver, Gonzaga, Idaho, Long Beach State, UMKC, Northern Colorado, Oregon State, Portland, South Dakota State, Southern Utah, UC Santa Barbara, Utah, Utah Valley, Washington State and Weber State.

Six Cowboy sophomores will represent Wyoming -- Max Curnow, Phil Henzlik, Aaron Johnson, Gabe Maier, Mike May and Zach Zaremba. Zaremba, the Cowboys number one player this weekend, leads the team with a 73.89 stroke average. He also holds the highest tournament finish of the season for the Pokes as he finished fourth at the Air Force Falcon Invitational earlier this fall. Henzlik, who will be the Cowboys’ number two player this weekend, is coming off of his best tournament of the season as he led the Pokes with a 20th place finish at last weekend’s New Mexico Tucker Invitational.

The Classic Club, a Troon Golf Property, measures in at 7,305 yards and plays to a par of 72. The Classic Club was established in 2005 and since then has received numerous national awards such as “America’s Best Courses, No. 7 in California” by GolfWeek in 2008, “Top Five New Public Courses in America” by Golf Digest in 2006, “Top Ten New Public Course” by GolfWeek and Best Course Conditions in Southern California” by Greenskeeper.org in 2008.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the Classic Club and their staff and we thank them for their support,” said Jensen. “We also would like to thank our sponsors for this event, Cleveland Golf and Mix 1 energy drink.

Wyoming golf has a great relationship with Troon Golf, as we also host two spring tournaments on Troon properties in Arizona. Having both this tournament, as well as the spring Cowboy and Cowgirl Classics, on Troon Golf properties is a tremendous thing for Wyoming golf.”