OREM — The Utah Valley University men's golf team has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2025 GOLFWEEK National Golf Invitational (NGI), set for May 16–18 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. The postseason event—considered the college golf equivalent of the NIT—features a competitive 10-team field and marks UVU's second appearance in the NGI.
Utah Valley will be represented by a five-man lineup of
Paxton Maxwell,
Clement Lepine,
Andrew Hawk, Zac Erskine, and
Isaiah Ellis. Sophomore
Dane Huddleston, who recently won the WAC individual championship and competed at the NCAA Regional, is ineligible to participate due to NCAA postseason regulations.
As a team, UVU finished third at the WAC Championship, carding a final-round 1-over-par 289 to close with a 24-over-par 888 (304-295-289)—just four strokes back of Seattle U and one behind Grand Canyon. Maxwell continued his strong season with a top-10 finish, tying for sixth at 3-over-par 219 (72-73-74).
"We're excited for the opportunity to compete in the National Golf Invitational," said UVU head coach
Chris Curran. "This group has earned the chance to extend our season, and it's another great step for our program. We're looking forward to competing hard this weekend."
Utah Valley is capping one of the most successful seasons in school history, highlighted by two team titles, five top-three finishes, and a third-place showing at the WAC Championship. The Wolverines compiled a 74-54-4 record during the 2024–25 campaign.
Utah Valley also competed in the inaugural NGI in 2023, finishing 10th in the field. Joseph Glenn and
Ryan Seamons both recorded top-15 finishes, and the event marked the program's first-ever team postseason appearance.
This year's NGI field includes Ohio State, Oregon State, West Virginia, Texas State, Utah State, George Mason, Rhode Island, Richmond, and Stetson, along with Utah Valley. The 54-hole tournament will be contested at the par-72, 7,802-yard Ak-Chin Southern Dunes layout. Each team will field five players and count its four lowest scores per round. Practice rounds begin Thursday, with official competition running Friday through Sunday.
Live scoring will be available at GolfStat.com, with daily recaps posted at GoUVU.com.