COLUMBUS - For the first time since 2013, the 12th-ranked Columbus State University men's golf team will tee it up in the NCAA Championship as the Cougars begin their hunt for the program's seventh national championship on Monday.

Sixteen teams from across the country will meet at the Champion Course at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. to compete for the 2021 NCAA DII title. The first three rounds will be stroke play with the top-eight teams advancing to Thursday's match-play format that will determine the title. 

Five of the nation's 10 teams qualified out of regional play with top-ranked University of West Florida, fourth-ranked Arkansas Tech University, sixth-ranked University of Central Missouri, eighth-ranked Lee and 10th-ranked University of Indianapolis all in the field. Other ranked teams include 11th-ranked Georgia Southwestern University, 18th-ranked Washburn University and 20th-ranked Colorado State University-Pueblo. 

Columbus State is coming off a very impressive showing at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional earlier this month, where it finished tied for third in the loaded tournament. Over the 54-hole event, CSU shot a 7-over 295, its third-best 54-hole team scorer of the year, to finish tied for third with fellow Peach Belt Conference school Georgia Southwestern. 

The Cougars will use the same five-golfer lineup from the regional with 2021 PBC Golfer of the Year Ronan Kleu leading the way after his second-place finish. Kleu fired a 5-under 211, including a 5-under 67 in the final round to help the Cougars punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship. 

Senior Preston Wagaman played a vital role at the Streamsong Resort earlier this month. Wagaman finished tied for 24th thanks to two even-par rounds. 

Jordan Doull, who had a hole-in-one in the final round of the NCAA South/Southeast Regional, Arran Kanth and Benjamin Womack will all compete for the Cougars this upcoming week.

One of the nation's top programs, Columbus State's six national championships (1978, '80, '89, '92, '94, '97) are the second-most all-time by a Division II institution. Overall, it's the Cougars' 33rd appearance at the NCAA Championship, which is also the second-most all-time. The Cougars have eight runner-up performances and four third-place finishes.

Columbus State will be one of the first teams to tee off on Monday with Womack hitting the course at 8:25 a.m. The Cougars will be paired with Colorado State-Pueblo and the individuals who qualified for the tournament in round one. Fans can follow along with live scoring all week long.