You might not believe it, but there is a need for team chemistry in college golf.
The Oregon men’s golf team has found that chemistry, and all of a sudden the NCAA Championships are in sight. The Ducks are in Santa Cruz, Calif., today for the start of the Western Intercollegiate, the team’s second to last tournament before postseason play begins at the Pacific-10 Championships April 24-26.
The Ducks start the same lineup that placed second overall at the Oregon Duck Invitational two weeks ago. Four players in the Ducks’ Western Intercollegiate lineup were responsible for a third place finish at the Cleveland Southwestern Intercollegiate last month.
The oil that’s greasing the Oregon engine seems to be junior T.J. Duncan. A native of Carson City, Nev., Duncan placed eighth at the Southwestern and fifth at the Duck Invitational. His previous best was a 21st place finish at the Pacific Invitational in September.
Duncan’s improved play has helped the Ducks in their quest for consistency. Senior co-captains Ryan Lavoie and Andrew Tredway have been playing well all year, but have struggled to keep Oregon in tournaments by themselves. Duncan is the third piece to Lavoie and Tredway’s puzzle, and he has made the difference in the Ducks’ last two tournaments.
San Jose State’s Western Intercollegiate is the perfect tournament to test the difference in the Ducks’ new lineup. The field boasts four top-20 teams and a multitude of other strong schools. The site of the tournament, The Pasatiempo Golf Course, is one of Golf Digest’s top 100 American courses.
The two schools Oregon couldn’t beat at the Southwest Intercollegiate last month — No. 8 Brigham Young and No. 16 Arizona State — will compete at the Western Intercollegiate. Also playing are No. 7 Fresno State, No. 14 Stanford and No. 16 Southern California. Oregon is currently ranked 28th.
The 54-hole tournament begins today with two 18-hole rounds and concludes tomorrow with the final 18-hole round.