One down, one to go.
After capturing the NCAA West Regional title by one stroke over
New Mexico, the UCLA men’s golf team now has its sights set
on the national championship, to be held from June 1 to 4 in Hot
Springs, Va.
But the come-from-behind title did not come easily.
“It was a rough day,” coach O.D. Vincent said.
“We had winds gusting from 20 to 35 miles per hour, and there
was rain. But these guys don’t get rattled very easily. They
knew the conditions were bad. We were just patient.”
For most of the day, UCLA had to look up to New Mexico. The
Lobos’ phenomenal start allowed them to jump to a
double-digit lead over the Bruins. But UCLA, who could have settled
for simply finishing in the top 10 and advancing to the title
match, instead chose to battle back.
“We wanted the title,” Vincent said. “We look
at the national championships as seven rounds, including both the
regionals and finals. We feel like we’re leading right now
going into the championships. We’ve got the momentum, the
pairings, and that all becomes important during the
championships.”
UCLA came back behind the stellar play of senior Travis
Johnson.
Johnson had some extra motivation, dedicating his victory to
Jahleel Brown. Brown, a nine-year-old boy who passed away from
cancer about three weeks ago, had requested to meet Johnson about a
year ago, and the pair had had frequent meetings at the UCLA
Medical Center since.
“He was in my mind the whole time,” Johnson said.
“He was a great young boy and would have done anything to do
what I did. I couldn’t take anything for granted.”
It pushed Johnson to a phenomenal back-nine finish that allowed
him to capture a share of the individual title, including a pair of
birdies on the back nine. He eventually finished five-under for the
tournament.
Said Vincent, “It was one of the best finishes I’ve
ever seen.”
Johnson wasn’t the only Bruin golfer to perform well.
Junior John Poucher turned in a two-under, while John Merrick, Roy
Moon and Steve Conway all posted respectable scores.
There was also a familiar face on the golf course from one of
the opposing teams. Leading the charge for New Mexico was former
Bruin Spencer Levin, who was dismissed last year for an undisclosed
violation of team rules.Â
“He’s a great golfer, and we wish him the best of
luck,” Vincent said. “It was a great chance for our
guys to catch up with him on the course.”
UCLA now has some time off before the championships in the
beginning of June. Vincent indicated the team would receive a break
before returning to practice.
“That has to be the best week of practice we’ve ever
had,” Vincent said. “We’ve got four seniors. For
them, this is our last chance.”
The Bruins’ regional win is eerily reminiscent of last
year, when they won their regional title, only to come in third at
the national championships. The Bruins hope to change things this
time around.
“Our regional title sets up what happened last
year,” Johnson said. “But we’ve got to finish
this time, and that means bringing home the national
title.”