No bogies about it for the Oregon men’s golf team.
The 2001 defending Western Intercollegiate champions begin play today at the tournament, the oldest collegiate golf competition west of the Mississippi River, to try and run away with the title once again.
Last year, the Ducks blew away the field, winning by 17 strokes over Washington. Four of the five men who competed last year will play again, which provides a strong outlook as they face the rest of the 16-team field for the 56th annual competition.
“It is not unrealistic that we can play with the best teams,” Oregon head coach Steve Nosler said.
Oregon has momentum on its side after winning the Oregon Duck Invitational at the end of March by a one stroke margin over Washington. The Ducks had four of the five men under par on the last day . Oregon was also very strong with a second-place finish in the Cleveland Southwest Intercollegiate held March 4 and 5.
The same squad that gave the Ducks success in the past two tournaments will be leading the way once again. Senior Aaron Byers will play in the first position, with juniors John Ellis and Chris Carnahan at the second and third spots, respectively, followed by senior Brandon Harnden at fourth and sophomore Mike Sica holding up the fifth position.
“It is a matter of confidence,” Nosler said. “My focus is to have the guys prepared and going down with a solid mental attitude. If we play like we did at our home tournament, we can win.”
After the conclusion of the Western Intercollegiate, Oregon heads to the Thunderbird Invitational in San Jose, Calif. In the long run, the Ducks have their eyes set on the Pac-10 Championships, which begin April 25 at the Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis.
History is on the Ducks’ side, as they have a long tradition with the Western Intercollegiate and more individual wins in tournament play than any other school. The list includes golf greats like Peter Jacobsen, Cam Martin, Ted Snavely and Doug DuChateau.
Jesse Thomas is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.