Young Bruin golfers lead team in tournament

A youthful No. 13 UCLA men’s golf team finished fourth out
of a field of 14 teams earlier this week in the Big-10/Pac-10
Challenge in Glenview, Ill. The Bruins, whose lineup consisted of
two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior, shot a 4-over par 868
for the weekend, finishing eight strokes behind first-place
Northwestern. Minnesota and Arizona State finished second and
third, respectively. “(The tournament) was a real good place
for us to start,” said coach O.D. Vincent. “I liked
their composure. I liked the maturity they showed on the golf
course.” The tournament was the first of the fall season for
the youthful Bruins, who started only one upperclassman at the
tournament, junior Joakim Renstrom. Sophomore Daniel Im and
freshman Erik Flores led the Bruins in scoring, both shooting
1-under par (215) over three rounds, good enough to tie for ninth
place. The tournament was Flores’ first competing for UCLA.
“(Flores) played pretty steady, never got himself into
trouble. With a little bit better finish he could have been third
or fourth,” said Vincent, who added that he expects the
first-year player to win several matches. A heralded freshman
recruit one season ago, Im was one of the brightest spots on last
year’s team despite a choppy start last fall. “Daniel
is a much more mature player than he was last year,” Vincent
said. “I didn’t really play that well, but I gave 100
percent,” Im said of his finish. “I could have made a
few more shots.” Im was one of four Bruins who bogeyed the
key par-5 18th during Wednesday’s final round. Renstrom, the
Bruins’ most seasoned returner, shot 3-over 219 to tie for
18th place. Renstrom shot the Bruins’ best single round on
Tuesday, posting a 4-under 68. Freshman James Lee turned in a
5-over par 221, good enough to tie for 28th in his first collegiate
tournament. Sophomore Brandon Christianson finished with a 17-over
233, tying for 60th place. While Vincent says it would be great for
his team to get a few wins in the fall, it’s also important
that his team is well prepared for the spring. “We’d
like to have a really productive off-season and come out firing on
all cylinders,” Vincent said.

IT’S A SURE THING: The top four finishers from each
conference are given an exemption to the next Big-10/Pac-10
challenge. The Bruins, with the second-best score from the Pac-10
this year, are guaranteed a spot in next year’s event.

PICK AND CHOOSE: Vincent says he plans on using a different
lineup in every tournament for the first six tournaments of the
season. Each player will start three tournaments, and their
performances will help determine the starting five for the spring
season. “The more experience these guys can get, the better.
(We want to see) who likes to play with whom, and who travels
well,” Vincent said. “We want to get the five guys out
there who are the most deserving.”

YOUNG AND UNCERTAIN: This year’s squad has no senior
players on the roster. The team has three juniors, Renstrom, Peter
Campbell and Chris Heintz, as well as seven underclassmen. Vincent
has yet to name a team captain, saying he’ll let the team
determine if the position needs to be filled.