In each of the last two seasons, the UCLA men’s golf team
has teed off in the first round of the NCAA Championships as one of
the favorites to win the national title. Those lofty expectations
won’t surround the 13th-ranked Bruins this year. Instead,
when UCLA opens up its final tournament of the season this
afternoon at the Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Md., the
Bruins will have already accomplished what others didn’t
think possible: merely qualify for the NCAAs. “It’s a
real accomplishment for our team to have earned a berth into the
NCAA Tournament,” UCLA coach O.D. Vincent said. “But
the goal of our program is to qualify and contend every
year.” With senior John Poucher as the lone returning starter
from last year’s second-ranked Bruin team, many thought this
would be a rebuilding year for UCLA. And though the Bruins
certainly struggled, not winning a spring tournament for the first
time since Vincent arrived in Westwood three years ago, they have
peaked at exactly the right time. UCLA posted two fourth-place
finishes at the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA West Regional,
arguably the team’s best stretch of golf this season. But to
have any chance at NCAAs, Vincent and his team know that each of
the five starters heading to Caves Valley will have to play well in
order for the Bruins to have any chance to walk away as national
champions. But such a scenario is not unprecedented. Last season,
20th-ranked and unheralded Cal shocked UCLA, who entered the final
round with the lead, to claim the national title. “This year,
it’s a wide-open field,” Vincent said.
“We’ve got a good chance to play real well. It’s
just a matter of getting all of our players to score well at the
same time.” And if the Bruins are to contend, their chances
will most likely rely on the play of freshman Kevin Chappell. The
Fresno native led UCLA in both of its previous two postseason
tournaments, posting consecutive top-10 finishes. Making the trip
to Baltimore along with Chappell will be Poucher, freshman Daniel
Im and sophomores Chris Heintz and Joakim Renstrom.
FRINGE FACTS: Caves Valley will play to 7,131 yards and a par of
70. … The Bruins tee off today at 10:03 a.m. PST off the first
hole. … UCLA finished tied for 12th at the Fall Preview at Caves
Valley back in September.