May 5, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -

• Kevin O'Connell Selected ACC Freshamn of the Year

The University of North Carolina men's golf team was one of 27 teams to receive a bid to participate in the NCAA West Regional. The 54-hole event will be played May 15-17 at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.

"We are very excited to be in the West Regional at the Gold Mountain Golf Club," says head coach John Inman. "They have hosted some prestigious events and we look forward to an exciting trip out west."

In addition to the 27 teams, six individuals received a bid to play in the regional. The top 10 teams and top two individuals not on those 10 teams will advance on to the NCAA Championship to be played May 28-31 at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, The Kampen Course, in West Lafayette, Ind.

Nine Atlantic Coast Conference teams received a bid to the NCAA Regionals. ACC champion Florida State and Clemson will join the Tar Heels in the West while Duke, Virginia Tech, NC State and Virginia will play in the East Regional at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. Two teams, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, will play in the Central Regional at Ohio State's Scarlet Course in Columbus.

Carolina, ranked 20th in the latest Golfstat Rankings, tied for the team championship at last fall's Bank of Tennessee at The Ridges Intercollegiate. The Tar Heels carded five top-five and nine top-10 finishes this year in their 10 events. Carolina placed third at the ACC Championship, finished fourth at the Seminole Intercollegiate and the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate Championship, and finished fifth at the Administaff Augusta State Invitational.

Tar Heel freshman Kevin O'Connell, from Cary, N.C., has had a spectacular year with seven top-10 and nine top-25 finishes in Carolina's 10 tournaments. O'Connell, an All-ACC performer this year, was recently selected the ACC Freshman of the Year. His top finish was a tie for third place at the Seminole Intercollegiate where he posted a six-under-par 210 total. In his most recent outing, O'Connell tied for sixth place at the ACC Championship. O'Connell boasts a 71.07 stroke average, which leads the Tar Heel team.

This marks Carolina's 20th consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals. This marks Carolina's first appearance in the West Regional. The Tar Heels have played in the NCAA Central Regional twice (2001 and 2003) and have played in the East Regional 17 times. Carolina has received a bid to the NCAA Regionals each year since the regional format was instituted in 1989 and has advanced to the NCAAs 17 times. This marks Carolina's 43rd year of postseason NCAA play.

The complete list of teams participating at the West Regional are as follows (by seed): Southern California, UCLA, Florida State, Stanford, Clemson, UNLV, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Central Florida, Arizona State, San Diego State, Texas, LSU, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Oregon, California, St. Mary's-California, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Washington, Oklahoma, Kansas State, San Diego, Denver, Navy and Columbia.