The Oregon men’s golf team began the 2003 season the honorable way.
Oregon represented itself and the United States, along with four other NCAA schools, earlier this month in the Topy Cup in Tanagura, Japan. In the annual competition, American universities are invited to Japan based on their finish at the NCAA Championships, where Oregon took 22nd.
“It’s neat to go over and represent your country, and especially represent the University of Oregon,” senior Mike Sica said. “That’s the most thrilling part about it except for getting to experience all the culture.”
In Oregon’s first appearance in the Topy Cup, the Ducks finished 10th.
The Ducks continue play beginning Sept. 25, when they travel to Corvallis for the Northwest Collegiate Classic and try and establish who will score points in a team that has only two seniors.
“We are a very young team and I’m very excited about it,” Oregon head coach Steve Nosler said. “Right now, success and performance in competition is No. 1.”
Sica will look to lead his team of young freshmen throughout the long season while taking care of his own play. Sica was Oregon’s lone competitor in the final round of last year’s NCAA Championships but fell to a 12-over 84 in the final round.
Yet, Sica looks to redeem himself and set the pace for his team this season.
“The final round is where I struggled,” he said. “I was a little nervous and had never been in a situation like that before. I learned from it and I’m going to use it as motivation for this coming year and try and work that much harder.”

And Oregon will undoubtedly have its work cut out in the upcoming season, as the Pac-10 conference is as strong as ever. UCLA is looking for a national title after winning the Pac-10 championship last year by 27 strokes, and Arizona State sophomore Alejandro Canizares returns after winning the NCAA individual title last season.
On the women’s side, facing the Pac-10 conference is not any easier. USC won it’s first NCAA golf title by 15 strokes with four other Pac-10 teams ranking in the top 25.
“The Pac-10 will remain strong,” women’s head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “In the Pac-10, just like in so many other sports, you play the cream of the crop.”
The Ducks return the majority of their roster from last year, including junior Johnna Nealy, who led Oregon in the Pac-10 Championships, finishing 12th. But for as a team, the Ducks don’t have anywhere to go but up after finishing 10th in the conference championships with a team score of 943.
“(Our goal is) to take each tournament one at a time,” Rouillard said. “That’s all we have control over. It’s just to play the best that we can and be competitive.”
Sophomores Therese Wenslow and Erin Andrews should also help lead the Ducks with a year of experience under their belts after finishing 36th and 40th in last year’s Pac-10 Championship.
Oregon will lose the help of graduate Annie Davis, who finished 52nd at the conference championships and was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team.