Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. ? The field of 18 teams participating in the 2004 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship reads like the who?s who of collegiate men?s golf. The prestigious tournament, which is hosted by the University of North Florida, features nine top-25 teams, including three, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Georgia, who are in the top-five. The three days of continuous golf action will take place Feb. 8-10 at the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Kentucky faired well in its first tournament of the spring last weekend in Gainesville, Fla., at the Sun Trust Gator Invitational. Kentucky finished third behind No. 1 Florida and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

?There is some great competition at this event and we are looking forward to competing,? Coach Brian Craig said. ?We faced some tough circumstances last weekend with the weather and still played well, so I look forward to seeing how we will do in good conditions.?

The weather forecast for the area calls for partly sunny skies and mid-to-low 60?s Sunday and Monday, with possible rain showers on Tuesday.

Despite the weather, Kentucky will be forced to play extremely well if it intends to record its sixth consecutive top-10 tournament finish of the school year. In addition to the aforementioned top-five teams, the strong field features No. 8 Augusta State, No. 10 North Carolina, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No.14 Texas, No. 16 Duke and No. 22 Northwestern.

John Holmes leads Kentucky with a 71.30 stroke average and four top-10 tournament finishes. He is ranked as the No. 16 golfer in the NCAA by Golf Week Magazine. Kentucky?s lineup also features juniors Mark Blakefield, Brandon Waldrop and Matt Wells and sophomore Matt Kohn.

?We have a very experienced junior class that has performed well for us,? Craig said. ?Matt Kohn is also a very skilled golfer as a sophomore as well. I?m excited about this team and its potential to so some special things.?