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Golf eager to climb out of second-place tourney rut

By Seth Fast Glass

Feb. 6, 2003 9:00 p.m.

When is second place not good enough? The UCLA men’s
golf team made a strong showing at the 2003 PING-Arizona
Intercollegiate Golf Tournament in Tucson, finishing second to host
Arizona in a field of 16 other squads.

Yet, UCLA head coach O.D. Vincent was disappointed because he
felt the Bruins could have walked away the champions.

“It was frustrating,” Vincent said.  “We
played better than any other team in the tournament. We just
didn’t hit enough putts.”

The Bruins led the tournament after the first two rounds by one
shot under Arizona. However, the lead quickly disappeared, and
there was no Bruin title at the Arizona National Golf Club. The
Wildcats gained the early momentum in the third round and never
relinquished it. This is the Bruins’ third silver medal
finish this year, a trend they would quickly like to change.

“We lost to Arizona on their home track,” junior
Travis Johnson said. “It puts a fire underneath us to
work harder, we don’t want to make a pattern of finishing in
second place. If we’re on our game, there’s not a
team in the country that can beat us.”

The Bruins finished the three-round tournament with a total shot
count of 831, a combined 21 under par. The Wildcats won the
tournament with a score of 829 (-23). Both the Bruins and Wildcats
emerged as the top teams of the tournaments, blowing away third
place Pepperdine by nine shots and fourth place USC by 14
shots.

The Bruins were bolstered by four players finishing in the top
20.

Individually, junior Roy Moon was the brightest spot for the
Bruins in Tucson, shooting eight under par and tying for third
overall. Moon also had his signature on the low round of the
tournament, firing a six-under 65 in the first round.

“Roy did a great job, he got off to a great start and
played real solidly all three rounds,” Vincent said.

Juniors Travis Johnson and Steve Conway tied for 15th overall,
both shooting two-under par for the tournament. Johnson was one
shot behind the leaders after the first two rounds, but shot a
five-over 76 in the final round.

“I was shook up by a couple of bad holes,” Johnson
said. “But I didn’t let that keep me down. I am
really happy with the way I’m playing right now.”

Talented freshman Spencer Levin finished the tournament at
1-under par and tied for 19th place. John Merrick rounded out the
squad with an even par performance, good for 26th place.

“Spencer is a very accomplished player,” remarked
Vincent on his superstar freshman. “He scrapes and claws
around the course.”

The Bruins return to Los Angeles for a week, and will take a
short rest before heading to Hawaii for the TaylorMade Big Island
Classic, held at the exceptionally windy Waikoloa Country Club.

Vincent sees a bright future for these Bruins, and knows once
they prove their success, others will jump on their bandwagon.

“We’re looking to give (the media) and students an
excuse to follow us and support us. The only way to accomplish that
is to start winning.”

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Seth Fast Glass
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