Following a month break since their last tournament, the Bruins begin the final stretch of their season.

No. 15 UCLA men’s golf will tee off Thursday at the Goodwin Intercollegiate hosted by Stanford in Palo Alto, California, in its third to last tournament before the postseason. While the Bruins have had to travel all across the United States – including to Hawaii – this season, The Goodwin marks their final in-state affair.

“It definitely makes things just a little bit simpler. One-hour flight, same time zone,” said coach Armen Kirakossian. “Definitely less wear and tear on the body being up at Palo Alto than it is flying all the way to Florida.”

Kirakossian added that the Bruins’ main goal was refining their short game over the break for the season’s final stretch.

“We focused a lot on our short games,” Kirakossian said. “A lot of chipping, putting, wedge shots – anything that we think we needed to practice.”

Senior Pablo Ereño said he emphasized practicing short-range situations, adding that the short game is essential whether a golfer is playing well or poorly.

Unlike in their last tournament, the Watersound Invitational, UCLA is a frequent challenger at the Goodwin Intercollegiate, placing ninth out of 31 and 11th out of 28 teams in the past two years, respectively.

Ereño, who finished tied for sixth with 2-under par at The Goodwin last year, said confidence and familiarity can add to success.

“I’m a senior now, so I’ve played this course three times already,” Ereño said. “I’ve always played pretty good in this event. I like their course, I like the tournament. I think if we play good, we’re going to have a chance to win, for me individually as well.”

The only other ranked teams besides UCLA will be No. 12 Utah and No. 24 Pepperdine. Additionally, the field will be loaded with former Pac-12 foes, which include Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and the host, Stanford.

The forecast for the tournament predicts cloud coverage throughout, with temperatures in the low 60s and a slight chance of rain during the tournament’s second round.

“We’re going to have a chance. We just want to put ourselves in that position and take advantage of those moments and perform on the final holes to get it done,” Ereño said.