PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. – After earning Big South golfer of the year honors, Henrik Lilja of Campbell University its set to compete in the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional at the PGA National Champion Course.
 
He is one of 75 golfers that will compete next week on the same layout that hosts the PGA TOUR Honda Classic for the chance to move on to the NCAA Championship.  He and four other individual competitors will be paired with teams from Loyola (Maryland) and Charleston Southern, starting from the first tee at 9:20 a.m. in Monday's opening round of the 54-hole event.
 
The top five teams and top individual not on those qualifying teams from each of the six regionals will advance to the NCAA Championship, May 27-June 1 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
 
Lilja's selection marks the sixth-consecutive season Campbell will participate in NCAA men's postseason play.  The Camels earned a place as a team in the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 NCAA regional fields.  The 2020 season was not completed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. / PGA National Champion Course
May 16-18, 2022 / Par 72, 7048 Yards
 
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com
 
Format: 54 holes (18-18-18). Double tee times Monday (7:30 a.m.), Tuesday (7:30 a.m.) and Wednesday (7:30 a.m.).
 
Participating Teams (Automatic Qualifiers): 1. Vanderbilt [Southeastern Conference], 2. Florida, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Florida State, 5. Purdue, 6. New Mexico, 7. South Florida [American Athletic Conference], 8. Little Rock [Sun Belt Conference], 9. College of Charleston [Colonial Athletic Association], 10. Indiana, 11. San Diego, 12. Davidson [Atlantic 10 Conference], 13. Loyola Maryland [Patriot League], 14. Charleston Southern [Big South Conference].
 
Individuals: 1. Nick Lyerly, UNC Greensboro; 2. Tobias Jonsson, Mercer; 3. Henrik Lilja, Campbell; 4. Ross Funderburke, Furman; 5. Zack Byers, Gardner-Webb.
 
The Course – PGA National Resort Champion Course – Par 72, 7048 Yards
Considered one of the toughest tests on the PGA TOUR, The Champion golf course at PGA National Resort is 7,045 yards of peril, with tricky South Florida winds constantly causing havoc, and seemingly tranquil water penalty areas lurking throughout — ready to strike down even the world's best golfers. Home of The Honda Classic and The Bear Trap, which is considered one of the best, and toughest, three-hole stretches on the PGA Tour.  Designed by George and Tom Fazio and opened in 1981, the Champion Course hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship and was site of the Senior PGA Championship from 1982-2000.  It was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 2012.
 
The Coach: John Crooks is in his 32nd year in charge of the Campbell men's golf program and 31st as head coach of the CU women.  Crooks has been named league coach of the year 23 times in his tenure.  His teams have combined to earn 35 NCAA post-season trips, including six-straight on the men's side and 10 in a row for the women.  His teams have won 157 tournaments and with 96 career tournament titles, Crooks trails only Dan Brooks of Duke (140) on the all-time coaching victories list among Division I women's coaches.  He has guided his teams to 26 league titles, including 18 on the women's side (including the 2022 Big South Championship) and eight in men's competition.
 
The Player: In addition to earning Big South golfer of the year recognition, Henrik Lilja was also named Big South scholar-athlete of the year.  A senior from Gothenburg, Sweden, Lilja tied for first place in the Big South stroke play championship (71-66-70—207), the latest of his league-leading six top-10 finishes in 2021-22.  Ranked No. 161 in the latest Golfstat national rating and No. 120 in the Golfstat Cup, Lilja leads all Big South golfers with a 71.17 stroke average.  He has played par, or better, golf in 20 of 30 rounds this season, including a collegiate career-low 64 at the Golfweek Fall Challenge.  He ranks 21st in the nation in par-3 scoring and 90th in average score with 116 birdies heading into regional play.  He also earned Big South all-championship team honors with his top-5 finish at the league tourney as well as first-team all-conference and all-academic team recognition.
 
In addition to his golfing accomplishments, Lilja graduated in just three years (2021) with a BBA in finance (3.723 GPA) and is now enrolled in Campbell's MBA program, where he owns a 4.0 GPA.  A two-time GCAA Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar, he has been named to the Big South All-Academic Team three times.
 
This season's berth marks the second-straight year Lilja will compete in regional play.  He finished T42 at the 2021 Noblesville (Ind.) Regional (78-71-72—221).  He is the first Camel to compete as an individual in since postseason 2012 when Vaita Guillaume won the Greensboro Regional to earn a berth in the NCAA Championship at Rivera CC in Pacific Palisades, Fla.