MORGANTOWN — It didn't take West Virginia University's men's golf team long to make an impact.
WVU and The Greenbrier will host the 2019 Big 12 Men's Golf Championship in White Sulphur Springs, the league announced Wednesday.
The tournament will be held in the spring of 2019 on the Old White TPC Course.
"We're excited to host our first-ever Big 12 Golf Championship in 2019," WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. "We thank The Greenbrier and the Big 12 Conference for this opportunity and look forward to a first-class championship event."
The 2019 marks the first time in program history that the Mountaineers have hosted the event.WVU reinstated golf as a varsity sport in 2015 following a three-decade absence.The Mountaineers participated in their first-ever Big 12 Championship at Whispering Pines County Club in Huntsville, Texas, in May of 2016, and also took part in the 2017 event at Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, this past April.
"The Greenbrier is truly a treasure when it comes to American golf," WVU coach Sean Covich said. "There is much tradition and history associated with it.We are proud to bring the best conference in college golf to Old White TPC in 2019."
The Old White TPC was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald and opened for play in 1914.A legend of golf history at The Greenbrier, the course was named for the well-known Old White Hotel, which stood on the grounds from 1858 through 1922.Macdonald's associate, Seth Raynor, assisted in the course construction and returned in the 1920s to oversee updates to the golf course.
In 2010 the Old White TPC became host to The Greenbrier Classic, an annual PGA Tour FedEx Cup event.
After the flood of 2016, which forced the cancellation of The Greenbrier Classic, the golf course was closed and completely restored by noted architect Keith Foster.While the routing plan and hole concepts were retained, every green complex was rebuilt, and new grasses were introduced to the greens, fairways and bunkers faces while trees were selectively thinned to reintroduce unbelievable views and sight lines not seen for decades.
The Old White TPC is one of five courses at The Greenbrier, a world-class resort, which has welcomed guests since 1778.America's Resort offers 710 guest rooms, cottages and estate homes, and more than 55 activities are available for guests and visitors on its 11,000-acre program.
"We're thrilled that the 2019 Big 12 Men's Golf Championship will be held on The Old White TPC," said Greenbrier President Dr.Jill Justice. "We're well aware of the amazing golfers that conference has produced over the years, and we look forward to welcoming these excellent players to America's Resort."
Five Big 12 programs competed in the 2017 NCAA Men's Golf National Championship, with Oklahoma becoming the fourth team from the conference to win a national title since the league's inception.
The 2018 Big 12 Men's Golf Championship will take place at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., from April 23-25.
Photo Source: Bobak Ha'Eri / WikimediaCommons