Golfweek October Classic to feature some of strongest fields in Division III golf... ever

It's not the national championship, but it's a good preview of who could be there come spring.

The Golfweek D-III October Classic kicks off Sunday in Sandestin, Florida, at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort's Raven and Links courses. The men's field will take on the Raven while the women will battle the Links.

And both fields resemble ones that you can find at a national championship.

On the men's side, where top-ranked Methodist returns as the defending champion, the top-seven teams in the Oct. 11 Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll are teeing it up in the Florida panhandle.

And on the women's side, the top three and seven of the top 10 schools in the latest Mizuno WGCA coaches poll are in the field, including defending champion Pomona-Pitzer, which is ranked third.

The Golfweek October Classic has long been one of the top events on the Div. III calendar, but this year, a few more top teams joined the field, making it even stronger and giving teams a good test near the end of the fall season to gauge where they're at before winter break.

The men have been playing the Golfweek October Classic in Sandestin since 2011, and the women followed a couple years later. In 2013, the courses joined to host the 2013 Division III National Championship, with the men playing one round each on the Links and Raven courses before a 36-hole cut. The top 15 teams then played the final 36 holes at Raven.

The Raven course hosted the PGA Tour Champions' Boeing Championship in 2006 and 2007.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Golfweek October Classic to feature some of strongest fields in Division III golf... ever