This time of year can be daunting. It offers unpredictable weather, the end of the holiday season and the promise of nearly 20 uninterrupted weeks of classes.
A native of the Northeast would scoff at a UCLA student trying to escape harsh Southern California winter weather for Hawaii.
But that’s not why senior Pontus Widegren is so excited for the Amer Ari Invitational.
“It’s hard not to feel at peace when you’re in Hawaii. It’s totally different than Los Angeles. It’s not as stressful; it’s a lot slower-paced. People are actually driving slower than the speed limit and not 15 miles an hour faster like they do in L.A. Everything’s at a different pace, it calms you down and makes you enjoy it a little bit more,” Widegren said.
While some players will begin their winter season at the Cal State San Marcos Invitational today, this Wednesday, five of the UCLA men’s golf team will travel to Waikoloa, Hawaii to compete in their first tournament in more than three months.
The No. 4 Bruins ended their fall campaign with consecutive victories, and it remains to be seen how the downtime will affect their momentum.
“Some guys like to play four weeks in a row and they know they’re going to play well in that fourth week. Normally when I know I’m going to get a couple weeks off before a tournament, I can plan ahead and get back into playing well. After a month off, I’m in a good mindset,” Widegren said.
UCLA hasn’t exactly been idling since the end of the winter holidays. Following a rigorous series of inter-squad qualifiers, coach Derek Freeman solidified the starting lineup for this week’s tournament.
Freeman believes the qualifying process strengthened his team and prepared them for success in Hawaii.
“The guys have been working really hard in the offseason, practicing hard and competing hard at home. Nothing gets the blood going like competition. Our guys are really looking forward to it,” Freeman said.
The lineup will consist of Widegren, senior Pedro Figueiredo, freshman Lorens Chan, sophomore Jay Hwang and redshirt sophomore Manav Shah.
Figueiredo relishes the opportunity to compete in paradise.
“It’s definitely awesome. The course is excellent, you can see the ocean from pretty much anywhere. It’s a special feeling, everything is very calm,” Figueiredo said. “It relaxes you and makes you realize how lucky you are; playing golf and playing for UCLA, having everything paid for when you go to these beautiful places. It inspires you, in a certain way.”