The UCLA men’s golf team could have taken its 5-0
opening-round drubbing at the hands of Florida on Sunday as a
bitter pill to swallow. Instead, the Bruins didn’t let their
loss in the Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship deter them
for too long. The eighth-ranked Bruins bounced right back to win
the consolation bracket of the match play tournament on Tuesday,
defeating Penn State on tiebreakers 2-2-1 in the final round. The
tournament, held at the Mission Inn Resort in Howie-in-the-Hills,
Fla., is largely considered to be a fun exhibition. But while UCLA
did not walk away as the official winner, the Bruins did prove to
themselves that they have the heart and drive to overcome their
relative inexperience. Having already dropped its first-round match
of the double-elimination tournament to Florida, UCLA proceeded to
steamroll through defending national champion California (3-1-1)
and Washington (3-1-1) to advance to the final consolation match.
The Bruins were led in their comeback by sophomore Chris Heintz,
who collected three consecutive victories to finish out the match
play championship. Freshmen Daniel Im and Kevin Chappell both
earned two match play victories, while sophomore Peter Campbell
earned one. Senior John Poucher, the lone returner from last
year’s starting lineup, halved his match against Penn
State.
QUICK EXIT: While the men’s golf team maximized its stay
in Florida, the defending national champion women’s team made
an early departure from the Sunshine State, or where all the old
people go. Also playing in the Hooters Collegiate Match Play
Championships, the Bruins lost consecutive matches to lower-ranked
Arizona (4-1-0) and Purdue (3-1-1). The loss signified the end of
UCLA’s fall season. The Bruins’ next tournament is in
early February in nearby Palos Verdes.