The George Mason golf team will host the sixth annual Babygrande Donald Ross Collegiate Classic from March 9-11 at Mid Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The event will feature a field of 20 teams, matching the largest number of participants in the tournament’s history.
The competition will be played over three days on the par-72 course designed by Donald Ross. Teams will play 18 holes each day, with tee times starting at 8:05 am on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, the final round will begin with simultaneous starts on holes #1 and #10.
Babygrande Golf is sponsoring the event for a second year and will provide live video coverage on YouTube. The company plans to distribute content through its network, which reaches about one million followers across various social media platforms such as @gonegolfingtv, @bunkersplash, @golfermoments, @babygrandegolf, @babygrandesports, and @topgolfershere.
This year’s tournament coincides with Women’s History Month. Organizers noted that Mid Pines was owned by Peggy Kirk Bell from 1954 until her death in 2016 at age 95. Bell was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and received several major honors in golf. The sister course Pine Needles Golf Club hosted its fourth US Women’s Open in 2022.
Teams participating this year include George Mason (host), Bowling Green State University, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, George Washington, Georgetown, James Madison, Loyola Chicago, Old Dominion, Ohio University, Richmond, Robert Morris, Saint Joseph’s, St. Bonaventure, St. John’s, St. Thomas (Minn), Towson University, South Dakota, VCU and William & Mary.
George Mason’s lineup consists of Vaughn McMeans, JJ Powell, Dave Fuhrer, Uzair Mirza, Philipp Krone and Putter Aukrawat.
Past champions of the Ross Collegiate include Loyola (Md), Seton Hall and Chattanooga among others. In individual competition last year Samir Davidov from George Mason tied for first place along with two players from Chattanooga.
George Mason’s best team finish came last year when they secured second place after previously placing as high as third in 2021.
