The opportunity to go head-to-head with a rival does not happen very often in a sport like golf.

So when the Bruins teed off across their crosstown foes, they did not waste time downing the Trojans.

“There’s just a different feeling and vibe when you’re going head-to-head,” said coach Armen Kirakossian. “The guys take a lot of pride in going there and performing well and winning.”

After opening the tournament with a victory over No. 24 USC, No. 21 UCLA men’s golf fell 7-5 to Arizona to place second at the Copper Cup in Laguna Niguel, California. The affair took place across Monday and Tuesday and marked the Bruins’ first taste of competition since ending its fall campaign Oct. 26.

“It was a good learning experience for all of us,” said junior Alex Papayoanou. “Especially for nationals in the future, we play in a similar format.”

Kirakossian’s squad opened the tournament with a trio of alternate shot matches coupled with a singles showdown. The Bruins swept the alternate shot contests, with sophomore Logan Kim and freshman Tyler Loree in addition to senior Kyle An and junior Luciano Conlan both besting their Trojan opponents by more than two holes.

Papayoanou – the only Bruin to compete in a singles match during morning play – fell to Antonio Safa in his opening match before he tied Jack Buchanan to end the day.

“I hung in there the first day,” Papayoanou said. “I didn’t get as many points in the matches as I would’ve liked, but you can’t play defense in golf. … I just stuck in there and still tied him, even though he (Safa) played unreal.”

The Bruins came out ahead in five of the seven singles matches Monday afternoon, securing a comfortable 7.5 to 3.5 win over the Trojans.

Arizona earned its spot in the championship match of the four team cup Tuesday after upsetting No. 7 Arizona State 8.5-3.5. The Wildcats continued to make their run on ranked opponents, beginning with a dominant performance over the Bruins in Tuesday morning’s alternate shot matches.

Papayoanou and senior Matthew Yamin were the only UCLA tandem to find success, besting Dillon Dean and Connor Hamm five and three. Despite being down earlier, the Bruin pair rallied to win the match in the final holes.

“He’s (Yamin is) my best friend on the team,” Papayoanou said. “Just being out there with him, it just made it fun and easy to compete. … I never really had a worry that we would win that match. Our energy was so good, and we worked so well together.”

The afternoon’s singles play proved to be a mixed bag, with each team finishing with four wins and four losses. Loree and Papayoanou earned singles victories for the second consecutive day.

“I’ve been working really hard with my swing coach, and my swings are coming together quite nicely,” Loree said. “I give a lot of credit to him, and I’ve been hitting the ball really solidly.”

The Bruins struggled with consistency across their four-event fall slate, logging two top-three finishes coupled with a pair of 10th places. Settling into their rhythm might have come more easily under the Southern California sun and to the soundtrack of the Bruin faithful, though.

While Laguna Niguel is not the Bruins’ home course, playing a short drive away from Westwood provides the team comfort they have not been afforded yet during the 2025-26 campaign, which has featured trips to Georgia and Indiana in addition to travel throughout the West.

“It’s really nice to just be more at home in California and not have the wear and tear of travel days,” Loree said. “It’s always fun to compete, no matter the location.”

This was the last head-to-head play of the year for UCLA, which will compete in stroke play competition for the rest of the season.

“We’re very happy with how our game is looking and trending in the right direction,” Loree said. “We’re hoping just to keep that momentum coming into our upcoming events.”