Oregon, NU and KemperSports Create Pac-10/Big Ten Challenge at Bandon
NORTHBROOK, Ill. ? The University of Oregon, Northwestern University, and KemperSports have joined forces to create the Pac-10/Big Ten Challenge, an annual golf tournament to be played each October designed to be unique in the world of collegiate golf.
The event will pit six teams from each conference against each other. The top four finishers from each conferences’ previous season’s championship tournament will be invited, along with one at-large team from each league chosen by KemperSports. Northwestern and Oregon will be exempt into the tournament as co-hosts.
The 2004 event will be contested Oct. 24-26 at Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes, located on the Pacific Coast in Bandon, Ore., which are the second- and third-ranked modern courses in America by Golfweek. Modern courses are defined as being built after 1960. Golf Magazine also rated Pacific Dunes (No. 2) and Bandon Dunes (No. 9) among the "Top 100 You Can Play."
"This has the potential to develop into the most exciting and anticipated college golf tournament in the country," Oregon head coach Steve Nosler said. "We want this to be the most unique and best event in collegiate golf, the type of tournament college players look forward to playing in. The historical rivalry of the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences through the Rose Bowl adds prestige to the event as well."
Currently the highest ranked modern course to host a collegiate event ranked No. 28 by Golfweek, while the highest ranked classic course is No. 48. The Glen Club, in Glenview, Ill., ranked No. 61 on Golf Magazine’s afore mentioned list, will host the event in 2005, after which the tourney will go into a three-year rotation among the trio of courses. KemperSports Management of Northbrook, Ill., owns The Glen Club and manages Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
"The impetus behind this event is strictly what an amazing golf facility Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is," said Northwestern head coach Pat Goss. "The courses are the tournament. This will be the best and most special place college golf is played.
"Northwestern is fortunate to have a good relationship with KemperSports," Goss said. "Because they own the Glen Club, we were excited to be able to showcase the event in Chicago, too."
A home trophy listing each year’s individual, team and conference champion will be permanently housed at Bandon Dunes. The city of Bandon is located on the Pacific Ocean approximately 135 miles southwest of Eugene via Oregon state highways, and 250 miles southwest of Portland.
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