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    Strong Field Awaits Northwestern at Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invite
    Ten of the nation's top-20 teams in the preseason Golf World/Nike Coaches Poll are in the field
    NUSPORTSDOTCOM Eric Chun and the Wildcats hope to sustain their first-round success from last year's OFCC/Illini Invite over the entire 54 holes in 2010.
    NUSPORTSDOTCOM
    Eric Chun and the Wildcats hope to sustain their first-round success from last year's OFCC/Illini Invite over the entire 54 holes in 2010.
     NUSPORTSDOTCOM

    Sept. 16, 2010

    EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern returns to the course this Friday-through-Sunday, Sept. 17-19, against a loaded field at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, Ill.

    The 15-team field includes reigning NCAA champion Augusta State, 2010 NCAA runner-up Oklahoma State, 2010 NCAA semifinalist Florida State and national championship qualifiers Arizona State, California, Duke, Florida, Illinois and Stanford. Northwestern was one stroke shy of joining that group a year ago, finishing in a tie for sixth at its NCAA Regional.

    Ten teams in the field were ranked in the top-20 of the preseason Golf World/Nike Coaches Poll. In addition, seven of the top nine individual golfers in the preseason top-30 compiled by Golfweek are in the field.

    Teams will play 18 holes on each of the three days of the tournament, hosted by Illinois at the 7,157-yard par-70 Olympia Fields Country Club North Course. Live scoring will be available at Golfstat.com.

    Northwestern opened the season last week with a fifth-place performance at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. The Wildcats shot the third-best score of the final round to jump three places in the standings, helped by sub-par rounds from senior David Lipsky (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) and junior Eric Chun (Ansung City, South Korea/International Christian School).

    Northwestern has shown the ability to go low in this annually tough event. The Wildcats held the first-round lead at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational a year ago after a 6-over 286.

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