After their disappointing eighth-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships last week, the UCLA men’s golf team got some good news this week when the 2010 All-Pac-10 Team selections were announced Monday.
Four of the Bruins’ five regular players received selections to either the first or second teams as they prepare for their second postseason event, the NCAA Regionals coming up later this month. Sophomore Alex Shi Yup Kim garnered first-team honors, while sophomore Gregor Main and freshmen Pontus Widegren and Pedro Figueiredo were named to the second-team.
If the Pac-10 had given out a most improved player award, Kim would have been a strong candidate. He vaulted nearly 400 spots up Golfweek.com’s player rankings, now ranked as the No. 41 best collegiate golfer, and shaved nearly four strokes off of his freshman year’s scoring average.
Main has arguably been the Bruins’ most consistent player all season and has possessed the lowest scoring average on the squad at 71.1. After being named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year a season ago, he continued to show his leadership capabilities last week at the Pac-10 Championships by carding a 273, (-11) finishing in a tie for fourth place. Main said that he was pleased with the second-team selection, He is hoping, however, to earn All-American honors based on his performance at the upcoming regionals and, if they’re lucky enough to qualify, the national championships. The All-American teams are announced after the champion is decided in June.
“Second team is good,” Main said. “I would have liked to get on that first-team but with some good finishes at regionals and nationals, I could probably get on the All-American team, so there’s still some golf left to be played.”
Widegren and Figueiredo both proved to be valuable freshmen commodities for this year’s young team after coming over from Sweden and Portugal respectively.
Widegren is currently ranked No. 50 by Golfweek.com and has a scoring average of 71.7 on the season. He helped to lead the Bruins to their first team victory of the season at the Battle at the Beach in February by firing a 64 (-7) on the final round.
Figueiredo had a strong fall season, nabbing a second-place finish at The Prestige at PGA West in October and finished the season with four top 10 finishes. Figueiredo admitted that not making the first-team was a letdown but he is optimistic about the future.
“I was happy because I was not sure I was going to make it, but I think I have the potential to make it to the first team,” Figueiredo said. “It goes two ways because I was disappointed because I felt like I didn’t play as good as I can, but I also feel fortunate because I was right on the edge of making the second team.”
Figueiredo also noted that he will also be looking to gain the All-American selection, but he’s just going to focus on playing consistent golf.
“I look forward to playing well in these last two tournaments, and I know if I play well, I will probably be considered for All-American honors at the end of the year,” Figueiredo said. “I’m just going to try to play well and whatever comes with it is just secondary.”