Sam Houston State will host a unique college golf event Monday and Tuesday when eight men's teams and eight women's squads gather in Houston for the Bearkats' Elkins Lake Fall Classic Golf Tournament.
Both the men's and the women's tournaments will be played on the par 71 course at Elkins Lake Country Club. The women's course distance is 6,041 yards while the men's stands at 6,689 yards.
In past years, Sam Houston has hosted 19 fall men's golf tournaments at Elkins and four women's events there since women's golf was reinstated in 1997-98. But Monday and Tuesday mark the first time the Bearkats have hosted men's and women's events simultaneously.
"At eight o'clock Monday morning, we'll have a shotgun start for the women on the front nine and the men on the back nine. It's going to be a great event," Sam Houston head golf coach Ronnie Choate said. "This is a great opportunity for local fans to come watch some outstanding young men and women play golf."
The teams will play 36 holes on Monday with the final 18-hole round to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Entering teams in both the men's and women's tournaments are McNeese State, Houston Baptist, Tyler Junior College and host Sam Houston State.
Other men's team competing include Louisiana-Monroe, Texas-Pan American, Nicholls and Oklahoma Christian.
Universities entered in only the women's tournament are Central Arkansas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Stephen F. Austin and Centenary.
The Elkins Lake Fall Classic was an annual event for the Sam Houston men from 1977 to 1996 with the Bearkats winning the title in nine of the 18 tournaments. Last year, the Fall Classic was reborn and again the winners were the Bearkats.
Ten times the men's individual medalist champion has been a Bearkat, the last when Brandt Kieschnick won in 1996.
In 1998 through 2001, the Bearkat women hosted four tournaments at Elkins Lake, winning three times.
Coach Choate's Bearkat men have played in three golf tournaments this season. Their top finish has been third place at the Oral Roberts Shoot-Out in Tulsa. Scott Kelly and Fergal Rafferty lead this year's men's squad with stroke averages of 72.6 and 74.3, respectively.
Women's coach Tommy Chain has taken his team to two tournament this season. The Sam Houston women placed fourth at Oral Roberts and sixth at Texas A&M. Jessica Borth and Meghann Stevens lead the Bearkat women this fall, both with 79.0 stroke averages.
PAST ELKINS LAKE FALL MEN'S TOURNAMENT TEAM CHAMPIONS
Year Team Champion Score SHSU Finish
1977 Sam Houston St. 298 298 1 of 10
1978 Sam Houston St. 139-294 433* 1 of 11
1979 Sam Houston St. 288-304 592 1 of 8
1981 Stephen F. Austin 299-308 607 2 of 7
1982 Sam Houston St. 294-295 583 1 of 8
1983 Sam Houston St. 289-275 564 1 of 9
1984 Stephen F. Austin 289-294 583 2 of 12
1985 Houston Baptist 298-287 585 2 of 9
1986 Sam Houston St. 296-304 600 1 of 11
1987 Southwestern Louisiana 291-294 585 2 of 19
1988 Lamar 293-303 596 2 of 12
1989 Stephen F. Austin 293-290 583** 4 of 11
Lamar 294-289 583
1990 Sam Houston St. 289-300 589 1 of 11
1991 Oral Roberts 287-293 580 2 of 14
1992 Stephen F. Austin 290-rain 290 3 of 14
1993 Sam Houston St. 282-298 580 1 of 9
1995 Sam Houston St. 295-303 598 1 of 12
1996 Sam Houston St. 284-283 567 1 of 6
2008 Sam Houston St. 285-281-283 849 1 of 11
Year Individual Medalist Score
1977 Robert Singletary, Sam Houston 68 68
1978 Phil Estep, Sam Houston 35-71 106
Robert Singletary, Sam Houston 33-71 106
1979 Phil Estep, Sam Houston 71-73 144
Robert Thompson, Sam Houston 69-75 144
1981 Steen Tenning, McLennan 71-71 142
1982 Jim Phenicie, Sam Houston 70-74 144
1983 Dan Cook, Sam Houston 71-67 138
1984 Joe Golden, Stephen F. Austin 70-72 142
Jimmy Squires, Stephen F. Austin 71-71 142
1985 Glen Joyner, Houston Baptist 75-71 146
1986 Kirk Johnson, Sam Houston 74-74 148
1987 Dewitt Weaver, SMU 67-76 143 (won playoff)
Cam Emerson, Southwest Texas 71-72 143
Mike Genovese, Southwestern LA 70-73 143
1988 Kevin Boscamp, Sam Houston 73-72 145
1989 Henrik Simonsen, Houston Baptist 70-70 140
1990 Brian McMyler, Stephen F. Austin 72-71 143
1991 Lance Watson, Oral Roberts 67-73 140
1992 Brian McMyler, Stephen F. Austin 69-rain 69
Paul Friedlander, Oral Roberts 69-rain 69
1993 Dean Choate, Sam Houston 66-74 140
1995 Billy Bennett, Sam Houston 73-71 144
1996 Brandt Kieschnick, Sam Houston 72-66 138
2008 Anthony Michael, Oklahoma City 66-72-67 205
WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTS AT ELKINS LAKE COUNTRY CLUB
Team Champion
1998 McLennan CC 323 324 -- 647
1999 Sam Houston State 310 318 -- 628
2000 Sam Houston State 328 317 -- 645
2001 Sam Houston State 316 324 -- 640
Individual Medalist Champion
1998 Heather Sterling, MCC 77 79 -- 156
1999 Janell Howland, Lamar 71 84 -- 155
2000 Adirenne Gautreaux, SHSU 80 77 -- 157
2001 Lindsey Reed, SHSU 81 75 -- 156