Inaugural Lewis Chitengwa Memorial highlights UVA’s 2021-22 men’s golf schedule

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia men’s golf coach Bowen Sargent announced the program’s 2021-22 schedule on Tuesday. The Cavaliers will play 10 regular-season team events and will host the inaugural Lewis Chitengwa Memorial in April at Birdwood Golf Course.

The Cavaliers’ fall season includes four events. UVA opens the season Sept. 20 at the two-day Scenic City Collegiate at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. The team then makes a visit to New York for the Hamptons Intercollegiate at Maidstone Club in East Hampton, N.Y. The two-day event takes place Oct. 4-5.

On Oct. 22-24 the Cavaliers return to the Golf Club of Georgia Invitational in Alpharetta, Ga., and then wrap up the fall with an appearance at the Daniel Island Invitational in Charleston, S.C. on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

A group of UVA individuals will open spring play Jan. 30-31 at the Georgia Southern Invitational. The first spring team event is the Camp Creek Invitational in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Feb. 20-22.

Virginia heads to some of its traditional spring events starting in March. UVA plays at the Cleveland Palmetto Invitational on March 7-8 in Aiken, S.C. to start Spring Break week. From there, the team heads to the General Hackler in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 14-15.

The Linger Longer Invitational is set for March 25-27 at Reynolds Plantation’s Great Waters course in Greensboro, Ga., and then UVA plays at the Mason Rudolph Championships on April 1-3 at the Vanderbilt Legends Course in Nashville, Tenn.

The inaugural Lewis Chitengwa Memorial takes place April 11-12 at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville to wrap-up the regular season. The event honors the former Cavalier standout who lettered at UVA from 1995 to 1998.

Chitengwa was a two-time All-American at Virginia (1995, 1996) and earned All-ACC honors in 1995 when he was named the league’s rookie of the year. He finished seventh at the 1996 NCAA Championships, at the time the best finish by a UVA performer in 50 years. During his four-year career he won two tournaments and recorded 17 top-10 finishes.

Chitengwa turned professional in 1998 and played on the Tear Drop, Buy.com and Canadian Tours in addition to competing at the PGA’s St. Jude Memphis Classic. At the age of 26, he passed away as a result of meningitis. At the time, he was competing in the Canadian Tour’s Edmonton Open. In 2015, he was recognized posthumously for his immense contribution to golf by being inducted into Mercedes-Benz Southern African Golf Hall of Fame.

“We are proud to announce the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial tournament and to honor his golfing legacy,” Sargent said. “The event in April will be the first major men’s competition on the redesigned Davis Love course at Birdwood. To have the tournament honor Lewis and all that he did for our sport will make for a very special event.”

The tournament mark’s UVA’s first men’s home event since the final Cavalier Classic was played at Birdwood in April of 2011.

The ACC Championships will take place April 22-25 in Panama City Beach, Fla., at Sharks Tooth Golf Club.

NCAA Regional play is scheduled for May 17-19 with competition set to be hosted by Yale, Texas A&M, Florida Atlantic, Pacific, Alabama and Ohio State.

The NCAA Championships return to Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The national championship tournament is scheduled for May 27-June 1.

2021-22 Virginia Men’s Golf Schedule

• Sept. 20-21 – Scenic City Collegiate, Ooltewah, Tenn.
• Oct. 4-5 – Hamptons Intercollegiate, East Hampton, N.Y.
• Oct. 22-24 – Golf Club of Georgia Invitational, Alpharetta, Ga.
• Oct. 31-Nov. 1 – Daniel Island Invitational, Charleston, S.C.
• Jan. 30-31 – Georgia Southern Individual, Statesboro, Ga.
• Feb. 20-22 – Camp Creek Seminole Invitational, Panama City Beach, Fla.
• March 7-8 – Cleveland Palmetto Invitational, Aiken, S.C.
• March 14-15 – General Hackler Championship, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• March 25-27 – Linger Longer Invitational, Greensboro, Ga.
• April 1-3 – Mason Rudolph Championships, Nashville, Tenn.
• April 11-12 – Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, Charlottesville, Va.
• April 22-25 – ACC Championships, Panama City Beach, Fla.
• May 17-19 – NCAA Regional, TBD
• May 27-June 1 – NCAA Championships, Scottsdale, Ariz.