M. golf off to Tempe, hoping to end dry run
By Yoni Tamler
The UCLA men’s golf team looks to return to its pre-winter form
this weekend as it embarks on 54 holes at the Thunderbird Arizona
State Intercollegiate Tournament. The Bruins return to Tempe,
Ariz., with bitter memories of last year’s shameful disaster.
"Last year in Arizona was the only tournament in my 13 years as
a college coach which we came in dead last," head coach Dave
Atchison said.
UCLA hopes that the 1994 debacle at Karsten Golf Course in Tempe
was just a fluke and not an ongoing jinx.
"(Karsten) suits our style of play on the one hand because of
its length. We have a longer hitting team than most, and so our
length helps on that course," Atchison said. "But the greens tend
to be real firm and fast, and so far this year, it hasn’t been
great for my team on fast greens."
The Bruins depart for the Grand Canyon State in the wake of a
forgettable spring break, during which they competed in a couple of
tournaments they would like to put behind them.
"We all talked after the two spring break fiascos and said that
we really had better go back and work hard if we wanted to do
anything in the playoffs," Atchison said. "The guys have responded
to that really well  all of them have been doing a lot of
extra practice on their own, going out and hitting balls in the
morning before class and being there at afternoon practice.
"They’re doing everything they can to get back to where they
were during fall, so it won’t be for a lack of effort if we play
poorly."
UCLA needs that extra effort to pay off with only three
tournaments left before the NCAA West Regionals begin. Saturday and
Sunday’s star-studded field will give the Bruins a look at their
probable competition in late May and June.
"Most of the teams that are ranked right below us won’t be in
Arizona, but all the teams that are ranked ahead of us will, so if
we can beat some of the higher ranked teams it will give us some
good notoriety and some points towards the rankings," Atchison
said. "If we finish in the top three or four there we’ll be locked
into the playoffs."
A fine performance this weekend is exactly what the Bruins could
use to boost their confidence as they head into the grind of
late-season play. In his third consecutive start, junior Lance
Graville will contribute to the rest of the UCLA squad in its
mission to return to the NCAA championships after not qualifying
last year.