A new national championship is coming to the college golf schedule next spring.
Golfweek will host the inaugural National Golf Invitational in May 2023 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, just south of Phoenix.
The NCAA announced in May it would allow schools to play in one season-ending event, so think of the NGI like college basketball’s NIT. The NGI will feature a men’s and women’s competition, each with a maximum of 18 teams playing 54 holes of stroke play. Women will play first, May 11-14, with the men the following week, May 18-21.
The field will be invitational-only as decided by a committee using both the Golfweek/Sagarin and Golfstat rankings along with a committee decision on teams that have a strong regular season.
“Ak-Chin Southern Dunes is excited to carry on our proud tradition of hosting high level championship events as the host site for the men’s and women’s National Golf Invitational,” said Southern Dunes General Manager Brady Wilson. “Certainly, the popularity of golf in the Valley of Sun and the growing exposure of college golf make for perfect timing to have a second National Championship event so that more college programs and student athletes are able to play into the post-season.”
Golfweek’s Lance Ringler will serve as the tournament director.
“This is something I have talked about for many years and am extremely excited to make this a reality. Many coaches over that time have expressed a want and a need for a second postseason event like we see in other sports and the sport is ready to support another postseason tournament,” said Ringler. “With the NCAA now allowing teams to play in one postseason event, teams that don’t find a path to the NCAA regional play can now look at what we are doing as an option.”
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