UCLA’s junior varsity men’s golf team strolled to an
easy victory Tuesday in the Pala Mesa Invitational, hosted by Drake
University.
The No. 5 Bruins finished the tournament 9-under par for their
fifth victory of the season, improving an already stellar record
and further solidifying the team’s place as a national title
contender.
The junior varsity team has played three tournaments this
season, winning two of them and finishing second in the other.
The UCLA men’s golf team is comprised of a Gold (varsity)
and a Blue (junior varsity) team.
Players move between the two teams based on their performances
during league tournaments.
This system provides substantial playing time for members of the
team who otherwise might not have many chances to play.
Although the Blue team is considered junior varsity within the
UCLA squad, its members compete against the best golfers from other
colleges.
Tuesday’s victory highlights the Bruins’ depth,
which coach O.D. Vincent credits to the dual-team system.
“I cannot tell you how much it’s helped the
development of our players,” Vincent said.
The Bruins ended the second round of the tournament with a
substantial 15-stroke lead.
Individually, UCLA freshman Lucas Lee and sophomore Craig Leslie
were tied for first place.
Both golfers scored 5-under par in the first two rounds,
clinching the lead for the team and for themselves.
Sophomore Brandon Christianson and junior Peter Campbell were
tied for fourth place, with scores of 2-under par.
Heading into the third round with a comfortable lead, UCLA was
merely looking to maintain its position and place its top three
golfers atop the leaderboard.
By the end of the tournament, UCLA had not only won the title
but also claimed the top three individual spots, as Leslie,
Campbell and Lee took the honors.