2009 John Hayt Collegiate Invitational Home Page
Live Scoring I About the Tournament I Sawgrass Country Club I
Tournament Program I UNF Media Relations I 2008 Recap
2009 Field: Alabama, Arizona State, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Furman, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, LSU, TCU, Tennessee, Tulsa, UAB, UNC-Wilmington, UNF, UT-Chattanooga
Sunday, Feb. 22
Team Results I Individual Results I Recap
Monday, Feb. 23
Live Scoring I Tee Times I Team Results I Individual Results I Recap
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Live Scoring I Tee Times I Team Results I Individual Results I Recap
About the Tournament: Throughout the last 17 years the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational has grown into one of the premier events in collegiate golf. Dubbed the first collegiate major of the year, the event traditionally features a field that is loaded with the top 25 teams in the nation.
To add to the prestige and class of the tournament, the event received a new name in 2007, with longtime UNF golf enthusiast and local Jacksonville businessman John Hayt's name now adorning the event.
"It was a complete surprise to me," Hayt said. "I just want to thank Richard Gropper, along with former UNF golf coach John Brooks and current coach Scott Schroeder. I am certainly humbled."
Hayt began his relationship with the UNF golf team in 1993 during the team's run to a national title. While living at Queen's Harbor — site of the NAIA national championship tournament that year — Hayt struck up a friendship with Brooks and has been a valuable member of the UNF athletics family since.
Hayt was a generous contributor to the Golfplex at UNF, which also bears his name, and has been a longtime member of the Osprey Club — UNF's primary booster organization. He is also a regular attendee at UNF athletic events.
"John Hayt has been a friend personally and professionally for many years," Gropper said. "His contributions to the University in general and to the athletics program in particular have helped to define the University of North Florida as one of the finest young universities in the country. I'm proud to have John Hayt's name associated with our golf program and our golf tournament."
Hayt said he is equally as proud to be associated with the university as he is with its athletics department, and credits UNF's student-athletes for the job they do on the field and in the classroom as well.
Formerly known as the Queen's Harbor Intercollegiate before being named the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, the tournament's prestige has continued to grow through the years.
"We continually to get letters from coaches and spectators telling us that this is the best collegiate golf event they have ever been to,” Hayt said. “I have been to a lot of college golf tournaments, and the crowds at our event are by far the biggest I have seen. We have great support from the Sawgrass Country Club membership, and the tournament is played on a course that challenges the golfers, which is something that coaches like."
Alabama captured the team title in 2008, becoming the first team to defend its title since Florida won four straight from 1999-2002.
"I have been fortunate to be at this tournament with both Augusta State and Alabama, and this is one of my favorite tournaments," Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said. "It means a great deal to me to have a John Hayt Collegiate Invitational trophy because of all that he has done for college golf."
With a top-notch course and a great field year-in and year-out, adding John Hayt's name to the title of the tournament will ensure it continues to be a premier collegiate golf event.
"Honoring Mr. Hayt by renaming this tournament after him is a tribute to what he has done in the past and will undoubtedly continue to do in the future for our program," UNF coach Scott Schroeder said.
Notables: SEC teams have claimed the team title at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational four of the last five years … Tulsa’s Clint Jensen (1996 and ’97) and UNF’s David Bennett (2000 and ’01) are the only individuals to repeat as champion in the 16 years of the event … defending champion Joel Sjoholm is not in the field this week … South Carolina was the last team to finish under par at the event when the Gamecocks finished 3-under-par in 2004 … UNF’s lone victory at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational came in 1994 when the Ospreys edged out Florida by four strokes ... teams will arrive for the event Friday before the top two players on each team take part in the college-am on Saturday with members at Sawgrass Country Club ... after play concludes on Monday there will be a three-hole challenge for tournament participants at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass ... competitors will play the final three holes of the course including the 17th hole with its famous island green.
Sawgrass Country Club (Par 72, 6,895 yards): After eight years at Queens Harbour Country Club, the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational moved to Sawgrass Country Club — located in Ponte Vedra Beach — in 2000.
The Sawgrass Oceanside Course (East-West) gained its reputation as the home of the PGA Tour's Tournament Players Championship from 1977-81, when the course, along with the treacherous winds of Sawgrass, tested the greatest players of the game.
This par-72, 6,895- yard layout requires distance off the tee while putting a premium on accuracy. With water on 14 of the 18 holes, along with approaches into extremely well-bunkered greens, placement is of prime importance. In addition, the greens are shallow but wide, creating difficult hole locations.
To complement its array of links, Sawgrass Country Club also features a spacious driving range facility, complete with an area to practice long bunker shots. The two separate putting greens, practice bunker and chipping green provide ideal opportunities for a player to work on his game.
East Course
Hole Par Yardage
1 4 370
2 4 410
3 3 160
4 5 515
5 4 415
6 3 185
7 4 420
8 5 515
9 4 435
West Course
Hole Par Yardage
10 4 405
11 5 565
12 3 185
13 4 450
14 4 380
15 3 205
16 4 380
17 4 405
18 5 510
UNF Media Relations
Shawn LaFata
(904) 620-4027 – Office
(904) 718-3208 – Cell