The Oregon men’s golf team found itself back in action Monday as it kicked off the spring season at the three-day PING Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, Ariz. The Ducks moved up a spot in the field following the final round, finishing 13th at the par-71 Arizona National Golf Club.
Oregon freshman Derek Sipe led the Ducks with a final-round score of 68, good enough to move him into a tie for 16th place. Sipe had an eagle and five birdies in the final round, and his score marked his best tournament finish as a collegian.
Also finishing strong for Oregon on Tuesday were juniors Gregg LaVoie and Chris Dukeminier, who carded final round scores of 68 and 70, respectively. Dukeminier’s 70 was his career-best single-round score, shaving his previous record by two strokes. He finished the tournament tied for 61st at 227, and LaVoie tied for 40th with a total score of 220. Other Ducks who placed included sophomore Eric Hastings, who tied at 74th (233), and Justin St. Clair, who tied for 81st (238).
Fourth-ranked New Mexico topped the field by shooting a final-round 271 and finishing the tournament 12-under 840. Brigham Young, ranked No. 19, took second place with an 842 finish, followed by Tulsa (851) and tournament host Arizona (852). Arizona took home the team title in last year’s PING Arizona Intercollegiate but had to settle for fourth this year. The Wildcats’ rival from Tempe — No. 15 Arizona State — finished two strokes behind in fifth place with 854, followed by Texas A&M (861). The Arizona “B” team took seventh with 862, and UC Irvine (867), New Mexico State (869) and UC Riverside (873) rounded out the top 10.
2003 National Champion Alejandro Canizares of Arizona State took home the individual title by finishing with a three-round total of
11-under (65-66-71-202).

Scott J. Adams is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald