The UCLA men’s golf team heard a lot of questions last week about just how good it was before its first tournament, the Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge at Chambers Bay Golf Club in University Place, Wash.
The final leaderboard provided plenty of answers.
On Monday UCLA won the seven-team event by six strokes with a final score of 879 (10-over par), and three Bruins finished in the top four as individuals.
Needless to say, the Bruins justified their No. 2 ranking in the Golfweek preseason poll.
“This win was huge,” coach Derek Freeman said. “A lot of the nation wanted to know what UCLA is about.
“When you come out and start with a victory it sets the standard for the entire year.”
The Bruin team edged out Michigan State, even after the Spartans’ team shot an even par score of 288 in the final round. Michigan State’s Ryan Brehm won the individual event at 6-under par.
All-American Kevin Chappell led the way for the Bruins, finishing the 54-hole tournament at 1-under par in second place. In the second round he shot a 5-under 67, tying the low round of the entire tournament.
In that second round Chappell had five birdies and an eagle on the 534 yard 13th hole.
“He just continues to work hard and improve,” Freeman said of Chappell. “He’s a great leader, and it really helps our whole team when he is out in front.”
Another big performance was delivered by Bruin senior Craig Leslie. The Spokane, Wash. native felt comfortable in the windy conditions and finished at even par, tied for third place with another Bruin, junior Erik Flores. Leslie was able to play well on the 16th and 17th holes, two holes that gave much of the field trouble throughout the event.
In the second round, Leslie birdied the 16th. His drive flared way right, perhaps because he was trying to avoid the water that lined the left side of the fairway. His ball landed right behind a footprint, but he was able to muscle the ball up to the front of the green.
Then he rolled in a 35-foot bomb for birdie en route to an even par 72.
“I realized that hole was going to be a big turning point, but after that drive I was not thinking birdie,” Leslie said. “I was just trying to stay away from any high numbers.”
Flores, the third Bruin to finish near the top of the leaderboard last week, wasn’t even a part of the Bruins’ five-man team. The Bruins’ lowest scorer from 2006 played only as an individual after failing to qualify for the UCLA team in a three-round qualifier before the event.
Flores responded with an even par performance that tied him with Leslie for third place overall. He finished on a high note with four birdies in his final nine holes.
“Eric has got so much talent,” Freeman said. “He’s an unbelievable player and we need him to play well. I was really pleased with his performance.”
Another Bruin not playing as a part of the five-man UCLA team was freshman Philip Francis. He too delivered a solid three-round performance, finishing tied for 13th place at 8-over par.
Francis could make a big impact for UCLA later in the season. He was one of the most heralded recruits in the nation after a dominant junior golf career.
“I was very happy to see him get his feet wet,” Freeman said. “The whole world is watching him and he’s got a lot of outside pressure.
“I’ve told him to forget about everyone else, forget about the media and to forget about the expectations and to just enjoy playing college golf.”
Up next for UCLA is the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championships at Reynolds Plantation CC in Atlanta, Ga.
The Bruins were awarded the No. 4 seed in the 16-team bracket, setting up a potential semifinal matchup with No. 1 Charlotte.