Golf Channel announced today that each of the semifinalist teams from the 2015 Division I NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships have committed to compete in the inaugural East Lake Cup match play championship, airing live on the network Nov. 2-3 at historic East Lake Golf Club.
The men’s division of the East Lake Cup will feature a rematch of the National Championship semifinals. The four participating teams include: reigning National Champions Louisiana State University (LSU); the University of Southern California (USC), who lost to LSU in the championship match; University of Georgia (UGA), two-time National Champions (1999 and 2005); and the University of Illinois, which is coming off a school-record eight tournament-win season.
“Golf Channel’s coverage of the NCAA golf championships has been tremendous and brought the excitement of college golf to a broader audience,” said LSU men’s golf coach Chuck Winstead. “We look forward to competing at East Lake Golf Club, one of golf’s storied venues.”
The 2015 National Championship winning Stanford University will headline a women’s division comprised of all four teams from the 2015 National Championship semifinals. That field also includes: 2015 championship runner-up Baylor University; Duke University, six-time National Champions, including 2014; and the University of Southern California (USC), which earned the No. 1 seed for both stroke and match play portions of the 2015 championships.
“We are very excited to partake in the first ever East Lake Cup,” said Stanford women’s golf coach Anne Walker. “Golf Channel has invested a lot of time and energy into college golf; we feel very fortunate to be able to benefit from its commitment. The four participating women’s teams are all very experienced, and the competition will no doubt make for great viewing.”
Teams for the East Lake Cup will compete on the championship golf course at East Lake Golf Club, home of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the season-ending event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The East Lake Cup will benefit the East Lake Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to helping families build better lives and children reach their highest potential through its holistic approach to community revitalization incorporating mixed-income housing, cradle-to-college education and community wellness.
The East Lake Cup also will feature the Tom Cousins Award, a new annual recognition presented to an outstanding male and female golfer who exemplify the values of the East Lake Foundation: excels in academics, engaged in his or her community and has overcome adversity. This award is named for Tom Cousins, founder of the East Lake Foundation, which transformed a community in despair into a thriving neighborhood, now a national model for community redevelopment through Purpose Built Communities.
Two match-play tournaments will be hosted simultaneously at East Lake Golf Club for the women’s and men’s divisions. Monday, Nov. 2 will feature the semifinals and Tuesday, Nov. 3 the finals and consolation matches. Within both the semifinals and finals, the competing teams will pair five players in singles matches.
2015 EAST LAKE CUP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (all times Eastern)
Monday, Nov. 2:
10 a.m. Semifinal Matches Begin
2-5 p.m. Golf Channel Live coverage
Tuesday, Nov. 3:
10 a.m. Consolation Matches begin
11:45 a.m. Championship Matches begin
2-5 p.m. Golf Channel Live Coverage
General admission to the inaugural East Lake Cup is free on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3. Limited complimentary parking is available at East Lake Golf Club on a first come, first serve basis.
For more information about the East Lake Cup please visit the tournament website here. Stay connected with the championship on Twitter via @GolfChannel using hashtag #EastLakeCup.
