With finals fast approaching and the reality that they can no longer be ignored starting to sink in, most students find themselves increasingly surrounded by the all-too-familiar setting of either their desks or the library.
But for the UCLA men’s golf team, the lead-up to the NCAA championships saw them exchange home comforts for the testing conditions of the Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla.
“I am originally from the area and it was a convenient stop off for us on our journey to Kansas for the finals,” said coach Derek Freeman. “It is a world-class facility with the same grass and conditions that we can expect at the competition so it will only have helped our chances.”
No. 17 UCLA, which successfully qualified for its 12th consecutive NCAA championships on Saturday, has also used this as a chance to escape distractions as it prepares to mount a charge for the national title at the Prairie Dunes Country Club.
“It will be a media circus when we get there,” Freeman said. “Finding a place where we wouldn’t be disturbed let us focus on the minor adjustments and not worry about anything else.”
The Oak Tree National is hosting this year’s U.S. Senior Open and as a result has difficult pin placement as well as perfectly maintained greens and fairways, something sophomore Lorens Chan believes has made practicing here particularly productive.
“The course was in great shape and the conditions were testing so that has prepared us well for Prairie Dunes,” Chan said. “We got to spend a lot of time out on the course and hit a lot of shots into the wind so we are more comfortable with what we can expect at the competition.”
Despite the Bruins’ title ambitions, they are aware that they are going to have to be mentally and physically prepared to fight off the challenge of the other teams in a 30-strong field that consists of 20 other teams ranked inside the nation’s top 25.
“Having a couple of days away from everything has really given us a chance to get our heads straight,” said sophomore Jonathan Garrick. “Being in the best condition we can be in in every respect is our best chance of keeping the momentum going from our regionals performance.”
The NCAA championships hosted by Wichita State, run from May 23-27 in Hutchinson, Kan.