CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. – The 2017 Chico State men's golf team has had the unenviable task of playing in the shadow of the greatest three-year run in the history of its program this season. But beginning Monday, the Wildcats have an opportunity to do something none of those teams did, win a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) crown, and carve out a legacy of its own.
 
First-year Head Coach Nick Green will send Colby Dean, Kelley Sullivan, Serge Kiriluk, Cole Chavez, and Henning Hogmoen out on the links on the Zaharias Course (Par 71, 6826 yards) at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort in City of Industry.
 
The teams will play three rounds of stroke play (36 holes on Monday and 18 Tuesday morning). The top four teams will advance to medal/match play. Semifinals will take place Tuesday afternoon and the finals on Wednesday morning.
 
Despite the loss of three All-Americans, the Wildcats have put together a solid-to-spectacular season, posting two wins, three second-place finishes, and six top-fives in their six events featuring Division II competition. They are ranked No. 23 in the nation and No. 3 in the West.
 

The CCAA Champion will earn at automatic berth into the NCAA Championship West/South Central Super Regional, though the 'Cats seem to be a sure thing for the field either way.
 
At last season's CCAA Championships, Chico State's 13-shot difference over second place Stanislaus State in stroke play marked the largest margin of victory in the championships in a dozen years. But the Wildcats were upset by Sonoma State in the medal/match play semifinals. It marked the second straight season that the Wildcats won the stroke play portion, only to be upset in the medal/match semifinals.
 
The Wildcats' only CCAA title came in 2012. They tied for first in 2005, but lost in a playoff. Alistair Docherty is the program's lone CCAA Championships medalist. Justin Wiles tied for first last season but lost the title in a playoff.
 
The 2017 CCAA Men's Golf Championships consists of nine teams: Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State San Marcos, Chico State, Sonoma State, Stanislaus State, and UC San Diego.

The Wildcats will be paired with Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay for Monday's first two rounds. They are scheduled to tee off beginning at 8:20 a.m.

LIVE SCORING
The Men's Golf Championships will be scored live from the greens and can be viewed live at www.golfstatresults.com.

ABOUT THE COURSE
The Zaharias Course (The Babe) is an 18-hole course is named for Babe Didrikson Zaharias, one of America 's most decorated all-around athletes. Designers William F. Bell & Casey O'Callaghan designed the Zaharias course to be intentionally narrow and long, maximizing the expansive acreage of the hilltop resort. At 650 acres, the sheer size of the layout remains a novelty among golf courses near Los Angeles. The par-71 course measures 6826 yards from the black tees.

For more information on Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort and specifics on the golf courses visit www.ihgolfclub.com