The UCSD golf team competed in the NCAA Division II Men’s West Regional golf tournament, which took place at the Bellingham Country Club in Bellingham, Wash., from May 3 through May 5. As of the second day of the competition at press time, the Tritons were in second place.
The UCSD golf team is no stranger to this course, having placed second in its first tournament of the 2003-04 season at Bellingham. The par for the course is 72, with four rounds being played each day by each team for a total par of 288. The total par for the tournament was 864.
The Tritons started off the tournament with a solid round on May 3, shooting a 284. This was only one above the lowest score of the day, shot by the only team from Washington, Western Washington University. Only one of the four UCSD golfers whose score counted for the team’s overall total shot over par.
On May 4, the Tritons had another solid round, shooting 291. Going into May 5 play, the golf squad had a score of 1-under-par 575, one of its best scores to date.
Except for UCSD, the leaderboard fluctuated on May 3 and May 4. Chico State, who was in third place after May 3’s round, with a 287, came back on May 4 to shoot a 281. It held a 7-stroke lead over UCSD and a solid command of first place as of press time.
Cal State Stanislaus, whose 288 on May 3 put it in fourth place, was able to shoot a 289 on May 4, to put it in a tie for third place with a score of 1-over-par 577.
St. Martin’s College, which was sixth after a 293 on May 3, stepped it up to turn in a 284 on May 4, giving it a 577 as well and a tie for third place.
After the May 3 round, Western Washington was in first, with a score of 283, but shot a 295 on May 4, to give it a 578. It was in fifth place as of press time.
Cal State Bakersfield (584), Hawaii-Hilo (585) and Grand Canyon (610) rounded out the eight teams competing to move on to Nationals.
Individually, UCSD was led by junior Joe Dolby, who has found great success at Bellingham; in the first tournament the Tritons played there last fall, he shot a 65. Looking to repeat, Dolby managed to shoot a 68 on May 3, the low round of the day. He was never above par on May 3 and had eight birdies. On May 4, Dolby shot a 73 hampered by a double bogey on the first hole. He was still 3-under with a 141, however, and tied for second place in the tournament overall, as of press time.
One stroke behind Dolby was team captain senior Alan Scheer, with a 2-under 142. Scheer shot a 70 on May 3, the third-lowest score of the field, turning in four birdies. He came back on May 4 with a 72, which tied for fifth place overall.
Rounding out the Tritons’ big three, and the individual top-10 scorers, was junior Brian Duckworth, who was tied for 10th place with a 144. Duckworth shot a 71 on May 3 and had a 73 on May 4, shooting three birdies both rounds.
Coming in fourth for the Tritons, and tied for 26th overall with a 148, was sophomore Ryo Yamada. Yamada shot a 76 on May 3, struggling with a double bogey on the fourth hole. He came back on May 4 to shoot a 74, with five birdies, but he suffered another double bogey, this time on the 16th hole.
Rounding out the squad for the Tritons was freshman Nick Jones. Jones had a few difficult days, shooting an 80 on May 3 and a 79 on May 4 to put him at 159.
The tournament concluded with 18 more holes played on May 5. Results of that tournament were unavailable at press time. The Tritons must finish in the top four to advance to Nationals.
