Tournament proves players ready to tackle Pac-10 season

Thursday, February 4, 1999

Tournament proves players ready to tackle Pac-10 season

MGOLF: Arizona contest shows Bruin team on par

with top squads in nation

By Brian Thompson

Daily Bruin Contributor

Following an impressive fall season, the UCLA men’s golf team
began the spring portion of their schedule right where it left off,
capturing third place in the Ping Arizona Intercollegiate.

The tournament, hosted by the University of Arizona, featured
five nationally ranked teams. Playing in such an elite field, the
14th-ranked Bruins proved that they were ready for top-level
competition.

The Bruins finished with a combined team score of 868 over the
three rounds, which were played Monday and Tuesday in Tucson. UCLA
finished just behind Washington (861) and USC (864).

Only two shots off the pace following the first round, the
Bruins were in contention for the title throughout the tournament.
However, they were unable to mount a serious challenge in the final
two rounds.

"We were in position to win and didn’t have a great final
round," said head coach Brad Sherfy. "But I’m very pleased with our
performance."

Two Bruins finished in the top 15 individually. Junior Jason
Semelsberger, who was tied for the lead after the first round,
completed the tournament tied for eighth place. Senior B.J.
Schlagenhauf, the ninth ranked player in the country, finished in a
tie for 13th.

This tournament also featured the debut of Kevin Bodlovich.
Following an impressive first round score of a one under par 70,
Bodlovich finished in a tie for 33rd. "Kevin Bodlovich played
really solid for his first tournament," said Sherfy.

Freshman Parker McLauchlin finished in a tie for 45th place with
a score of 223 and Michael Vera, a sophomore, tied for 58th place
with a score of 226.

"Michael Vera hadn’t played in a while, and I thought he had a
good performance," said Sherfy.

The strong performance by the Bruins in Arizona has put the
squad off to a good start as they embark on the spring season. This
past fall, the Bruins had three top 10 finishes, including a first
place finish in the Northwest Classic. In the Ping Intercollegiate,
UCLA finished ahead of Houston, Arizona State, Florida and Arizona,
all of which are top 25 teams.

"It was our second best tournament of the year," said
Sherfy.

Up next for the Bruins is the Taylor Made Big Island Classic in
Hawaii next week. All of the remaining tournaments will be
critical, as UCLA prepares for the Pac-10 Championships in April
and the NCAA Regional Championships in May and June,
respectively.

If their performance in Arizona is any indication, the Bruins
plan on being ready when it’s time to tee of in those
tournaments.

Comments, feedback, problems?

© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]