The Tritons participated in the fourth annual California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Golf Championship at the Legends West Course at Diablo Grande in Patterson, Calif., on Monday and Tuesday, taking fifth place. Seven other teams competed.
Playing in a strong conference that included three nationally ranked teams, UCSD went into the tournament worrying only about its own scores rather than about watching its opponents. The Tritons shot a three-round total 899, which placed them fifth.
Cal State Bakersfield and UC Davis battled each other through the last hole of the tournament and were tied for first place with scores of 868 after three rounds. The tie was broken by the lower final-round score of each team’s fifth player, and the Roadrunners were awarded first place and the Grayle Howlett Cup because their fifth man’s low score beat that of UC Davis 75-78.
Cal State Stanislaus entered Tuesday’s round in second place, trailing Bakersfield by six strokes and leading Davis by three. The Warriors shot a 2-over-par 290 in the final round, and Stanislaus ended in third place, two strokes behind the leaders.
Seven strokes behind Stanislaus and 12 ahead of the Tritons, Chico State finished with a combined score of 877 to walk away with fourth place in the CCAA Championships.
The battle for the individual championship also needed extra holes to determine the tournament winner. In his final round, Jason Boyd of UC Davis posted a 7-under-par 65, placing him in a tie with teammate Jay Westerlund and Bakersfield’s Dan Warburton, each with scores of 213. After Warburton was eliminated on the first playoff hole, Boyd defeated Westerlund on the second hole.
Stanislaus’ Charlie Zinn played consistently throughout the tournament, shooting scores of 71, 72 and 71 to finish one stroke behind the leaders for fourth place. Rounding out the top five positions, J.J. Jakovac of Chico State ended with a score of 215 and fifth place.
Junior Ryan Gale was UCSD’s best finisher, and his 217 tied him for sixth place with Stanislaus’ Marc Lawless. Gale opened the tournament with a 69, but he was given a one-stroke penalty after turning in a scorecard that indicated he shot a 70. Gale posted scores of 73 and 74 in his final two rounds.
“”I played well during the tournament, but I think I got a little upset and disappointed in myself after finding out about the penalty,”” Gale said.
Sophomores Brian Duckworth and Greg Wilson tied for 25th place with scores of 228 each. Sophomore Alan Scheer was five strokes behind his teammates, and Scheer tied for 30th. The Tritons’ fifth golfer, junior Andy Thomson, ended in 36th place.
UCSD entered the tournament wanting to ensure a victory over Cal State San Bernardino in the CCAA Championships, thus strengthening the Tritons’ chances of being invited to the NCAA Division II Regional tournament, which will take place from May 5 to May 9. UCSD finished six strokes ahead of San Bernardino, and the Tritons now have to hope they are selected by the NCAA committee.
“”We did what we wanted to do in conference championships. Now we are 99 percent sure we will play in the regionals,”” Gale said.
