RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University Golf team boasts the 15th strongest schedule in Division I, according to Golfstat, the sport's official ranking source.

VCU's tough rough is no accident, says Rams Head Coach Matt Ball.

"We have worked for years to create a schedule that the best junior golfers in the world would want to test their games against. Yes, it is really difficult when you have such a new group as we do this year, but I would rather them step up their games than just to make things easy."

In addition to the tough fields VCU has faced, the Rams have tested themselves on some difficult courses. The Black and Gold has played on two 7,350 layouts this fall, one a par 71, the other a par 72 course. In four fall tournaments, the shortest course VCU played was 6,950 yards at the Hermitage Country Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va. But even that was no picnic.

CAA Schools Strength of Schedule (top six)
VCU 15
Georgia State 66
William & Mary 98
ODU 122
UNCW 127
George Mason 131

2012 Tar Heel Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of North Carolina
Live scoring available at http://www.Golfstat.com

VCU Rams lineup

1-Jake McNulty, Fr.
2-Matt Ball Jr., Jr.
3-Steffen Harm, Fr.
4-Rocky Khara, Jr.
5-Simon Taylor, So.

Participating Teams:
Boston College, Duke, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Furman, Gardner Webb, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Note Dame, Virginia Commonwealth

Format:
Two-day, 54-hole tournament with 36 holes played on Saturday, Sept. 15 and 18 on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Tar Heel Intercollegiate
Saturday September 15, 2012
UNC Finley Golf Course
Chapel Hill, NC

Team Leader Board
Course:UNC Finley Golf Course: Championship Tees Par 72 - 7242 yards
current
position team scoring rounds total
score
to par thru today 1 2
1
Duke -9 F -6 285 282 567
2
Charlotte -1 F -2 289 286 575
3
North Carolina E 12 - 18 +2 286 - 286
T4
North Carolina State +7 12 - 18 +13 282 - 282
T4
UNCW +7 F +6 289 294 583
T4
East Tennessee State +7 F +7 288 295 583
7
East Carolina +9 F +6 291 294 585
8
Notre Dame +14 F +4 298 292 590
9
Boston College +16 F +9 295 297 592
10
VCU +18 F +13 293 301 594
T11
Maryland +20 F +9 299 297 596
T11
Gardner-Webb +20 12 - 18 +8 300 - 300
T11
UNCG +20 F +7 301 295 596
14
Furman +34 F +13 309 301 610

Individual Leader Board
10 VCU 293 301 594
T24 Steffen Harm (3) 72 74 146
T24 Rocky Khara (4) 72 74 146
T36 Matt Ball Jr. (2) 73 75 148
T72 Simon Taylor (5) 76 79 155
T75 Jake McNulty (1) 79 78 157

VCU SET TO HOST ANNUAL SHOOTOUT AT HERMITAGE COUNTRY CLUB


MANAKIN-SABOT, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University is set to host the eighth annual VCU Shootout Sept. 24-25 at Hermitage Country Club.

A 12-team field that includes VCU in-state rivals George Mason, James Madison, Richmond, Old Dominion and Virginia Tech, as well as East Carolina, Iowa State, Maryland, UNC Greensboro and Wichita State. The teams will vie for the 2012 title on Hermitage's picturesque Manakin Course.

Teams will tee off with a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m. Monday morning on the 6,955-yard, par 72 layout. Players will complete two rounds (36 holes) Monday and return Tuesday for the final round.

Last year's individual champion, Scott Fernandez of Iowa State returns to defend his title.

Live scoring will be available through http://www.Golfstat.com. Follow VCUAthletics.com for updates and results throughout the tournament.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0923rorc89

RAMS CLAW BACK AT VCU SHOOTOUT, GRAB 8TH PLACE

TOURNAMENT INFO
Name: VCU Shootout
Location: Hermitage Country Club (Manakin-Sabot, Va.)
Course: Manakin Course (6,955 yards, Par 72)

TALKING POINTS
Freshman Steffen Harm tied for 22nd in his second collegiate tournament to pace the Rams at the VCU Shootout. Harm carded a 6-over 78 Tuesday and finished with a three-round total of 226 (+10).

VCU placed eighth in the 12-team field, recording a score of 307 Tuesday and 920 (306-307-307) for the tournament.

After a bumpy two rounds on Monday, junior Matt Ball Jr. fired a team-best 74 Tuesday to climb to 29th in the final standings. Ball totaled 228 strokes (78-76-74) for the 54-hole tournament.

Virginia Tech shot 291 in the final round to overtake Wichita State for the team title. The Hokies (+14) eventually won by nine strokes.

After the Shockers (+23), Long Beach State (+24) was third, followed by Maryland (+27) and Iowa State (+30).

Maryland's Sean Bosdosh (-4) held off defending champion Scott Fernandez of Iowa State and Raymond Ho of Long Beach State (-2) for individual honors.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0925rzmedr

Schedule of Events

Saturday, Oct. 13
- Teams Arrive in Atlanta

Sunday, Oct. 14
8:00 a.m. - Morning practice rounds at Berkeley Hills Country Club
12:30 p.m. - College-am at Berkeley Hills Country Club
6:30 p.m. - Banquet and team recognization at Berkeley Hills Country Club

Monday, Oct. 15
8:00 a.m. - 1st Round (Shotgun Start)
1:00 p.m. - 2nd Round (Shotgun Start)

Tuesday, Oct. 16
8:00 a.m. - Final Round (Tee times off of #1 & #10)
Awards Ceremony to follow

The Field
Georgia State, Chattanooga, Furman, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Old Dominion, South Carolina, Towson, UNC Greensboro, USC Aiken, VCU, Winthrop, Wisconsin.

http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/in...nt_id=3836

RAMS 12TH AT AUTOTRADER.COM CLASSIC BEHIND KHARA, BALL JR.


TALKING POINTS
VCU (+58) finished 12th after totaling 910 strokes (300-307-303) at the 54-hole event. Georgia Southern (+7) won the team crown, followed by Georgia State (+14) and Mercer (+22).

Juniors Matt Ball Jr. and Rocky Khara placed 40th for the Rams at 14-over. Khara finished strong Tuesday morning, firing a 1-over 72 to leapfrog 17 spots on the leaderboard.

Ball Jr. recorded the sixth-most pars (37) in the tournament.

VCU freshmen Jake McNulty and Steffen Harm were both 17-over to tie for 54th and round out the Rams' top four.

Dykes Harbin of South Carolina (-3) captured individual honors on the strength of a 5-under 66 in the tournament's opening round on Monday.

The Rams return to fall action Oct. 21-23 when they head to Powells Point, N.C. for the OBX/ODU Collegiate.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...1016c4wc4g

http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/in...nt_id=3991

MCNULTY TESTS HIS METTLE, LEADS VCU TO SIXTH


TOURNAMENT INFO
Name: OBX/ODU Collegiate
Location: Kilmarlic Golf Club (Powells Point, N.C.)
Course info: Par 72, 6,560 yards

TEE SHOTS
Freshman Jake McNulty fired a final-round 74 turned in the best performance of his young VCU career to place fifth at the OBX/ODU Collegiate. McNulty, a native of Ontario, finished 3-under (69-70-74=213) at the 54-hole event. He remained in the hunt until late, but bogies on three of his final five holes kept the individual title out of reach.

McNulty's performance was due to sharp all-around play. He ranked in the top 20 in par 3, par 4 and par 5 scoring.

Scott Wolfes of Georgia Southern (-9) won a one-hole playoff with Weston Eklund of Radford to capture the individual championship.
VCU (+15) placed sixth after shooting 293 Tuesday. Georgia State (-10) pulled away for the team trophy, followed by Richmond (-8), Old Dominion (+4), Radford (+5) and George Mason (+11).

McNulty's fifth-place finish is the best by a Ram since Marc Dobias placed fourth at the Colonial Athletic Association Championship last year. His 213 score was the best 54-hole mark for a VCU player since the Marshall Invitational Sept. 12-13 of 2011.

Freshman Steffen Harm was VCU's low man on Tuesday, carding a 1-under 71. He finished 3-over (76-70-71=217) for the tournament and tied for 10th.

Juniors Matt Ball Jr. and Rocky Khara were 31st and 37th, respectively.

WHAT'S NEXT
VCU concludes fall play at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate Oct. 27-28 in Greensboro, N.C.


http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...1023q5vbu4

KHARA SOLID AS RAMS PLACE 10TH AT BRIDGESTONE COLLEGIATE


TOURNAMENT INFO
Name: Bridgestone Golf Collegiate
Location: Grandover Resort (Greensboro, N.C.)
Course info: East Course (Par 72, 7,245 yards)

TALKING POINTS
VCU (+27) finished 10th in its final tournament of the fall season.
Junior Rocky Khara led the Rams. He tied for 15th place at 4-over, including a 1-over 73 in Sunday's final round. Khara's balanced (74-73-73=220) effort was his best of the fall season.

Freshman Jake McNulty turned in his second straight solid performance, placing 25th at 6-over (74-73-75=222). McNulty carded 12 birdies over the weekend, fifth most at the tournament.

Freshman Steffen Harm tied McNulty for 25th. He shot a team-best 72 Sunday and finished 6-over for the weekend (77-73-72=222). Harm bagged 14 birdies during the 54-hole tournament, fourth most in the field.

Sophomore Gino Vandenberg was 50th for VCU. He eagled the par-5 18th hole during Saturday's second round on the way to a 2-over 74.
VCU's fall season is complete. The Rams will return to the links on Feb. 25, 2013 at the Dell Walker Intercollegiate in Long Beach, Calif.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...1028qdzco1

RAMS SWEEP A-10 WEEKLY AWARDS


RICHMOND, Va. – VCU will have something positive to take into the winter. On Wednesday, the Rams swept the Atlantic 10 Conference's weekly golf awards.

Junior Rocky Khara (Sebring, Fla.) grabbed his first A-10 Player of the Week award, while freshman Jake McNulty (Port Perry, Ontario) was tabbed the league's Rookie of the Week.

Khara tied for 15th at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C. over the weekend. The VCU junior booked a steady (74-73-73=220) 4-over performance on the 7,245-yard, par 72 layout. It was his lowest 54-hole score of the fall season.

McNulty, meanwhile, was rewarded for back-to-back weeks of notable play. He shot a 6-over (74-73-75) score of 222 over three rounds to tie for 25th. The previous week, McNulty shot an opening-round 69 and eventually placed fifth at the OBX/ODU Collegiate in Powells Point, N.C.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...1031ik4vgg

STANDOUT FRESHMAN CLASS COMPLETE WITH ADDITION OF ADAM BALL


RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University will head into its spring season with three outstanding freshmen following the signing of highly-touted recruit Adam Ball (Chesterfield, Va.). Ball, the youngest son of VCU Head Coach Matt Ball and brother of current Ram Matt Ball Jr., began classes Monday and will be eligible immediately.

Adam Ball was ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in the Golfweek US Junior Rankings in 2011 and is a three-time Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA) Junior Golfer of the Year. Ball was the first four-time VSGA State Junior Champion in history, including both the match play and stroke play titles in 2012. His final round 63 at the VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship in 2012 set a tournament record and paved the way for a seven-stroke victory.


http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0114rn6gg5

YOUTH MOVEMENT:
2013 GOLF PREVIEW

Meanwhile, VCU's starting lineup isn't the only thing that'll be different this year. The Rams have migrated from the CAA, where they won eight championships and finished second twice in 17 seasons, to the Atlantic 10, which has been dominated in recent years by Charlotte. The 49ers won six straight titles before George Washington captured a rain-shortened championship in 2012.

In the fall's final Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, Charlotte was 67th, followed by Richmond (128), VCU (130) and Xavier (155). The Rams' ranking does not reflect the addition of Adam Ball, who enrolled at VCU in time for the spring semester. Rankings aside, VCU is positioned to provide a stiff challenge to the 49ers at the A-10 Championship April 26-27 in Heron Bay, Fla.

Said the elder Ball of his team's chances this season: "I think we have a group of guys who can get in the van and say, 'alright boys, let's go win us a golf tournament.'"

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0222mbjczf

1 Pacific -5 0 - 5 -1 280 276 - 556
T2 Long Beach State +4 0 - 5 E 284 280 - 564
T2 Loyola Marymount +4 0 - 5 E 281 283 - 564
4 CSU Fullerton +9 5 - 5 +1 284 284 - 568
5 25 DII Grand Canyon +14 5 - 5 -2 283 293 - 576
6 VCU +26 5 - 5 +8 291 287 - 578
7 Univ. British Columbia +29 4 - 9 +4 292 293 - 585
8 UNCW +37 4 - 9 +1 295 301 - 596
9 CSU Northridge +52 4 - 9 +2 311 299 - 610


http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/i...nt_id=4073

BALL LEADS VCU WITH TOP 10 DEBUT
AT DEL WALKER INTERCOLLEGIATE


TOURNAMENT INFO
Name: Del Walker Intercollegiate
Location: Virginia Country Club (Long Beach, Calif.)
Course: Par 70 (6,582 yards)

TALKING POINTS
Freshman Adam Ball (+2) placed ninth in his collegiate debut to pace VCU in its spring season opener.

VCU (+30) finished sixth in the team standings. Host Long Beach State (-2) took the team crown, followed by Pacific (+1) and Loyola Marymount (+7).

Ball fired a second-round 67, the lowest score by a VCU player this season, to vault himself into contention. The highly touted recruit shot 212 (73-67-72) during the 54-hole tournament.

Adam Ball recorded 38 pars, fifth most in the tournament. He was the second-best competitor this week in par 3 scoring (even). He trailed only teammate Jake McNulty (-1).
McNulty (73-70-73=216), a freshman, was the Rams' second-highest finisher in 21st place, while junior Matt Ball Jr. (70-76-73=219) was 26th.

NEXT UP
VCU heads to the Harmony Preserve Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla. March 4-6.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0226jb3s59

BALL CAPTURES ATLANTIC 10 AWARD


RICHMOND, Va. – On the heels of a top 10 finish in his first collegiate tournament, Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Adam Ball (Richmond, Va.) has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference's Golfer of the Week.

Ball, who enrolled at VCU prior to the spring semester, tied for ninth at the Del Walker Intercollegiate at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif. Feb. 25-26. Ball finished 2-over (73-67-72=212) on the 6,582-yard, par 70 layout. His 3-under 67 during Monday's second round is the lowest score recorded by a VCU golfer this season. In three rounds, Ball booked 38 pars and was the tournament's second-best golfer in par 3 scoring.

As a junior golfer, Ball won four Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA) championships, the first player to do so. He was also a three-time VSGA Golfer of the Year.

Behind their freshman standout, VCU placed sixth in the field.

Ball and the Rams return to the course March 4-6 at the Harmony Preserve Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0227tour2c

Team Leader Board
Course:Harmony Golf Preserve: Custom Par 72 - 7208 Yards
current position team scoring rounds total score to par thru today 1
T1 VCU -2 F -2 286 286
T1 Florida Atlantic -2 F -2 286 286
3 Florida Gulf Coast +6 F +6 294 294
4 Austin Peay State +7 F +7 295 295
5 Villanova +17 F +17 305 305
6 George Washington U. +18 F +18 306 306

http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/le...m4111.html

RAMS, BALL PLACE SECOND AT PINEHURST


TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Name: Golf Pride Pinehurst Intercollegiate
Location: Pinehurst, N.C.
Course Info: Second round - Pinehurst No. 2; First and third rounds - Pinehurst No. 6 (Par 71, 6,832 yards)

TALKING POINTS
VCU (+40) earned its second runner-up finish in as many tournaments. The Rams finished three strokes off the pace of Ball State (+37), which is ranked 43rd nationally by Golfweek.

The Rams were led again by freshman Adam Ball (73-73-69=215), who shot a 2-under 69 Wednesday to take second place. Ball was 3-over for the 54-hole tournament and finished a shot back of Tyler Merkel (+2) of Ball State.

Ball fired five birdies during the final round and recorded 11 overall this week.

It was Adam Ball's third top-10 finish in as many collegiate starts.
VCU's top three golfers this week were all freshmen: Adam Ball, Steffen Harm and Jake McNulty.

Harm carded an even-par 71 Wednesday and placed 17th overall.
McNulty, who shot 69 during Sunday's first round, placed 22nd for the Rams.

VCU tied for second with Atlantic 10 Conference rival Richmond and bested league foe Xavier (+78) by 38 strokes. Old Dominion finished 12 strokes off VCU's pace.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0312scw0ty

MATT BALL JR. LEADS RAMS AT RAIN-SHORTENED SEAHAWK

INTERCOLLEGIATE TOURNAMENT INFO
Name: Seahawk Intercollegiate
Location: Wilmington, N.C. (Country Club of Landfall)
Course Info: Nicklaus Course (Pines-Ocean) – Par 72, 6,877 yards

TALKING POINTS
Matt Ball Jr. fought off wind gusts of 20-30 mph to fire a final-round 75 and lead VCU at the Seahawk Intercollegiate.

VCU (+53) placed ninth in the team standings. Host UNCW (+28) slipped past Kent State (+29) and Maryland (+33) for the team crown.

The Rams shot 317-312=629 over the two-day event.

The event was shortened from 54 to 36 holes after rain prevented teams from completing the first and second rounds on Sunday.

Ball Jr. placed tied for 23rd in the field at +11 (80-75=155). Junior Rocky Khara (+13) took 28th place, while freshman Steffen Harm was 34th.

Ball Jr. is the third different Ram to lead VCU in scoring in four spring tournaments. Adam Ball (2) and Steffen Harm have previously taken those honors.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/sports/golf/...0325c1wihi