Although the No. 30 UCLA men’s golf team began its season in the paradise of the Aloha State this weekend, the Bruins’ first tournament ended with a bittersweet moment Saturday.
On the one hand, the team shot its 54-hole score of the season, posting a final mark of 27-under par. That score earned UCLA a second-place finish in a 19-team field at the Amer Ari Invitational that included the nationally ranked teams of Stanford, Arizona State and the No. 1 Auburn Tigers.
But the team UCLA ultimately trailed was its crosstown rival, USC, which maintained a two-stroke lead when the play finished Saturday.
Senior Jonathan Garrick posted the best individual score for the Bruins, shooting 9-under par, giving him the fifth-best individual score of the tournament. It was the fifth consecutive tournament in which Garrick picked up the best score for UCLA.
“The course played really fair,” Garrick said. “It’s looked better this year than in tournaments past.”
Sophomore Corey Shaun shot the best score of his career, posting a score of 6-under par and coming in 10th individually in the tournament. During his final round on Saturday, Shaun made six birdies, including two consecutive on holes 13 and 14.
“I hit the ball pretty well, I kept in play very nicely,” Shaun said. “My wedge game in particular was very solid.”
Shaun said those wedge shots helped set him up to make birdies and obtain his career-best score.
Also in the top-15 was freshman Cole Madey, with his second consecutive top-15 finish. He shot a 5-under par for the tournament, but struggled during the tournament’s last day, bogeying four of his first five holes and finishing the round 4-over par.
Hole 16 seemed to give the Bruins most of their troubles, with serious crosswinds, a tricky green and water hazard.
“It was pretty intimidating with all that wind and water,” Shaun said. “Especially going toward the end of the round.”
The hole was no friend to Garrick either, who hit the water hazard twice during the tournament.
The Bruins will hope to build on the success of this tournament as they continue their spring season Feb. 26 at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational in Florida.
Complied by Cole Baldecchi, Bruin Sports Contributor