The Oregon men’s golf team opened its spring season on Monday in pretty much the same position it finished in the fall.
Looking to improve on their 14th-place finish last year, the Ducks started slow, posting a first-round team score of 291 and finishing in 12th at the PING-Arizona Intercollegiate at the par-71, 6,793-yard Arizona National Country Club in Tucson, Ariz.
Play was suspended on Monday after a 90-minute frost delay in the morning. When the second round was halted, the Ducks were at 8-under and making an afternoon run.
“We were really making a move in the afternoon before they stopped play and if we just stay where we are, we’ll have a pretty good round,” Oregon coach Steve Nosler said.
The low individual total for Oregon was posted by freshman Dustin Pewarchuk, who carded a first-round score of even par-71, finishing in a tie for 28th. Sophomore Justin St. Clair fired a 1-over 72 to finish tied for 40th. Freshman Matt Ma had a 2-over 73, good for a tie for 45th, while sophomore Gregg LaVoie and senior Mike Sica struggled to shoot a 4-over 75, and finished tied for 61st.
The Ducks finished 24 strokes behind the leaders, tournament-defending champions and host Arizona. The Wildcats posted a blistering team score of 17-under 267. Three out of the five ranked teams finished in the top four, with No. 25 New Mexico posting a second-place 275, No. 11 California shooting a third-place 276, and No. 8 Arizona State and Southern California finishing fourth and fifth, with scores of 278 and 280, respectively.
Chris Nallen, an Arizona senior, continued his impressive individual play, posting the low score of the day, an 8-under 63. The score marks his sixth consecutive competitive round in the 60s, dating back to Oct. 13, 2003. In that span, Nallen is averaging 64.83 strokes per round.
The Ducks will look to finish strong on Tuesday, providing a much-needed boost to the beginning of the spring season. The second round is scheduled to resume at 8 a.m., with the third round immediately following completion.