Wildcats Host Loaded Field at N.I.T.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Two weeks after their last competition, No. 17 Arizona Men's Golf returns to action in a familiar setting when it hosts its annual N.I.T. event at Omni Tucson National. A loaded field of nationally-ranked teams and a handful of the top collegiate golfers in the PGA Tour U rankings await the Wildcats on Saturday and Sunday.
Eight teams in the top 35 of the GolfStat national rankings will take to the Catalina Course at Omni, which includes No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 5 Illinois, No. 11 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Texas. Five of the top ten players of the PGA Tour U rankings will compete, including Arizona's Trevor Werbylo who sits in seventh.
Previewing ?? The N.I.T. with @Anderson_Jimbo, Chaz Aurilia and Chase Sienkiewicz. #BearDown pic.twitter.com/ESsYU0K17n
— Arizona Men's Golf (@ArizonaMGolf) March 20, 2021
The 2020 N.I.T. was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Arizona, which has won its other home event four consecutive times, will look to capture its first N.I.T. title since 2003. The Wildcats came close in 2018 when they finished third.
The Wildcats have opened the 2021 season in dominant fashion claiming team titles at the Arizona Intercollegiate at Sewailo Golf Club as well as The Prestige at the PGA Tour West course in Palm Springs, California. The pair of team victories marked the program's first season of multiple tournament wins since 2006 while also winning individual titles in those two events. Seniors Brad Reeves and Trevor Werbylo each picked up their first collegiate wins at the Arizona Intercollegiate and The Prestige respectively.
Arizona's lineup for the weekend features Reeves and Werbylo as well as fellow senior David Laskin. The trio of upperclassmen will be joined by sophomores Chase Sienkiewicz and Chaz Aurilia. The remainder of Arizona's roster will compete individually on Saturday and Sunday.