BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - Union College will be a part of the program's first NAIA Men's Golf National Championship which tees off Tuesday at the TPC at Deere Run course in Silvis, Ill.

The Bulldogs earned an automatic bid thanks to winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament in April. Union also won the conference's regular-season crown. Senior Sam Lee (Knoxville, Tenn.) picked up the AAC Tournament medalist honors and Adam LaTulippe (Hamilton, Ohio) joined him on the All-AAC Tournament team. Both were also members of the All-AAC squad.

Union received a vote in the last NAIA Men's Golf Coaches National Poll May 8. All 30 teams in the national championship received at least one vote with 22 of the Top 25 playing in the nationals. No. 17 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) University was the highest ranked team not given an at-large bid.

For the third straight year, an AAC team is in the national field. The previous two, Milligan (Tenn.) College in 2007 and Tennessee Wesleyan College last season, both missed the cut.

The 72-hole event will be cut to the Top 17 teams and Top 40 individuals after Thursday's third round.

The field is made up of 20 teams via automatic bids from conferences with 10 at-large selections. Also five individual players earned spots.

The Sooner Athletic and Sun conferences both placed four teams in the fields. All four of the Sooner Athletic Conference's teams are ranked in the Top 6 with No. 1 Oklahoma Christian University.

The TPC at Deere Run plays as a Par-71.

No. 2 University of British Columbia won the 2008 NAIA National Championship contested at the Indiana National Golf Club in Plymouth. Oklahoma Christian finished second. From the 2008 championship, 18 teams are returning for the 2009 championship.

For more championship information, click here.