UC Irvine participates in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship May 28-31 on The Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind.  The Anteaters are one of 30 teams vying for the crown on the par-72, 7,431-yard course.  The 72-hole tournament will feature 18 holes of play each day.

The Anteaters are seeded No. 18 in the field and will play the first two rounds with golfers from 16th-seeded Oregon and No. 17 Augusta State.  Wednesday's tee time is at 4:00 a.m. (PDT).

USC is the top seed in the tournament, followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Wake Forest, No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Clemson.

The top 15 teams will continue final round play on Saturday after a cut is made following Friday's third round.  The field includes 156 participants - 30 teams with five players each plus six individuals who advanced from regional competition.  The six individuals will play all four rounds with a chance at medalist honors.

UC Irvine is making its third trip to the NCAA Finals, having made previous appearances in 2001 and 1992.  The Anteaters shot a 54-hole total of 16-under par 836 to finish third at the East Regional in Chattanooga, Tenn. to earn a berth in the NCAA Finals.  It tied the program's best regional finish, as the 2001 Anteaters placed third in the West Regional.

Sophomore John Chin, the 2008 Big West Player of the Year, heads the Anteater lineup.  Junior Sean Shahi, a first team All-Big West pick, had the team's best showing with a fourth place finish at the East Regional.  Fellow all-conference first teamer junior Tim Cha shot a 64 for the best third round of any golfer at the East Regional.  Senior Kenny Kim and freshman Max Greil round out the UCI contingent.