While many players on the No. 2 UCLA men’s golf team have proven themselves individually throughout the year, after its fourth place finish at the Pac-12 Championship, the team’s potential remains unrealized.
“I struggled to get a rhythm going and take advantage of the momentum I created from good shots,” junior Pontus Widegren said.
The team’s inability to capitalize on its talent was evident in the peaks and valleys it experienced throughout the weekend at the Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore.
After an average first round, the Bruins followed up with a second round score of 352 (-8) the same day, which put them in first place with a six stroke lead.
Because of various miscues, UCLA was unable to keep up that pace, failing to obtain low scores on the final day.
“I had seven three-putts during this tournament, and those are easy mistakes that I could easily avoid,” junior Pedro Figueiredo said. “We had unforced errors here and there, and that cost us the tournament.”
The Bruins’ missed opportunities may have cost them the Pac-12 title, but they were also victims to the torrid second half play of Oregon and eventual champion Cal, both recording scores of 706 (-14) or better the final two rounds.
One of the positives UCLA will take away from the disappointing finish to Pac-12 play is the continued success of sophomore Patrick Cantlay.
Cantlay was one of only two Bruins to shoot under par every round of the tournament, leading to his second consecutive top five individual finish.
Despite their poor performance, the close loss keeps the Bruins hungry as they continue to look to transform potential into performance.
“We lost by five (strokes) and we didn’t play well at all,” Figueiredo said. “We have the depth to do well in the next two tournaments.”
With the disappointment of the Pac-12 Championship behind them, the team turns its focus toward preparation for the upcoming NCAA Regionals, again hoping to put together a tournament in which the entire team performs up to par.
“Ultimately, the biggest goal for us is the NCAA Championship at Riviera,” sophomore Anton Arboleda said. “That’s what we’ll be working toward every day the next month. We definitely have a good enough team to win it.”