M.golf: Men’s team falters in final round

It’s in the hole. Oh wait, no it’s not.

Under the tutelage of coach O.D. Vincent, the No. 4 UCLA
men’s golf team has developed the mentality of a closer in
baseball, traditionally sealing the deal when entering the final
round of a tournament with the lead.

But the Bruins uncharacteristically coughed up all of a
seven-shot cushion in the final round of the Cleveland/Augusta
State Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
UCLA posted an 11-over par total in Sunday’s final round, by
far its worst round, and finished in a tie for second with a
collective 2-over par total.

In a star-studded field, it was No. 13 Minnesota that took full
advantage of the Bruins’ misery, posting a 1-under team total
in the third and final round to snatch the rug from under UCLA and
walk off the 18th green as champions. The Golden Gophers finished
the tournament at 3-under par.

With the second-place finish, UCLA’s winless streak
stretched to four tournaments, the longest such streak in
Vincent’s two-year tenure in Westwood.

All was not lost in UCLA’s disappointing final round.
Senior Steve Conway carded a 1-under 71 on Sunday to finish alone
in fourth place with a 7-under par tournament total. Conway was one
of only two in the 90-player field to post three rounds under
par.

Senior Travis Johnson was the only other Bruin to join Conway in
finishing the tournament under par. After opening the tournament
with rounds of 68 and 71, Johnson shot a 2-over 74 in his final
round, which was still good enough to land him in seventh place
with a 3-under par total for the event.

Senior John Merrick (6-over par) and junior John Poucher (8-over
par) both struggled in Sunday’s final round, each shooting a
6-over 78 to finish in a tie for 35th and 44th, respectively.

Senior Roy Moon, battling his swing while trying to regain his
form from a year ago, continued to struggle in competition,
finishing the tournament with a 13-over par total and in a tie for
73rd.

UCLA has only one regular season tournament left before the
Pac-10 Championship, which is set to begin on April 26 in
Arizona.