The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB's Zack Sucher Ready For NCAA Regional
5/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 4, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB senior Zack Sucher will open play at the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship on Thursday morning at 10:50 a.m. Sucher is the top-seeded individual qualifier for the 54-hole regional that will be played May 14-16, in Sorrento, Fla.
"It's a little bittersweet," Sucher said. "I am happy and excited to represent UAB and our team, but it's totally different being here without your teammates. You play with the team all year long and have fun hanging out with them, so I wish we could have made it as a team."
Although his teammates will not be there to support him, Sucher could have an edge on the competition. Just two weeks ago, the Mobile, Ala. native led the Blazers to a third-place finish at the 2009 Conference USA Championships on April 20-21 on the same Red Tail Golf Course. During that event, Sucher earned all-tournament honors when he finished with a seven-under par 209 to close the championship in third overall. He feels that performance will help him in the upcoming regional.
"I think it is absolutely an advantage," Sucher said. "I was really hoping that I would have a chance to go back and play that course. I played well at the conference championship and I know exactly what I need to work on. I have played the course four times (one practice round and three tournament rounds) and I know what to expect."
Sucher also has experience on his side, as this year's event will mark his third straight Regional appearance. Sucher made his first NCAA Regional with an individual nod in 2007 and finished in a tie for 14th overall to capture an individual slot at Nationals. A year ago, Sucher led UAB to a fifth-place finish and a spot at Nationals when he captured co-medalist honors with a 13-under par 200.
This past season, Sucher led the Blazers in seven of 11 tournaments on the season and finished the year leading the team with a 73.03 per round average and five top-10 finishes. He enters this year's NCAAs ranked No, 61 overall in the nation in Golfweek.com's most updated rankings.
Sucher will fare against some stiff competition, led by the top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Joining Georgia in Sorrento will be No. 14 Indiana, No. 10 South Carolina, No. 17 UCF, No. 26 Florida State, No. 36 Arizona, No. 33 Augusta State, No. 42 Kentucky, No. 29 Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Iowa, Charlotte, Campbell and Loyola of Maryland. The other No. 1 seeds for the Regionals are Clemson, Stanford, Southern California, Washington and Oklahoma State.
In all, eighty-one teams were placed in the six Regionals by the NCAA on Monday. The top five teams from each regional will make up the 30-team field for the NCAA Championship May 26-30 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Additionally, the top individual who is not associated with the top five teams will also clinch an individual slot at Nationals.
This is the first season that the NCAA is having six Regionals. In the past, there have been three Regionals with the top 10 teams from each advancing.
Fans can follow Sucher live by logging onto golfstat.com, or by going on the NCAA official website (ncaasports.com) and clicking on the men's golf championship page.
