The Chico State men's golf program has built quite a national reputation thanks to a long stretch of strong postseason golf. That reputation has led to invitations to play in tournaments like the Amer Ari Invitational and The Goodwin this season – something no other Division II program can boast.
 
The Wildcats hope to use The Goodwin, hosted this Thursday through Saturday by Stanford at the Stanford Golf Course, as a springboard to another strong postseason run. After the Stanford tournament, the Wildcats will play once more in the regular season, at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational in Turlock, before opening postseason play at the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships April 24-26 at Industry Hills Golf Club in Southern California.
 
Chico State enters the event ranked No. 25 in the Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll, and No. 28 in the Golfstat rankings.
 
The Wildcats are looking to advance to the NCAA Regional Championships for the 11^th straight season and 18^th time in the last 19 years. They've reached the NCAA Division II Championship finals nine times in the past 15 seasons, and reached medal/match play four times in the past five.
 
They faced many of the same teams in this week's field at the Amer Ari and held their own for the most part. Chico State was in the middle of the pack following the first round, but a poor second circuit cost them and they wound up finishing 20^th out of 21 teams.
 
Head Coach Nick Green's squad is hoping that a more consistent effort this week will lead to a better result.  
 
The Goodwin
The Goodwin was originally named the 'United States Intercollegiate' the event was renamed 'The Goodwin' prior to the 2014 edition in honor of former Cardinal head coach Wally Goodwin. Goodwin coached at Stanford from 1983-2000, and his tenure was highlighted by winning the 1994 national title. He recruited and coached standouts such as Tiger Woods, Casey Martin, Notah Begay, Joel Kribel and current Stanford head coach Conrad Ray, among many other stars.
 
Past champions include Tom Watson, Corey Pavin, Duffy Waldof, Billy Mayfair, Casey Martin, and Maverick McNealy.
 
The Field 
Stanford, currently ranked No. 12 in the nation, is not the only big fish in the field. The Wildcats will also be playing alongside top-ranked USC, No. 10 Oregon, No. 17 UNLV, and No. 18 Colorado, along with BYU, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Fresno State, Marquette, Nevada, Northern Colorado, Oregon State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Jose State, Southern Methodist, St. Mary's, UC Davis, UCLA, USF, Washington and Wyoming.
 
The Course
Located in the foothills overlooking Stanford's campus, Stanford University Golf Course is consistently rated as one of the finest courses in the world. The par-70 course will play at 6,727 yards for The Goodwin.
 
Designed in 1930 by renowned architects William Bell and George Thomas, the course has played host to the Pac-10 Championships, NCAA Regional Championships, NCAA Women's Championship, USGA Junior Amateur Qualifying, U.S. Open Qualifying, and The Gathering at the Farm, a former Senior PGA Tour event.
 
The Start Times
The Wildcats, paired with San Jose State and Pacific for the first two rounds, will play with the morning groups Thursday, beginning at 8:36. They tee off Friday beginning at 1:10 in the afternoon. Saturday's tee times will be based on the scores through the first two rounds.
 
Round 1 - Hole 1
7:30-8:14 a.m. - Cal Poly, UC Davis, Oregon State
8:25-9:09 a.m. - Wyoming, USF, Nevada
12:15-12:59 p.m. - USC, Stanford (Cardinal), Oregon
1:10-1:54 p.m. - Pepperdine, Colorado, UNLV
 
Round 1 - Hole 10
7:30 a.m. - Stanford (Individuals)
7:41-8:25 a.m. - Northern Colorado, Marquette, Fresno State
8:36-9:20 a.m. - San Jose State, Pacific, Chico State
12:15 p.m. - Stanford (Individuals)
12:26-1:10 p.m. - Washington, BYU, UCLA
1:21-2:05 p.m. - St. Mary's, Southern Methodist, Colorado State
 
Round 2 - Hole 1
7:30-8:14 a.m. - Washington, BYU, UCLA
8:25-9:09 a.m. - St. Mary's, Southern Methodist, Colorado State
12:15-12:59 p.m. - Northern Colorado, Marquette, Fresno State
1:10-1:54 p.m. - San Jose State, Pacific, Chico State
 
Round 2 - Hole 10
7:30 a.m. - Stanford (Individuals)
7:41-8:25 a.m. - USC, Stanford (Cardinal), Oregon
8:36-9:20 a.m. - Pepperdine, Colorado, UNLV
12:15 p.m. - Stanford (Individuals)
12:26-1:10 p.m. - Cal Poly, UC Davis, Oregon State
1:21-2:05 p.m. - Wyoming, USF, Nevada
 
Round 3
• Tee times will be based on scores after first two rounds.
• Teams will tee off from holes 1 and 10 in two waves starting at 7:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.