Three weeks is along time between tournaments, particularly for a men’s golf team that is ranked No. 1 in the nation, but for head coach Casey Martin, the extended period of time between the Pacific-10 Conference Championships and the NCAA Regional is a blessing in disguise.
“I consider it a good thing,” Martin said. “I think what happened at Pac-10s is I had scheduled a really busy spring, maybe too busy, and I think we were just a little bit flat, a little bit worn out.”
The players agree whole-heartedly.
“We had all competed for three straight weeks,” sophomore Andrew Vijarro said. “I think at Pac-10s we were all a little tired, and I think we just needed a few days off … after Pac-10s, we got that.”
Well-rested and hungry for competition, the Ducks await their draw for the regional championships, where they will likely draw a top seed. Rumors have it that they will likely travel east, either to Yale or Georgia. But as of Wednesday, it was unknown exactly where the Ducks will compete.
What is certain, however, is that Oregon is about ready to make amends for a disappointing sixth place finish at the Pac-10 Championships.
“When we go to every tournament, of course we want to win,” sophomore Eugene Wong said. “So … of course our mindset is to try to win (at the regional). But wherever we go, we’ll try and always compete for first.”
Wherever the Ducks go, Wong will likely lead the way. The sophomore was named Pac-10 Player of the Year last week, a fitting reward for what has been a breakout season.
“It feels really good,” Wong said of the award. “Because all my solid play had paid off.”
“Solid” is a bit of an understatement. Wong won both the USC Collegiate Invitational and the Western Collegiate this season while also placing in the top 10 of eight tournaments. His stroke average of 69.77 leads the nation, and a poor round has proven rare for the sophomore.
 
Fellow sophomore Daniel Miernicki has been just as impressive. He was recognized as a member of the All-Pac-10 first team. The Santee, Calif. native won both the Oregon Duck Invitational and U.S. Intercollegiate this season while placing in the top ten of three other tournaments.
“We’ve had a special season,” Martin said. “Guys like Eugene Wong and Daniel Miernicki have played at a level that’s been pretty fun to watch, pretty special, both winning twice in the spring and setting a lot of records.”
Of course, Martin’s contributions were also immeasurable, and he was not ignored when the awards were passed out. The fourth-year head coach was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year, becoming the first Oregon coach to win the award since Steve Nosler in 1997.
Ask Martin about the award, however, and he will deflect praise to his players.
“I was the coach of the year,” Martin said. “But that’s simply because I recruited Dan (Miernicki) and (Eugene) Wong. Golf coaching’s kind of an interesting thing, and I’m just grateful I have some great players that played at a super high level.”
All individual accolades aside, the Ducks still have a job to finish. The regional will be a steppingstone to the NCAA Championships, where the team looks to make its presence felt.
“It’s been a really fun year,” Martin said. “Now it’s our goal just to finish it right.”
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