The Virginia Tech golf team began play in the NCAA Regionals this morning. The Hokies are competing in the East Regional at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, TN. They are the #11 seed in a 27 team field.
The Hokies did not win the ACC in 2008 like they did in 2007, but they still earned an at-large berth after finishing eighth in the ACC Championships back in April. They are one of nine ACC teams in the NCAA field. That’s second only to the SEC, which put 11 teams in NCAA Regionals.
This is Virginia Tech’s 10th overall trip to regionals, and their second in a row. They have played against 14 of the 26 other teams in the East Regional, and have a 17-17 mark against those teams.
The Hokies will be playing with #10 UAB and #12 NC State in the first round (today) and the second round (tomorrow). The event will run through Saturday. Tech is 3-2 on the season against those teams.
Playing for the Hokies will be Jurrian van der Vaart (Sr.), who is Tech’s first ever All-ACC player. Joining him will be British Amatuer winner Drew Weaver (Jr.), as well as Nick MacDonald (Sr.), Marshall Bailey (Fr.) and Aaron Eckstein (Fr.).
The golf team is coached by Jay Hardwick, the only current Virginia Tech head coach who has been in Blacksburg longer than football coach Frank Beamer. Hardwick began coaching the golf team in 1983.
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