Four young Bruins joined UCLA men’s golf this September, and while some were thrown straight into the fire, others have been fighting for the spotlight.
The one freshman who has seen time in the lineup this fall is freshman Sean Maruyama, while Rory Feng, Ahmed Ali and Bryan Wiyang Teoh have been playing in individual tournaments.
Maruyama was in the lineup for the Golfweek Conference Challenge, but after finishing in 56th place, he was left out of the rotation a week later at the Windon Memorial Classic.
“As freshmen, when you’re coming into a situation where you’ve got upperclassmen who are really good and understand what they’re doing, it’s tough to crack into that lineup,” said coach Derek Freeman. “You have to earn everything you do, so the freshmen are starting to understand that nothing is going to be given to them, just like the upperclassmen understand that.”
Maruyama had a top-20 finish at the Windon, but he competed as an individual and his 2-over 218 did not count toward the Bruins’ seventh-place finish.
The other three freshmen – Feng, Ali and Wiyang Teoh – made their season debuts at the Northern Intercollegiate on Sept. 15 and 16. Wiyang Teoh tied for 28th, the best finish of the freshmen, and followed that up with a top-10 finish at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invite a week later.
Wiyang Teoh said that while he has been away from some of his teammates when playing in the individual tournaments, they have still built a relationship and helped him mold his game.
“I came in (to the season) not playing too well, and my game plan was a little off,” Wiyang Teoh said. “The good thing is that, as time went on, the team relationship got a little better. We got used to each other … and helped push each other a little more.”
One of the senior leaders on the team, Jack Ireland, has been the top UCLA finisher at both of the team tournaments this season. He said that he and the other three seniors have made it a group effort to help acclimate the freshmen.
“I think (the seniors) all are (taking on leadership roles),” Ireland said. “I think all four of us, being different people, have different things to say about what guys should do, and that helps the guys out a lot.”
Ireland, however, said that he feels like he and the other seniors have taken their leadership roles seriously off the course as well.
“It’s cool to be in a position to be able to help them out, and not just things in golf, but the little things,” Ireland said. “How do I park in Lot 7? How do I get to (Bruin Plate) for dinner? How do I get an ID card?”
The four freshmen, Ireland and the rest of UCLA will next play at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate from Oct. 19-21.