As one sun sets, the next offers opportunities across the greens.

Starting on Monday, UCLA men’s golf will enter its new chapter in the Big Ten at The Tindall, which will take place at Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Washington.

The Bruins will compete in two days of stroke play, with 36 holes on the first day and 18 on the second. Seniors Omar Morales and Pablo Ereño both have prior experience on this course, from their freshman year at the Pac-12 Championship.

“I think we both played really well,” Ereño said. “It not only gives me a little more confidence, but it makes me super excited to go back.”

Morales, in particular, is coming off a summer of great golf. After competing in the U.S. Open and later finishing ninth in the U.S. Amateur Championship, Morales enters this season as the 14th best amateur in the nation.

“I think he’s poised and ready to have a great senior season and move up the rankings and to hopefully get that number one spot,” said coach Armen Kirakossian.

As for Ereño, The Tindall kicks off his final season before he graduates and moves on to other opportunities beyond Westwood.

“I’m going to give it my all this season,” Ereño said. “It’s my last one, so I’m super excited to get started.”

The two seniors will be joined in the team event by three of their teammates: junior Kyle An and sophomores Alex Papayoanou and Luke Powell. Additionally, one of the Bruins new freshmen, Baylor Larrabee, will be competing as the individual competitor.

Despite being new to the collegiate golfing scene, Kirakossian expects Larrabee and fellow freshman Trevor Garus to fit in nicely with his veteran team.

“Both are great players and are fitting in quickly with the team,” Kirakossian said. “I would expect them to have a significant impact in our lineup this year.”

At The Tindall, the field will consist of 14 teams across multiple conferences, with Washington playing as hosts. The Bruins will play an additional two Big Ten teams excluding the Huskies, those teams being Oregon and Ohio State.

The experience of Morales and Ereño could prove to be pivotal for UCLA, as their knowledge of the greens can give them an edge.

“It’s really important to take advantage of the practice run we play on Sunday,” Ereño said. “I think the greens were really tricky, and there’s a lot of hard par 3s that we really need to plan for.”

The Tindall represents an opportunity for the Bruins to showcase all of their offseason training and for veteran leaders to command the next generation of men’s golf at UCLA.

It is also the first step in their chase for the ultimate goal – a national championship.

“Every team starts with the mindset of ‘Yeah, we have a chance to win a championship,’ but I do think we really do have a chance,” Ereño said. “I think our team is really good.”

For players like Ereño, the sun may be setting on his time at UCLA, but with a new roster striding into a new conference, the sun is only just rising on the 2024-2025 season.

“We’re super excited for this season,” Ereño said. “Honestly, I’m trying to take advantage of it and enjoy every single moment of it, because I know it goes by pretty fast.”