Air Force Academy

May 4, 2010

The Air Force golf team concludes the 2010 season this week, May 6-8, at the 11th-annual Mountain West Conference Championship in Tucson, Ariz. The 54-hole tournament is being played at the par-71, 7,144-yard Catalina Course at OMNI Tucson National Resort. A single round will be played each day, with tee times beginning daily at 7:00 a.m. (PT). Live hole-by-hole scoring for the tournament will be available at golfstat.com.

The Pairings...
On Thursday, all groups begin on hole #1, with San Diego State, TCU and UNLV teeing off first. BYU, New Mexico and Colorado State will tee off in the second group, followed by Utah, Air Force and Wyoming.

For rounds two and three, team groups shall be by result and all teams will begin on the first tee.

The Field...
Three of the teams in the Mountain West Conference are ranked in the top 25 of the latest Golf World/NIKE Golf Coaches poll (No. 15 UNLV, No. 22 TCU and No. 24 San Diego State). The complete field follows, with the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings in parentheses: Air Force (161), BYU (53), Colorado State (34), New Mexico (45), San Diego State (25), TCU (19), UNLV (17), Utah (164) and Wyoming (123).

Last Year at the MWC Championship...
In 2009, TCU defeated San Diego State in a play-off to win its first Mountain West Conference Championship. The two teams set the MWC Championship record for lowest team score for 54-holes with their respective totals of 8-under-par 844. Meanwhile, New Mexico's Steve Saunders captured medalist honors, finishing at 204 (-9).

Air Force placed eighth in the team standings in 2009, with all-conference honoree Tom Whitney leading the way, tying for 20th place at 216 (+3).

Last Time Out...
Senior Tom Whitney carded a low score of 66 in the final round of action to lead Air Force at the PING Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah, April 23-24. Whitney posted a 6-under-par 210 to finish sixth in the individual standings. Meanwhile, the Falcons finished with a team score of 881 to place ninth overall.

Byron Nelson Finalist...
Senior Tom Whitney was named one of six finalists for the 2010 Byron Nelson Award by the GCAA.

Candidates for the Nelson Award must be a graduating senior. The selection committee considers equally a nominee's entire collegiate academic and golf career and his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration will be given to a nominee's good citizenship, as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and golf career. The recipient of the Nelson Award will be named May 28.

Air Force Athlete of the Week...
Tom Whitney was named the Air Force Athlete of the Week on April 26 for his performance at the PING Cougar Classic, held April 23-24. Whitney led the Falcons to their best finish of the spring, as they placed ninth in the tournament.

Whitney finished sixth in the individual standings, firing a three-round total of 210 (-6). His final round score of 66 was the lowest in the field of 97 players. His sixth-place showing marked the 10th time in 12 tournaments this season that Whitney has placed in the top 10.

Up Next...
Selections to the NCAA Regionals, which will be held May 20-22 at six sites around the country, will be announced on Monday, May 10.

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