Friday, May 29, 1998
Amazing round brings golfers closer to top
MEN'S GOLF: Bruins break record, start climb out
of 15th-place sand trap
By Moin Salahuddin
Daily Bruin Contributor
The NCAA men's golf championships are currently underway in Albuquerque, N.M., with the UCLA Bruins eyeing a chance to win their second national title.
The NCAA Championships, held at the 7,151-yard par-72 University of New Mexico Championship Course, began Wednesday and ends Saturday.
Oklahoma State led after the first round, with a team score of 10 under par (278). The 20th-ranked Bruins were tied with Pac-10 rival Arizona State for 15th (289) until the amazing happened.
UCLA was in a precarious position, due to the fact that only the top 15 teams (plus ties) are allowed to advance past the second round of play.
But then the Bruins roared back Thursday in the second round killing the course, by shooting as a team, 13 under par, a school record. The incredible round of golf moved the Bruins up to fourth place and in easy striking distance of first.
After Thursday, the Bruins were tied with the first round leader, Oklahoma State and UNLV holds a five-stroke lead.
"I know what we are capable of doing," B. J. Schlagenhauf said. "If we can play at the level we have been all year, we should challenge most of the top teams in the nation."
Helping UCLA tear up the green were four players who all shot under par: Brandon Ditullio, Ross Fulgentis, Schlagenhauf and Jeff McGraw.
Trailing the Running Rebels by five strokes, the Bruins could easily capture the championship. UCLA has grabbed five tournament titles in only 11 outings, while skyrocketing in the MasterCard rankings to 20th. Led by the experienced trio of DiTullio, Schlagenhauf and Jason Semelsberger, the Bruins won many prestigious tournaments, including the ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational. That invitational featured many of the top teams that are currently competing in the NCAA Championships.
Along with the trio previously mentioned are freshman phenoms McGraw and Fulgentis. Each has averaged 74 strokes per round and have placed in the top 25 individually several times.
It has been an up and down year for the Bruins who placed seventh in the NCAA West Regionals to get a shot at winning the NCAA championship tournament. But after the first day the Bruins looked to be stuck in a sand trap without a sand wedge.
"It's up to us to put the golf ball in the hole with as few strokes as possible," Schlagenhauf said. "All we have to do is be sharp and on our game."
And that is exactly what the Bruins did to regain their dream of winning it all.
It is as simple as that, or so it seems.