After a two-week break from competition, the Oregon men’s golf team is making the final touches to their game and preparing for the NCAA West Regional, which begins Thursday.
After finishing fifth in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships April 27, the Ducks received a bid to regionals as the No. 11 seed to compete in Albuquerque, N.M., later this week.
Last year, Oregon walked away from the NCAA Regionals in 18th out of 24 teams. But the Ducks said the course last year did not fit their style of play.
“We made more doubles and triples than any other team,” junior John Ellis said of last year’s performance. “You can’t make twos and threes and expect to do good.”
Ellis finished first for Oregon last year in regionals, but is expecting a lot more from himself and of the team. His main focus has been on perfecting his short game and he said the key to doing well is to not make any mental errors.
Junior Chris Carnahan came in fourth for Oregon at Pac-10s in a tie for 35th and said being consistent and maintaining focus are two keys to Oregon’s shot for qualifying for nationals.
“We need to stay focused through the whole round and grind it all the way out,” Carnahan said.
The Ducks will be paired with Nevada and Ohio State for the tournament’s first two rounds. Oregon knows they are both good teams but is still happy with the pairing and their chances.
“We have a good chance of winning,” Ellis said.
Regionals will be played on the South Champions Course in Albuquerque, N.M., as opposed to the Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis last year. The Ducks like their chances this time around much better.
With the course playing long and assuming it will be windy, Oregon head coach Steve Nosler feels it suits Oregon’s game well.
The Ducks will be playing for one of the top-10 spots to advance to the NCAA Championships May 29 through June 1 in Columbus, Ohio. But it is not just about qualifying, according to Nosler.
“We have a different attitude,” he said. “We are not going to qualify — we are going down to win.”