Feb. 27, 2008

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For Immediate Release: Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Sports Information and Media Services, 816-595-8119

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is proud to announce that St. Ambrose (Iowa) University will host the 58th and 59th Annual NAIA Men's Golf National Championships. St. Ambrose partners with the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Quad Cities Sports Commission for the events to take place May 19-22, 2009 and May 18-21, 2010. These events mark the third time the Championships have been held in the area. The 1962 and 1967 Championships were held in Davenport, Iowa at the Emeis Park Golf Club.

"We are thrilled to have St. Ambrose University and the Quad Cities as hosts for the 2009 and 2010 NAIA Men's Golf National Championships," said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. "I am confident that they will carry on the strong tradition of this event and make it a memorable experience for all student-athletes, coaches and fans involved. On behalf of the NAIA, I would like to recognize the efforts of our current host Plymouth, Ind., and what they have done to make the Championship a success."

The Quad Cities CVB and Quad Cities Sports Commission (QCSC) serve Davenport/Bettendorf, Iowa and Rock Island/Moline, Ill., and the surrounding communities and region. The 2009 & 2010 events will be held at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. - a PGA Tour facility. The last time these Championships were held at a PGA course was back in 1999 at the PGA National-Haig Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

"We are excited and proud to host this event," said Jeff Griebel, head men's coach at St. Ambrose. "I think I bring a unique perspective because I have served on the NAIA-Men's Golf Coaches Association and have attended several national championships. I think we have a great idea on how to run a Championship-type event and give the student-athlete the most memorable experience."

The QCSC has hosted a variety of golf Championship-caliber events including the American Junior Golf Association Championships and the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championships. Also, the Quad Cities Marathon, Triathlon, the Women's NIC Softball Tournament, ASA National Girl's Championship (2004, 2006) and the Mid Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournament have all been organized by the QCSC.

"The Quad Cities is thrilled to host such a prestigious event and the NAIA Men's Golf Championships," said Joe Taylor, Chair President/CEO, Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This event is particularly suited to this community. We work together to bring events such as this to our area.

"We are aware of the quality of the student-athlete the NAIA represents and this is exactly the kind of event we seek to bring to the Quad Cities."

There are 174 NAIA schools that currently sponsor a varsity men's golf program. For information on how a team and individuals qualify, please click here.

Men's Golf was added as a championship sport in 1952 with Abilene, Texas, serving as the first site. North Texas State was the inaugural champion shooting a team total 1,123. In the history of the sport, there have been 27 national team champions. In 2007, Oklahoma City won its sixth team title carding a 1,154. It was its sixth hardware in the last seven years and tied Texas Wesleyan for the most team titles in the history of the sport.

"I am very excited for the great golfing opportunity Quad Cities and St. Ambrose will provide for NAIA Men's Golf," said Becki Almeida, NAIA Manager of Championship Sports.  "The Quad Cities area is a great location to take our championships to and the enthusiasm that they and St. Ambrose expressed on the site visit was extraordinary.  This is the type of place we want to host our championships."

The 2008 Championships take place at Indiana National Golf Club in Plymouth, Ind. It will be the second straight year at Plymouth with the dates set for May 13-16.

HELPFUL LINKS:
To learn more about the NAIA, click here.
To learn more about NAIA Men's Golf, click here.
For more information on St. Ambrose University, click here.
For more information on the Quad Cities Sports Commission, click here.
PHOTO GALLERY

NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.

Today, the NAIA strengthens its commitment to student-athletes and strives to enrich their college experience by supporting academic achievement and character development. NAIA Champions of Character is the association's innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves.