2009 ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL:  The Gopher men's golf team travels this weekend to Fairfax, Calif. for the 2009 Alister MacKenzie Invitational, hosted by the University of California-Berkeley. The invitational will be played at the 6,686-yard, par 71 Meadow Club, which was the first course in the United States designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie in 1927.

In the past, the Meadow Club has hosted the 2008 Pac-10 Men's Golf Championship, the 2001 US Open Qualifying, and the 1997 NorCal PGA Section Championship. The players will start will 36 holes on Monday, Oct. 12 and finish with 18 holes on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Teams participating in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Golfweek Ranking): California (26), Colorado (98), Colorado State (28), Fresno State, Indiana (60), Minnesota (52), New Mexico (40), Oregon (33), Oregon State (8), San Diego State (27), San Francisco, San Jose State (81), UC Irvine (120), Washington State (57), Wisconsin (104).

Results will be available on Golfstat.com and CalBears.com.

2009 WINDON INVITATIONAL: Minnesota moved from 10th place to a tie for eighth over the final two rounds to finish 25 strokes behind Illinois. The Gophers improved their score each round (306-295-292) to end up at 41-over 893. The Michigan Wolverines held the first round lead, but Illinois took over after 18 holes. The Fighting Illini finished at 16-over 868 and six strokes clear of host Northwestern.

Senior Ben Pisani finished alone in eighth place at five-over 218 (72-72-74). Pisani was in a tie for first place at one-over after 14 holes in the second round before Sunday's play was suspended for darkness. The Gopher senior played the remainder of the tournament at four-over par to end up in fifth.

Frederick Van Rooyen (77-73-75) and Thomas Campbell (76-78-71) finished in a tie for 30th at 12-over 225. Freshman Shang Zhi (78-75-72), playing as an individual, also completed play at 225. Both Derek Chang (81-74-74) and Cameron White (82-76-73) improved on their first round scores to finish at T-54 and T-59, respectively.

THE GOPHERS:  The Gophers lineup this week will consist of senior Ben Pisani, sophomore Derek Chang and freshman Robert Bell, David Haley Jr., Frederick Van Rooyen and Shang Zhi. Zhi has appeared as an individual in two events this season but will be making his debut as part of the Gopher lineup. Pisani has finished in the top 20 in all three Gopher events this season and leads the Gophers with a 70.77 stroke average.

UP NEXT:  The Gophers take a week off before heading to Greensboro, N.C. for the Bridgestone Championship, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

The invitational will be held at Forest Oaks Country Club on Oct. 24-25. Forest Oaks hosted the PGA Tour's Wyndham Invitational from 1977-2007. The course was designed by renowned architect Ellis Maples in the early 1960s and recently renovated in 2002 by Davis Love III's design group.