Facing the toughest competition Division II golf has to offer, UCSD placed fourth out of eight teams at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship, held on April 19 and April 20 at Diablo Grande, in Patterson, Calif.
“The course was very difficult, and we had some bad weather. Instead of being bright and sunny, as it was down here, it was cold and rainy up there,” head coach Mike Wydra said. “This made scoring difficult — at least for everyone besides [the individual champion, Cal State Bakersfield’s] D.J. Fernando.”
The Tritons completed their first round on April 19 with a score of 305, putting them in fourth place, where they would remain for the rest of the tournament. In the afternoon round, UCSD again topped the 300 mark with 303, but improved seven strokes on April 20 to end with a 296, for a total of 904, 40 over par.
“I think our season so far can be summed up as saying that we have made a lot of progress and had some great things happen, but no one is truly satisfied yet,” junior Brian Duckworth said. “After every tournament, we are thinking what could have been if just a few breaks would have gone our way.”
Cal State Bakersfield emerged as the CCAA champion for the third consecutive year. Bakersfield shot rounds of 294, 288 and 286, to finish at 868, four over par.
Chico State came in second, turning in rounds of 295, 293 and 294, giving it a total of 882, 18 over. Cal State Stanislaus, finished third. With rounds of 303, 300 and 290, Cal State Stanislaus earned an 893, 29 over par.
Individually, UCSD was led by ace Duckworth, who tied for 10th place overall. Duckworth just missed making the 2004 All-CCAA Team, awarded to the top-eight finishers. He shot rounds of 77 and 78 on April 19, but came back on April 20 to shoot a 69, the second-lowest score of the day, for a total of 224, eight over par.
“Brian had an excellent final round on [April 19],” Wydra said.
Senior team captain Alan Scheer was hot on Duckworth’s tail, missing him by one stroke for a 225. Scheer, with rounds of 79, 73 and 73, tied for 12th place overall.
“Alan [Scheer] had a great round going on April 20, and shot a 73, even with a triple bogey on the last hole. He is playing really strong right now,” Wydra said.
Junior Joe Dolby rounded out the squad’s big three, tying for 17th place with a 227, 11 over par. Dolby turned in rounds of 71, 78 and 78.
“Joe [Dolby] is always reliable for us,” Wydra said.
Sophomore Ryo Yamada took fourth for UCSD and 20th overall. With rounds of 78, 74 and 76, Yamada finished with a 228, 12 over.
“Ryo [Yamada] is really coming into his own now,” Wydra said.
Sophomore Robbie Kramer completed UCSD’s squad, ending up in 32nd place overall. Kramer had round totals of 81, 80 and 79, giving him a 240, 24 over par.
“We changed our lineup a little — and our top four are very solid — but we’re still looking for our fifth man, and I’m confident we’ll find the right one,” Wydra said. “We have a three-round qualifier to determine who will be competing at regionals.”
The Tritons advance to the NCAA Super Regional, held at Bellingham Country Club, in Bellingham, Wash. It is the same course they played for the first tournament of the year, in which they placed second, scoring an 861. Eight teams will compete, including Cal State Bakersfield, Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus, Western Washington University, St. Martins, University of Hawaii-Hilo, UCSD and an eighth team to be determined later. The tournament lasts three days, from May 3 through May 5, with 18 holes played each day.
“I think one of our strong attributes is handling pressure and difficult conditions well, so I have a good feeling about the post season,” Duckworth said. “Al [Arkin], our team captain, really wants to go out on top, so I’m sure that his drive and dedication will lead us to good results at both regionals and nationals.”
