Blessed by idyllic scoring conditions — light winds and warm temperatures — the Oregon men’s golf team got off to a strong start on Monday.
The Ducks carded a team score of 1-over 285 in the first round of the Alister Mackenzie Invitational, held at the par-71, 6,583-yard Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif.
The morning round was the best opening round for Oregon this season, and it was just two shots off the team’s best round of the fall — a 283 in the second round of last month’s Northwest Collegiate Classic at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis.
The second round, however, was not as kind to Oregon. The Ducks struggled to a 12-over 296 to finish at 581, tied with defending tournament champion Fresno St. at 13th place.
Senior Mike Sica was Oregon’s top golfer. He fired a 3-over 144, good enough for a tie for 37th place. Senior Jimmy White, sophomore Justin St. Clair and freshman Matt Ma are tied for 51st, at 4-over 146. Ma shot an opening round of 72, which was the lowest round of the season for the rookie from Hawaii.
The Ducks trailed far behind a talented tournament field with two of the sixteen teams ranked in the top 25. Northwestern, after shooting the best round of the day by far, holds the first-day lead by posting a team score of 22-under, 546.
“Northwestern had two great rounds and ran away from the field,” California head coach Steve Desimone said. “My hat’s off to them.”
No. 4 UCLA was second with 554, followed by a surprising Oregon State at 558, San Jose State at 559, and host No. 22 California at 560.
San Jose State’s Issac Weintraub shot the best round of the day individually, carding a 5-under 66.
Brian Smith is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.