Road-weary m. golf preps for Regionals
By Hye Kwon
Daily Bruin Staff
For the UCLA men’s golf team, which has been spending more time
on the road than at home recently, this week’s hiatus will serve as
a much-needed break from the rigors of travel.
Going back to the Sun Devil Intercollegiates on April 14, the
team has been participating in three-day tournaments for the last
three weeks, and it’s taking a toll on the golfers.
"We’ve been on the road for so long that I haven’t had a chance
to sit down and analyze my game," UCLA’s Mike Miller said. "I’ve
finally been able to do that the last couple of days."
The Bruins have been struggling this spring, evidenced by their
inability to finish in the top-five in all their tournaments. At
the Pac-10 Championships, the Bruins needed to finish in front of
Oregon State and Washington State to secure a place in the NCAA
Western Regionals. They accomplished that feat by finishing sixth
but not before some last-minute heroics.
Going into the 17th hole, UCLA was tied with Oregon State. But
when Eric Lohman sank a 40-foot chip shot at the 17th and Brian
Bock also chipped in a shot in the same hole, the Beavers had
little chance left to beat the Bruins. In looking back at such
clutch play, Miller contends that UCLA’s success at the NCAA
Western Regionals depends primarily on their attitude.
"We have to start thinking like we’re one of the best teams in
the nation," Miller said. "We haven’t even come close to reaching
our potential."
Miller’s teammate Bock thinks similarly.
"We need to get a little cocky," he said. "If we all pull
together and feed off of each other, then we’ll be OK."
* * *
The NCAA Western Regionals will begin on May 18 and will last
three days. This year, the tournament will be sponsored by
University of New Mexico and held at Albuquerque, N.M., on the
Championship Course. Of the 18 teams that will represent the best
teams in the region, 12 will be from the Bruins’ district.
"I feel pretty good because we have the toughest district in the
nation," Miller said. "We definitely have the talent to
compete."
The top nine finishers at Albuquerque will earn a ticket to the
NCAA Finals to be held at Columbus, Ohio, starting May 31.