Woltman to Participate in Elite Invite
November 13, 2007 | Men's Golf
Junior Dan Woltman of the UW men's golf team will compete against nearly all of the top collegiate players across the nation when he participates in the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic. The tournament, hosted by the Sun Bowl Association, will take place from Nov. 19-20 at El Paso Country Club in El Paso, Texas.
'I appreciate the opportunity that the Sun Bowl Association has given me to represent UW this next weekend,' Woltman said. 'Being only the second Badger extended an invite in this tournament is truly a privilege that I am very grateful for.'
The invite, considered to be the premier individual stroke play event on the collegiate level, has annually been ranked as the No. 1 tournament in the country by the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
'This tournament has the strongest field in college golf for the fourth-straight year,' Woltman said. 'Having only All-Americans in the field, this is a good opportunity to see how my game stacks up against the best players in the nation.'
Many top professionals have participated in the classic since its inception in 1974. Six of the top 10 players on the PGA Tour's career money list have played in El Paso: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, David Toms and Justin Leonard. Tiger Woods won the tournament in 1995.
Woltman (Beaver Dam, Wis.) is currently ranked No. 67 among all collegiate individuals throughout the country and will look to justify and possibly improve his ranking at the par-71, 6,837-yard El Paso Country Club.
'My goal for this tournament is the same as it is for every tournament; play my best and make smart decisions and the score will take of itself.'
A solid performance at the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic would add to Woltman's already impressive resume. The junior won the VCU/Mattaponi Springs Shootout in the fall of 2006, competed in last year's individual NCAA championships and won the Wisconsin State Open this summer. More recently, Woltman tied for first place in the Prestige at PGA West competition, one of the elite invites this fall, in mid-October.
Woltman will earn a $1,000 scholarship for Wisconsin as a reward for his participation in the classic.
Prior to the competition's start, both a long drive and putting contest will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18, followed by a practice round for all participants.
'I don't think I have a chance in the long drive contest, but hopefully I can roll in a few putts and have an opportunity to win that competition,' Woltman said.
The Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic starts on Monday, Nov. 19, with two rounds of play and finishes with a final round on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The tournament will be played in El Paso, Texas, at El Paso Country Club.
