Capone Earns Individual Bid to NCAA Men's Golf Regional
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 11, 1999
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-Wake Forest senior Michael Capone (Cranston, R.I.) received an individual bid to the 1999 NCAA Men's Golf East Regional Championship today, earning the chance to play a familiar course in front of a hometown crowd. The 54-hole tournament will be played May 20-22 at the Rhode Island Country Club in Providence, R.I. The Demon Deacons did not receive a team bid to NCAA postseason play for the first time since 1966, breaking an impressive 32-year streak.
A 1999 All-ACC pick, Capone has been the Deacs' most consistent player this year. He started all 12 events for the Deacs, recording a team-low 72.7 stroke average and earning four top 10 finishes. Capone won the first individual tournament title of his career just two weeks ago, carding three consecutive rounds in the 60s (68-68-69) to win the Wofford College Invitational. His 54-hole total of 205 tied the tournament record and was seven strokes lower than his previous career best. Capone was also instrumental in helping Wake Forest to an NCAA runner-up finish in 1997, placing sixth individually at the national championships to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors.
A total of 23 teams and five individuals were selected to the East Regional, with the top 11 teams and two individuals advancing to the 1999 NCAA Championships at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., on June 2-5. In addition, 10 teams and two individuals will advance from the Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio, and nine teams and two individuals will advance from the West Regional in Tuscon, Ariz.
THE 1999 NCAA MEN'S GOLF EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: Teams - Rhode Island, Connecticut, Yale, Seton Hall, Richmond, Penn State, James Madison, Clemson, Georgia Tech, East Tennessee State, North Carolina, Augusta State, NC State, Maryland, Duke, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Florida, Mississippi State, Mississippi, South Alabama, Georgia State. Individuals - George Plumet, Campbell; MICHAEL CAPONE, WAKE FOREST; Chris Devlin, Alabama-Birmingham; Jan Are Larsen, Alabama; Francois Nicolas, Southeastern Louisiana.
