By the time the NCAA regional tournament comes around, a strong performance can rapidly
transform an indifferent season to one that could potentially yield overwhelming success.
The UCLA men’s golfers are all too aware of this as they travel to San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, charged with putting a season of ups and downs behind them and earning a 12th consecutive NCAA championships appearance in the process.
“We aren’t looking at what we have done before, we are in the post-season now and we are going all out to win,” said coach Derek Freeman. “If we play smart and do what we are supposed to do then we stand every chance.”
Six 54-hole regional tournaments will begin on Thursday with the Bruins, who will be the third seed at the Briggs Ranch Golf Club, needing a top five finish to progress to the finals in Hutchinson, Kan., in a week’s time.
“The team’s goal all along has been to make it to nationals, so finishing in the top five has to be our priority,” said sophomore Lorens Chan. “But getting some momentum together to give ourselves the best possible chance moving forward is also important.”
The last six weeks have epitomized the Bruins’ season with three consecutive top-three finishes, including their solitary victory of the year, being followed by a disappointing seventh at the Pac-12 championships.
“We can build upon our successes by playing well this week and eradicate the poor tournaments we have had at the same time,” said sophomore Jonathan Garrick. “We have a clean slate and by giving a good showing we can set the tone for how the season will be remembered.”
The Bruins are under no illusion that this weekend will be an easy one, as they face a 13-strong field comprising of the region’s top seed No. 6 Georgia, eight Pac-12 teams and a host of lower ranked teams that gained their own conference successes.
“There are a lot of good teams and individuals taking part,” Freeman said. “But we need to focus on our own job and take care of things ourselves. If we do then I have no doubts we will progress to the NCAA championships.”
The finals, should UCLA advance, are hosted this year by Wichita State and will take place from May 23-28 at the Prairie Dunes Country Club.