Measurements of state-to-state integral cross sections for rotational excitation of CO by collisions with Ne are reported. The measurements were performed in crossed molecular beams with resonance enhanced multiphoton detection at collision energies of 711 and 797 cm(-1). The cross sections display strong interference structure, with a propensity for odd Delta j below Delta j=10. Predictions of the ab initio potential surface of Moszynski et al; [J. Phys. Chem. A 101, 4690 (1997)] and the new ab initio surface of McBane and Cybulski [J. Chem. Phys. 110, 11734 (1999), preceding paper] are compared to the data. The new surface agrees more closely with the observed interference structure, although significant disagreements remain.