DENVER - University of Denver men's golf head coach Erik Billinger announced the 2017-18 schedule on Wednesday. The Pioneers will participate in at least 11 events for the upcoming year.

DU opens up the year with the Ram Masters Invitational on Sept. 18 in Fort Collins. The 54-hole event is hosted by Colorado State University over two days.

"I am extremely excited about our schedule next year," Billinger said. "Our schedule gives our players ample opportunity to show that they can compete and beat the best players in the country. Our fall season schedule is very similar to last year, with our season starting at the CSU Ram Masters Invitational then immediately after that we compete in the last standing tradition of the Tucker Invitational in New Mexico."

The Tucker Invitational is set to begin on Sept. 22 in Albuquerque. The two-day event features a very deep and talented field that Denver is accustomed to seeing under Billinger's watch.

The Pioneers will then play host for the second annual Paintbrush Invitational, set to begin on Oct. 9. The 54-hole tournament will once again be held at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker and feature a terrific field of teams from all over the country.

"We have our very own Paintbrush Invitational at Colorado Golf Club," Billinger said. "This is going to be another fantastic event for us to compete at one of our home courses against the best in the country. It will once again let our guys see that level of competition and learn how to compete against it."

DU closes out the fall portion of the schedule with the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational on Oct. 26.

The Crimson and Gold return in 2018 with the Arizona Intercollegiate, beginning on Jan. 29. They immediately follow that event up with the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in Palm Springs, Calif. on Feb. 16.

"Our spring includes the Arizona Intercollegiate, the Bandon Dunes Championship and the Duck at Eugene Country Club," Billinger said. "We changed our schedule a touch in the late spring and we will travel to the BYU Cougar Classic and the ASU Thunderbird Invitational before we head to the Summit League Championship."

Denver begins a three-tournament trip to the northwest with the Bandon Dunes Championship on Mar. 11. That is followed by a dual match with Colorado State on Mar. 23 in Seattle. The Pioneers will close out in the northwest with The Duck Invitational on Mar. 26 in Eugene, Ore.

A busy month of April wraps up the regular season with stops that include the Cougar Classic in Salt Lake (Apr. 9-10), Arizona State Thunderbird Invitational in Phoenix (Apr. 14-15) and the Summit League Championship in Newton, Kan. (Apr. 29-May 1).

"The goal is to get to the NCAA's and I am excited about our schedule and the events we will be competing in next year," Billinger said about the schedule. "My goal is always to have the strongest schedule possible for our players."

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