National Golf Invitational
Dates: May 16-18, 2025
Course: Southern AK-Chin Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa, Ariz.
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,323
Format: 54 holes (One round each day – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
Live Results: Golfstat.com

2025 Field (10 Teams): George Mason, Richmond, 

Fairfax, Va. – The George Mason men's golf team has been invited to compete in the 2025 National Golf Invitational in from May 16-18 at the Southern AK-Chin Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz. Hosted by GolfWeek, the National Golf Invitational was introduced in 2023 as the equivalent of the NIT in college basketball.

In its third year, the national postseason tournament features 10 men's college golf teams competing in a 54-hole tournament on the Par 72, 7,323-Yard course.
 
The field for this year's tournament includes representatives from the Sun Belt, the Mountain West, the WAC, the PAC 12, the Big 12 and the Big 10. George Mason, Ohio State, Oregon State, Rhode Island, Richmond, Stetson, Texas State, Utah State, Utah Valley, West Virginia will compete.
 
In May 2022, the NCAA announced it would allow schools to play in one season-ending event, similar to college basketball's NIT. By July 2022, the inaugural National Golf Invitational was created in a partnership between Golfweek and Ak-Chin Southern Dunes with Golfweek's Lance Ringler serving as the Invitational's tournament director. A committee determined the invitation-only field using both the Golfweek/Sagarin and Golfstat rankings, while also considering teams who had strong regular seasons.
 
"This event serves many purposes for college golf teams. Mid-major programs that have had very good years that have no chance of earning an at-large bid or miss out on winning their conference title that would get them an automatic bid now have a chance to play postseason golf. Or those power conference teams that have young squads that missed regionals and want to get a look a playing in May," said Ringler.

George Mason is led by Atlantic 10 All-Conference golfers Samir Davidov and Vaughn McMeans. Freshman McMeans posted a team-best stroke average of 72.40, closely followed by Davidov at 72.54. Both players recorded six eagles, tying the program's single-season record.

McMeans earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors three times during the spring and notched seven top-25 finishes. His standout performance came at the Seattle Invitational, where he placed runner-up at the prestigious Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington.

Davidov claimed his first collegiate victory at the Babygrande Donald Ross Collegiate, hosted by George Mason at Mid Pines Golf Club. The win earned him Atlantic 10 Golfer of the Week honors. The Roanoke, Va., native tallied 103 birdies over the season—third-most in a single season in program history—and added a second top-10 finish at the WVU Nemacolin Invitational. He finished with six top-25 showings overall.

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club was designed by Brian Curley and PGA TOUR veteran Fred Couples in 2002. Originally developed as a private club by private investors, the championship Australian Sandbelt-style golf course sits on 320 acres of land that was once a part of the Ak-Chin's May 1912 reservation before it was removed by Presidential Executive Order in late 1912. Nearly 100 years later, in 2010, the Ak-Chin Community recovered its sacred land when it purchased the golf facility and opened the course to public play. The course currently boasts several coveted accolades, including being included on Golfweek's coveted rankings of the "Top 100 Resort Courses" and "Best Courses You Can Play."
 
MASON LINEUP
1.  Samir Davidov
2.  JJ Powell
3. Vaughn McMeans
4. Dave Fuhrer
5. Uzair Mirza