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Penn State to Battle Michigan State in Challenge at Champions

Feb. 22, 2013

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's golf team will go head-to-head with Michigan State at the Challenge at Champions Golf Club held on the Jackrabbit Course in Houston, TX on Saturday, Feb. 23.

The Nittany Lions will face the Spartans in a match play exhibition on the 7,021 yard, par 71 course. The Champions Golf Club has been the host of several prestigious events, including the Ryder Cup matches in 1967, the US Open in 1969, and the Champions International, a PGA Tour event.

Making the trip for Penn State will be freshmen JD Dornes (Lancaster, Pa.), Chris Houston (Gilford, N.H.), and Geoff Vartelas (Cromwell, Conn.); sophomores Xander McDonald-Smith (Rockaway Park, N.Y.) and Jens Talbert (Little Rock Ark.); and seniors Jay Woodward (Bridgeport, W. Va.) and Anthony DeGol (Hollidaysburg, Pa.).

The exhibition will begin at 1:30 p.m. when Dornes clashes with Michigan State's Jon Finley in a singles match. The winner of this will receive .5 point towards the team total, and the Four Ball matches to follow will be worth 1 point each.

Vartelas and McDonald-Smith will pair to face Spartans' Dave Ellis and Gareth Blease. Next up for the Nittany Lions will be Houston and Woodward against Carson Castellani and Dan Ellis. Wrapping up the match will be the duo of DeGol and Talbert versus an MSU pair of Mitch Rutledge and Matthew Moseley.

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