It’s been a long time coming, but the No. 1 men’s golf team is finally set to return to
competition this week at the NCAA Regional.
The Ducks earned a No. 1 seed at the Southwest Regional and will tee off alongside fellow Pacific-10 Conference members No. 34 California and No. 50 Arizona. Also competing will be No. 12 UNLV, No. 13 Augusta State and No. 24 Tennessee.
In all, head coach Casey Martin is pleased with the draw.
“I was happy with it for a number of reasons,” Martin said. “We got the No. 1 seed overall, which was great … the field is going to be very challenging, but at the same time if we play well, we should advance.”
Martin has plenty of reason to feel confident. Oregon heads into the tournament with four tournament wins for the season, as well as an impressive 12-1 record versus top 25 opponents. Sophomore Eugene Wong was recently named the Pac-10 player of the year, fellow sophomore Daniel Miernicki made first-team All Pac-10, and Martin himself was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
The Southwest Regional hosts 13 teams in total, and the top five finishers will advance to the NCAA Championships. Given its seeding and overall ranking as the top team in the
nation, expectations are high for the Ducks.
Still, don’t expect nerves to play much of a role in Oregon’s play. The team has competed in a regional every year since 2007 and has advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last two seasons.
On top of all that, the team is well-rested for the first time in months. The Ducks have not competed in a tournament since April 28, and the time off has given the players time to cool their jets and refine their games.
“We were all kind of tired at the Pac-10s,” Wong said. “Because we did a lot of traveling before that and we only had probably a week to rest. I guess now is better because we’re all rested up … we should be really ready for regionals.”
The Ducks will also have the added advantage of playing close to home on the West Coast. The tournament will be held in Santee, Calif., at Carlton Oaks Golf Club, a course that San Diego native Miernicki has played countless times throughout his life.
“I’ve played the course hundreds of times,” Miernicki said. “Anytime you know the golf course like the back of your hand, it definitely gives you an advantage, and hopefully if I play well I feel like I should have a really good chance to win or place high.”
Already the winner of two tournaments this year, Miernicki hardly needs any added advantages. Still, the Ducks will take anything they can get. Martin does, however, worry about the pressure Miernicki might feel while playing so close.
“He’ll have to deal with the added pressure of playing at home,” Martin said. “But he’ll have the advantage of being familiar with it.”
As Martin alluded, Oregon will face some tough competition in California. UNLV also has four wins to its name this year, and sophomore Derek Ernst boasts the No. 20 ranking in the nation.
Augusta State, meanwhile, has three wins on the year and a 10-9 record against top 25 opponents. Sophomore Patrick Reed is ranked just ahead of Miernicki at No. 14 overall, and junior Henrik Norlander is close behind at No. 18.
The Ducks are well aware that nothing will come easily in the postseason. Still, that doesn’t mean they won’t set their expectations high.
“Our mind set is to try to win (at the Regional),” Wong said. “Wherever we go, we’ll try and always compete for first.”
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