Annika Sorenstam did it. So did Michelle Wie. And now the
defending champion UCLA women’s golf team will get its shot
at competing against the men. In a brand new collegiate tournament
conceived by UCLA men’s golf coach O.D. Vincent to showcase
the rich talent of golfers in California, the women’s squad
will tee it up with 29 other squads, all male, in the inaugural
Gold Rush California Collegiate Golf Showcase. The tournament, the
largest in collegiate golf, will run from Sept. 17-18 at the PGA of
Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont. The original purpose of
the tournament, to have collegiate California based teams compete
against each other regardless of division or conference, will
likely take a backseat to the women competing against the men from
the same tees. In similar past circumstances, some have expressed
concern that pitting the women against the men could possibly
detract from the respect women’s golf has garnered over the
years. “It’s created quite a stir so far,” said
Vincent of the tournament. “To me, it seems like a natural,
logical thing to do. According to the feedback we’ve gotten,
many coaches don’t share our sentiments.” Vincent and
UCLA women’s golf coach Carrie Forsyth arrived at the
decision when both were leading the U.S. collegiate team to victory
over the Japanese collegiate team in Japan. For Forsyth, she
believes playing against the men will instill a competitive edge in
her team that will only help them in the long run for the upcoming
season. “I think spending 54 holes competing against a
quality men’s field will require my team to use all of its
physical and mental skills,” Forsyth said. “It will
test them in a way that most have never experienced and make them
tougher and stronger competitors.” The tournament will be
played on two courses, the Champions Course and the Legends Course,
both of which play to a par of 72 and are over 7,200 yards. While
length may be the hardest issue for the members of the
women’s team to combat, they still expect to be competitive.
“For someone who has been entrenched in traditional thinking,
it’s hard to get over the fact that women will beat them from
the same tees given the right circumstances,” Vincent said.
“I’ve still never heard anyone give me a good reason
why these women shouldn’t play.”
DISAPPOINTING SUMMER: The Bruin representatives
at the 104th U.S. Amateur struck out quickly in the pursuit of the
most prestigious amateur championship in golf. Incoming freshman
Brandon Christianson (27-over par) and recently graduated Steve
Conway (14-over par) both missed the cut to advance to match play.
Sophomore Chris Heintz did qualify, but lost in his opening round
match to Dayton Rose 1-up. The golfers departures at Winged Foot
Country Club in New York concluded a lackluster summer for
Vincent’s golfers. “Our summer performance, (meaning)
the incoming freshmen and the returning players, was pretty
disappointing,” Vincent said.
NEW RECRUIT: According to The Union newspaper
in Nevada, Erik Flores, a Nevada Union senior who posted a top-16
finish at the U.S. Junior Amateur Tournament in San Francisco on
July 22, verbally committed to play for the UCLA men’s golf
team next season.