April 10, 2008

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Fresh off a victory at the Notre Dame Spring Invitational last weekend, Northwestern returns to action Saturday through Sunday, April 12-13, at the 39th Annual Robert Kepler Intercollegiate hosted by Ohio State.

The 15-team field will play the par-71, 7,455 yard Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, site of this year's NCAA Central Regional. The two-day, 54-hole tournament begins with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start for two rounds Saturday before tee times will be used during Sunday's final round.

The Wildcats had a strong outing in their last tournament on Saturday, April 5, erasing a six-stroke deficit after the first round with an even-par 280 to win the 36-hole, nine-team Notre Dame Spring Invitational by two strokes over the host Irish. Sophomore David Lipsky (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) won co-medalist honors for the first tournament victory of his career.

The field at the Kepler Intercollegiate features six teams ranked in the top 50 of the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, including Big Ten schools Michigan State (No. 24), Penn State (No. 36) and Michigan (No. 40). No. 18 Louisville enters the weekend as the top-rated team in the field and as the defending champions after winning a rain-shortened, two-round event last year.

Northwestern captured the Kepler Intercollegiate crown in 2006, one of its three all-time team titles in the tournament. That year's event was held in Dublin, Ohio, at Muirfield Village Golf Club -- home of the PGA Tour's Memorial -- while the Scarlet Course underwent construction. Current senior Kyle Moore (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Scioto) earned medalist honors that year with a 1-under 215, winning the title in the second hole of a playoff.

Live scoring will be available for the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate at Golfstat.com.