When I asked Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles last Monday about a time table to fill the Razorback men's coaching job, vacated June 17 when Mike Ketchem stepped down to follow his goal of getting into athletic administration back near his family in Iowa, the former football coach was very matter of fact. "We want to get this done as quick as we can," he noted. "If we find the right guy, we'll act immediately."

Well, lets just say the the guy wasn't kidding then. Less than four days after our conversation, Broyles was annoucing the hiring of Lamar's Brad McMakin as their 13th men's coach.

Long story short, this is a great move for Arkansas. McMakin (pictured) is coming off his best coaching season in his 10 years in Beaumont, with the Cardinals having finished tied for ninth at the NCAA Championship earlier this month and the team having won seven times in the 2005-06 season. McMakin has shown how he can be creative in the recruiting process, taking a smaller profile program and turning into a top-25 team with a mix of international standouts (Dawie van der Walt, Oliver Bekker) and home grown Texans (Casey Clendenon, Dusty Smith) who flew under the radar. With the resources that he'll have now at Arkansas, there's every reason to believe McMakin can continue to build the men's team in Fayetteville into a consistently strong school.

Short story long, this is a pretty tough day for a group of kids at Lamar that were particularly excited about the prospects for the 2006-07 season. All five starters were returning and the press and strong play of the previous year were helping get the Cardinals into more high-profile events. Hard to believe the team doesn't slide a bit from this.

The USGA just released the tee times for next week's U.S. Women's Open. Read between the threesomes and you find a couple interesting nuggets:

1) There are 28 amateurs in the field at Newport (R.I.) CC. To help do the math, that means almost 18 percent of the field can't earn any money. This compares to 18 amateurs a year ago at Cherry Hills. I've got more to say on this, but I'll save it for later.

2) Not listed among those 28 is UCLA's Amie Cochran. Rumor at the NCAA Women's Championship was that Cochran, who just finished with her sophomore year in Westwood, was thinking about turning pro. Well it seems as if she's not thinking any more. The USGA failed to put the "Scarlet A" next to her name on the tee-times sheet and a source at UCLA confirmed that she is expected to play as a professional next week.

So what does this mean for UCLA, my very, very, very early No. 2 team entering the 2006-07 season? Well, they're depth takes a bit of a hit obviously in that Cochran (pictured) had won All-American honors each of her two seasons with the Bruins. But coach Carrie Forsyth does have Sydnee Michaels coming in, who also happens to be playing at Newport next week, along with Jane Park.

Moreover, Hannah Jun looks to be continuing to regain her confidence after coming back from a broken neck earlier this season. She just earned a share of medalist honors (along with Mina Harigae) at this week's U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship out in Colorado and now heads into match play. (To follow the action at Walking Stick GC, in Pueblo, Colo., click here.) Sure UCLA would like to have seen Cochran return, but the team can handle the loss just fine.

MAMARONECK, N.Y.—They were all trying to put on a happy face Friday afternoon, the nine amateurs in the field at the U.S. Open, none of whom as it turns out played well enough to advance to the weekend.

“It’s a great experience playing with Tiger [Woods] and in front of so many people,” said U.S. Amateur champion Edoardo Molinari, who shot a 77-76. “It’s a heavy pressure situation. So I think, from now on it will be easier to play golf. After playing this one and the Masters with Tiger, any kind of pressure won’t be as high as this.”

Amateur results (Cut at nine over)
Alex Coe                         77-73—150  +10    T-64
Billy Horschel                  75-77—152 +12     T-82
Edoarado Molinari            77-76—153  +13    T-98
Jonathan Moore                77-78—155  +15    T-121
Patrick Nagle                   81-85—156  +16   T-128
Tadd Fukijawa                81-77—158  +18    T-140
Dillon Dougherty              85-75—160  +20    T-147
Ryan Baca                       78-83—161 +21    T-149   
Ryan Posey                      84-78—162 +22     T-152

“I just couldn’t get any putts to fall,” said Florida All-American Billy Horschel, who shot a 75-77. “But I drove the ball pretty well. I think what I learned is that when I’m on, though, my game is just as good as anybody out here.”

Perhaps it was Alex Coe, a recent graduate of Pepperdine, who put it best when asked about coming closer to making the cut than any of the amateurs, missing by one shot at 10-over par 150.

“The word is bummed out.”

Here’s another way to describe it: surprising. Given the strong play of late from many of the nine were on before coming to Winged Foot’s West Course, I really felt as if at least two or three of the amateurs would find themselves playing on the weekend.

There is, of course, an easy explanation. It’s safe to say none of the players had faced a course set up quiet as brutal as this A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece. Jonathan Moore, the recently crowned NCAA champion from Oklahoma State, played here in 2004 at the U.S. Amateur and noted that the course was much more treacherous this time around. 

Remember too, it’s not like some top caliber pros were tearing things up. Joining the nine packing their bags were none other than Tiger Woods, defending U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, Davis Love III and Sergio Garcia.

Bottom line: Winged Foot might be the toughest test of an U.S. Open course. If you’re not on your game, then you’re likely to be embarrassed, even if there isn't all that much embarrassment about missing the cut at the U.S. Open.

It’s a fact nine amateurs most certainly learned this past week.

MAMARONECK, N.Y.—He shouldn’t even be here, really. After all Jonathan Moore played in U.S. Open local qualifying about a month ago, shot a disappointing 75 and like the vast majority of the thousands who apply to play in the championship each year, was resigned to watching the tournament proper on the barkalounger in his Vancouver, Wash., home, having failed to advance. Oh, well. Better luck next year.

Yet the Oklahoma State redshirt freshman (photo courtesy of OSU sports information) received more than just an snazzy looking trophy with his individual victory at the NCAA Championship earlier this month. He got a second chance to try and qualify for play at Winged Foot GC’s West Course. Turns out that a few years ago the USGA allowed the college champion an exemption into U.S. Open sectional qualifying, even if they had previous applied for qualification into the event. So it was that Moore went to Creswell, Ore., and became the 26th player in the field June 5, trying to earn one spot.

Ironically Moore was heading to Creswell anyway, as he was all set to caddie for his college roommate and fellow member of the Cowboy golf team, Pablo Martin.

Even more ironic, then, is the fact Moore and Martin wound up tied for medalist honors at Emerald Valley GC, each shooting seven-under 137. Moore bested his buddy on the first playoff hole, making a birdie to earn a trip to the greater New York area.

OK, get to the point you say? Well, my point in sharing all this is that Moore is my pick to be low amateur this week at Winged Foot. Like Ben Crenshaw circa the 1999 Ryder Cup, I too believe in fate. Moore’s presence here is a testament to his own personal perseverance, after going through a horrendous slump his first year on campus at OSU after having a standout junior golf career.

How bad did it get for Moore? During one round at OSU’s Karsten Creek GC, Moore shot a 65.

For nine holes.

“I had rounds in the 100s,” Moore confessed to me a few weeks back while he was posting a 12-under 276 at Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater Club to win the NCAA title by four shots. “But the whole time I was excited to go to the course. I still had a passion for the game.”

Moore’s showing at nationals brought to three the number of consecutive tournaments he had won (taking the title at college’s Maxwell event and the Central Regional) and 10 the number of consecutive competitive college rounds under par.

Yes, it’s fair to say that Moore is on a roll, which is why I not only like him as the pick for low amateur but I think he’ll have a shot at finishing in the top 15 and earning a place in the field at next year’s open at Oakmont CC.

Mind you, Moore does have some decent competition for low amateur honors. Unlike the Masters, where the amateur field was short on household names and long on jittery newcomers, this week’s group has a number of players who are in game shape as they get set to tee it up tomorrow.

Here’s a quick look at how the other eight might fare:

Ryan Baca—Just finished up college career at Baylor by earning first-team All-American honors. Will turn pro later this year. Played at Winged Foot in the 2004 U.S. Amateur, but failed to advance to match play.
Predicted finish: T-50

Alex Coe—The graduating senior from Pepperdine made it through a seven-man playoff at the sectional qualifier in Daly City, Calif., to get here. Won two college titles with the Waves.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Dillon Dougherty—U.S. Amateur runner-up gets final perk for his performance at Merion GC last summer. Unfortunately, like at Augusta National, the recent graduate from Northwestern’s game isn’t as sharp as he’d like it.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Tadd Fujikawa —Qualified in Hawaii and at 15 will be the second-youngest known player to compete in the U.S. Open. Handled himself well during his media press conference yesterday, but the moment is likely to overwhelm the high school sophomore-to-be.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Billy Horschel—Unheralded coming into college this past fall, the 19-year-old proved a point to himself by earning first-team All-American honors as a freshman for Florida. A year ago another confident/bordering on cocky Gator, Matt Every, was the low amateur at the U.S. Open. Suffice it to say, Horschel could make it 2-for-2.
Predicted finish: T-35

Edoardo Molinari—The good news is the U.S. Amateur champion won’t be intimidated by playing with Tiger Woods, having done so at the Masters in April. The bad news is he’s not likely to fair any better than he did at Augusta National.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Patrick Nagle—Like Coe, this senior-to-be at Illinois also survived playoff. Three-time All-Big Ten selection and the conference freshman of the year in 2004.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Ryan Posey—The other Oklahoma State amateur in the field, although the 22-year-old struggled to get into the Cowboys lineup this season, missing out on playing at nationals.
Predicted finish: Missed cut

Can’t say I’d blame anyone for giving me grief with picking the reigning NCAA men’s champion Oklahoma State to repeat in 2006-07. Unfortunately, though, those who don’t like when analysts pick chalk teams aren’t going to be very happy with the following preview of the women’s side for the season that starts next fall.

Can you say three-peat? I think Duke sure can, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to disagree that the Blue Devils are likely to claim a third consecutive NCAA title next May at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. For my reasoning, and a look at the other squads in my early look ahead, continue on…

My VERY, VERY, VERY early top 10 for the 2006-07 season:
1. Duke (NCAA finish in 2006: 1st)
    As the saying goes, they don’t rebuild in Durham, N.C., they reload, and lets just say the Blue Devils have even more depth to tap into in the coming year. Seriously, any other coach/program might still be in therapy after having Morgan Pressel decide to forego the scholarship she verbally committed to to instead turn professional when you’re hoping she’ll somehow be able to replace departing four-time first-team All-American Liz Janangelo. Yet Dan Brooks went ahead and signed Rebecca Kim from his old stopping grounds (Oregon) and then pulled off the steal of the recruiting season by getting Australian Alison Whitaker to come to the U.S. True golf fans will recall that Whitaker was a surprise when she reached the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur. Also signed is Yu Young Lee, giving Brooks seven players on his roster next fall, the most he’s had in more than two seasons. Meanwhile, when one of those players is named Amanda Blumenherst, the 2006 national player of the year, you know success isn’t far behind.

2. UCLA (NCAA finish: 11th)
    Maybe the most surprising storyline out of Columbus, Ohio, and the 2006 NCAAs was how the Bruins, ranked in the top three nationally all year, seemed to unravel during crunch time. In hindsight, coach Carrie Forsyth admits that her squad struggled in how they coped with expectations throughout championship week. All that said, UCLA loses only Susie Mathews (unless there’s fire behind the smoke of rumors that Amie Cochran might be turning pro), has stars-on-the-rise in Jane Park, Tiffany Joh and Ryann O’Toole with a year under their belt and will have the benefit of Hannah Jun getting more comfortable after recovering from the auto accident that broke her neck in December. Add top junior talent Sydnee Michaels’ arrival to Westwood, and UCLA will be a force again

3. Georgia (NCAA finish: T-6)
    Sound like a broken record here, but the Bulldogs are another team with freshmen who made an impact this past season that are ready to shine even brighter in 2006-07. Taylor Leon is likely only to gain more confidence playing for the U.S. this summer in the Curtis Cup and Mallory Hetzel is the freshman-turning-sophomore I predict will have the biggest improvement (she’s a flat-out gamer!). The novelty of having 15-year-old Alina Lee in Todd McCorkle’s line-up eventually was overtaking by the talent she possesses. Oh, yeah, and All-American Whitney Wade is back for her senior season. Don’t be surprised when the Lady Bulldogs gain as many headlines as their counterparts on the men’s team.

4. Arizona State (NCAA finish: 4th)
    There’s no doubt coach Melissa Luellen has the Sun Devils back in the national spotlight, a trend that will become only more pervasive in the coming year with standouts Jennifer Osborn (we’ve got no doubt she’ll bounce back from two tough rounds at the Scarlet Course, 84-81, to close out her first year) and Azahara Munoz back in the mix. Luellen is starting to make a major dent on the recruiting front, having signed another standout Swede in Anna Nordqvist, along with Juliana Murcia and Camila Sosa for fall. She’ll miss the inspiration provided by Alissa Kuczka, but has others who have been enthused to take over and finish rebuilding the former dynasty.

5. Southern California (NCAA finish: 2nd)
    Yes, coach Andrea Gaston loses Irene Cho, who had the second best college season a year ago to  Blumenherst, from its starting five at nationals, but the Women of Troy will still fight on. For one thing, they bring back the NCAA individual champ in Dewi-Claire Schreefel, plus have talented internationals Paola Moreno and Catalina Marin (Columbia) and Veronica Felibert (Venezuela). Suffice it to say, Gaston went hunting overseas again to land Belen Mozo of Spain, a past winner of the AJGA Thunderbird Invitational, and Caroline Kim, who has represented Canada in various international events.

6. Auburn (NCAA finish: 12th)
    More than any other coach, perhaps, Kim Evans might have the toughest time replacing her top graduating senior, Maria Martinez, who brought more than just low scores to the course but an energy that charged the Tigers. Still, Nicole Hage and Margaret Shirley are gritty players that have the talent to step up and Abigale Schepperle and Jessica Lovell were pleasant surprises returning in the fall to a team that last season set the school record for low season stroke average (294.29). Schepperle’s sister, Candace, also joins the squad, giving Evans another top-ranked junior player to help fill out her line-up.

7. Florida (NCAA finish: T-6)
    It’s tough to find anymore who works harder as a coach than Jill Briles-Hinton, who is likely to be rewarded for her efforts soon. Her young Gator squad had four sophomores and a freshman in the line-up at NCAAs, with Sandra Gal finishing T-4 and subsequently qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open. Look for Brittany Nelson, who enrolled as a freshman last January and played in four tournaments, to be in the hunt for a starting spot, as will incoming freshmen Kelly Hurst and Nicole Schachner.

8. Purdue (NCAA finish: 9th)
    Can last year’s out-of-nowhere squad repeat its six-win performance from 2006 or were the Boilermakers simply a one-year wonder? It’s the question national coach of the year Devon Brouse will face early in the fall, and one he’ll use, no doubt, to motivate his team in the coming season. While there’s a void left with the loss of Onnarin Sattayabanphot, his other internationals (Spain’s Maria Hernandez, the Netherlands’ Christel Boeljon and Myrte Eikenaar) are the real deal. It will be important to get over the mental hurdle of a ninth-place showing at nationals early in the season so that the questions whether 2005-06 season was an aberration aren’t even allowed to be asked.

9. Virginia (NCAA finish: Did not play)
    It was the first stumble since Jan Mann started the women’s program in Charlottesville: a solid Cavaliers squad, after advancing to nationals in 2005 in just its second year of existence, bowed out at the East regional in a playoff, with only 2005 NCAA runner-up Leah Wigger playing her way to Columbus. But Virginia has too much talent, as does Mann, not to use the set-back as motivation for 2006-07. Wigger is back for a senior year after a T-9 showing on the Scarlet Course. Jennie Arseneault impressed after entering school in January as a freshman rather than waiting until this fall (she just qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.) Lauren Mielbrecht is another solid returning player and the team has high hopes for incoming freshman Whitney Neuhauser, who was 13th in the AJGA’s ranking.

10. Vanderbilt (NCAA finish: Did not play)
    Another no-show to nationals this past year, the Lady Commodores were still rebuilding in 2005-06 but I get the sense they could be this year’s Purdue, surprising many by winning early and establishing themselves as a contender again. Chris Brady remains the rock for Martha Freitag’s squad, while complimented by Jacqui Concolino, who just completed a standout freshman season with two wins. Liebelei Lawrence and Kristen Svicarovich need to become more consistent in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, but both have the talent to do so. More help is on the way too in the form of Brooke Goodwin, a top-25 junior who will arrive in Nashville in August.

Top-five players to watch (photos courtesy of schools)
1. Amanda Blumenherst, Duke, sophomore
    Hard to be leaning any other way after the impressive freshman campaign the Fort Wayne, Ind., native had last year in helping the Blue Devils claim the NCAA title. She never finished worse than tied for ninth in her 11 starts, sporting a 71.62 stroke average with three wins and nine top-fives. Not only was the national player and freshman of the year, but the top student-athlete of the year.

2. Jane Park, UCLA, sophomore
    Had a surprisingly disappointing showing at the NCAA Championship (T-83), given that there are few players who step up their games at crunch time like the former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion. The good news is that Park seemed to enjoy her freshman year in Westwood, quieting talk that she might leave school early to play as a professional. Seemingly no longer if she comes back but when she comes back, Park will make an impact.

3. Ashley Knoll, Texas A&M, senior
    Came into her own this past season—three wins, eight top-fives—after taking time to adjust to College Station when she transferred from Oklahoma State. Also must erase from her mind a poor showing at nationals (T-68) that actually might have cost her a spot on the U.S. Curtis Cup team.

4. Da Sol Chung, UNLV, sophomore
    For a while during the final round it appeared this South Korean import was going to win the NCAA individual title, her two-over 290 score already in the clubhouse and fowl weather threatening to eliminate the other top players in the afternoon wave. Still a third-place showing demonstrates this 19-year-old’s talent. Interesting thing about Chung is that she only seems to get better as a tournament progresses

5. Leah Wigger, Virginia, senior
    She was her program’s first-ever recruit and hasn’t disappointed, with two straight top-10 finishes at nationals and twice earning All-American honors. A tough player with good all-around skills, Wigger will no doubt make the most of her senior year.

OK … we’ve let the Duke women and the Oklahoma State men enjoy their respective NCAA titles for long enough now. (What you want more than a month to bask in your glory? What about that old saying, “you’re only as good as your next tournament win.”) There’s no time like the present to begin to look ahead to next September and the start of the 2006-07 college season.

Lets look at the men’s side and get a idea of who some of the top squads will be next fall, as well as some of the players to watch. (Tomorrow, I’ll do the same for the women). Additionally, I thought it might be interesting to look back at Golf World’s “fearless” predictions from last September, specifically looking at the players highlighted as the top-10 entering the school year, to see how we fared. Look for this in the coming days ...

My VERY, VERY, VERY early top-10 for the 2006-07 season:
1 . Oklahoma State (NCAA finish: 1st )
    Coach Mike McGraw will no doubt learn the next toughest thing to replacing a coaching legend (Mike Holder) and winning a title is repeating the feat. That said, the Cowboys have plenty of talent to get the job done. For starters, they return all but fifth-year senior Zack Robinson from line-up that just won the national championship team, notably NCAA individual champ Jonathan Moore and national player of the year Pablo Martin. (Incidentally, two days after nationals the two roommates in Stillwater fought it out for a spot in the U.S. Open. Click here for the article on how they had to play each other in a sudden-death playoff in Oregon, won by Moore.)
    Ryan Posey, a senior-to-be who played only two tournaments this past year, just qualified for the U.S. Open himself and can step into the starting five. While not playing this past season, Zac Reynolds has 13 starts to his credit and could fight for a spot. Incoming freshmen include Chris Ward, who played in the 2005 U.S. Amateur, and Matt Jager, Australian junior golfer of the year in 2005.

2. UCLA (NCAA finish: T-7)
    A young Bruins squad got a boost from a pair of standout freshmen—Erik Flores and James Lee—this past season and with no seniors on the 2005-06 roster, O.D. Vincent’s team should be in prime position to make a title run. The current roster includes defending Pac-10 champ Daniel Im, one of four players to post top-five finishes. Chris Heintz was returning to form at the end of the season and Lucas Lee and Kevin Chappell also provide depth.

3. Clemson (NCAA finish: T-7)
    If you were going to get your revenge on the Tigers, who slumped in 2004 and 2005 after two decades worth of stellar play capped by their 2003 NCAA title, you should have done it by now because Larry Penley’s team is built for the future. The squad returns all but one player next fall, including all five starters from this year’s group that went to nationals. Four of the five freshmen from 2005-06 (David May, Vince Hatfield, Tanner Ervin and Phillip Mollica) played in at least five tournaments, giving solid experience. Meanwhile, Clemson might have the best incoming one-two punch in freshmen-to-be Kyle Stanley, a standout player from Gig Harbour, Wash., and Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson with some game of his own. So excited about the upcoming season is Clemson that the 2006-07 roster is already up on its website.

4. Georgia (NCAA finish: 6th)
    The Bulldogs held the No. 1 ranking throughout the 2005-06 season but struggled on the greens at Sunriver’s Crosswater Club. The three returning starters are all top-rate—first-team All-American Chris Kirk, second-team All-American Brian Harman and honorable mention All-American Brandon Todd—and coach Chris Haack has two sophomores-to-be in reserve in Adam Mitchell and Michael Green, who would have started for almost any other team this past season. Meanwhile, four incoming freshmen should help keep the rest of the team on its toes during qualifiers.

5. Georgia Tech (NCAA finish: Missed Cut)
    It’s hard to explain just what happened to the Yellow Jackets at the NCAA Championship, but their dismal showing at Sunriver (27 over par; 26th place) put a bitter taste on an otherwise impressive season. The bright spot is that Cameron Tringale continued to shine, posting an eighth-place finish individually to wrap up an impressive freshman season that saw him win two titles, including the ACC crown. Coach Bruce Heppler’s biggest challenge will be helping Roberto Castro regain the form that had him earn first-team All-American honors in 2005. A senior-to-be, Castro posted no finish better than T-16 since February and shot a dismal 77-84-78 at nationals after finishing third at the Crosswater Club during September’s Ping Preview.

6. UNLV (NCAA finish: Missed Cut)
    Another team that surprised at nationals because of their poor showing, the Rebels have the talent to bounce back, even with losing Andres Gonzales to graduation. Look for Jarred Texter and Seung-Su Han to step up and Blake Trimble and Matt Kinsinger to improve as well. Dwaine Knight also has Canadian junior champ Mitchell Fox and AJGA All-American Roberto Galletti, Jr., arriving in the fall to bolster the lineup.

7. Kentucky (NCAA finish: 5th)
    This was supposed to be the rebuilding year for the Wildcats, with J.B. Holmes and his bash brothers gone from Lexington. Impressively, Brian Craig’s squad got stronger as the year went on, with Andy Winings and Dan Woltman playing better than expected as freshmen. UK loses just one senior and continues to attract converts who only followed the sport where you put the ball through a hoop rather than in a hole.

8. East Tennessee State (NCAA finish: Missed Cut)
    Not surprising that on a roster that has no Americans in its starting five, the two top recruits are a pair of Irishmen in Niall Kearney and Seamus Power. The duo joins a roster that returns all its starters and is anchored by one of the college game’s top players in Rhys Davies. The Welshman wants to play on a second GB&I Walker Cup team next year, and thus will stay for his senior season, and be a national player of the year candidate for coach Fred Warren.

9. Wake Forest (NCAA finish: T-3)
    Coach Jerry Haas insisted at the end of nationals that Demon Deacons golf was “alive and kicking,” but replacing talented graduating seniors Kyle Reifers and Doug Manchester won’t be easy. Sean Moore, a former ACC champion will have to turn up his leadership dial, as will Webb Simpson. Joining the team in the fall will be Travis Wadkins, son of famous alumni Lanny Wadkins, and Brendan Gielow, who should help fill the void.

10. Florida (NCAA finish: 2nd)
    Time to see just how good a coach Buddy Alexander really is as he tried to replace four-year senior starters Matt Every, Brett Stegmaier and James Vargas. “We’re going to have a lot of babies,” he noted last week at Sunriver, referring to the four incoming freshmen, a group that includes his son, Tyson. Working in his favor is the fact that he found a diamond in the rough in Billy Horschel, who was a first-team All-American as a freshman in 2005-06. But he’s going to have to get more out of sophomore-to-be Toby Ragland, last year’s No. 5 man. If Jessie Mudd can regain the form he had his freshman year before redshirting the 2004-05 season with a right-ankle injury, that will also help the Gators from having a drop-off in 2006-07.

Top Five players to watch
1. Anthony Kim, Oklahoma, senior
    Unless, of course, the La Quinta, Calif., native decides to turn pro this summer, a very possible scenario given his on-again, off-again relationship with Sooner coach Jim Ragan. Their status right now is OK, but that was supposed to be the case at this time last year too. Still, if Kim does comeback and focuses on golf, there isn’t another player with the all-around talent.

2. Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State, junior
    The Spaniard is only getting better after earning first-team All-American honors the past two seasons.

3. Jonathan Moore, Oklahoma State, sophomore
    The amazing turn-around from only 12 months ago continues for the Vancouver, Wash., native. Don’t be surprised if he returns to Stillwater next September with a major amateur trophy in his shag bag.   

4. Chris Kirk, Georgia, senior
    Unassuming and quiet, the 21-year-old finished out of the top-20 just once in 12 starts this past season. This isn’t the last you’ll hear from Kirk.

5. Brian Harman, Georgia, sophomore
    Tells you how much talent the two-time AJGA player of the year when making second-team All-American honors is almost a disappointment. Don’t look for this Lefty to have any sort of sophomore slump.

SUNRAINRIVER, ORE.—Say this about Washington, the team leader after 54 holes at the 109th NCAA Men’s Championship: they sure know a lot about self-deprecation.

When asked whether the Huskies had an advantage during the third round because it was played in a steady, sometimes pounding rain—the weather we’ve all come to just love here in central Oregon—a straight faced Matt Thurmond, the team’s coach, said “I don’t think anybody [else] has a chance in the rain. We’re just automatic.”

Moments later Washington senior James Lepp, the defending NCAA individual champion, noted will equal sarcasm, “We suck at golf really. We’re loving the weather because it’s the only chance we have to play well in the tournament.”

Suffice it to say, Washington also knows a little bit about playing golf as well, particularly post-season golf. In their last five post-season events, the team has finished in the top three all five times, including winning the Pac-10 title and finishing third at nationals a year ago. Maybe then it shouldn’t be a surprise that while the Huskies finished in the top three in just one event during the 2005-06 season and averaged a seventh-place finish, they would be three shots clear of Oklahoma State, Wake Forest and Arizona State at the Crosswater Club (shooting a six-over 294 Friday for a seven-under 857 total).

(For complete results, check out Golfstat.com.)

As for playing in the rain, well just because the Huskies hail from the hydro-haven of Seattle doesn’t mean they like to break out the umbrellas. “When it rains, we usually cancel practice and stay indoors and go play basketball or something,” says Thurmond (pictured).

Actually listen to the 31-year-old coach, in his fifth season with the Huskies and you’d think his team was as hard working as Ferris Bueller. "I'd bet we probably practice less than any team in the field here," coach continued.

Indeed, for much of the week Thurmond has practically flaunted the fact he and his group don’t really much care that they don’t really much care about the regular season. He joked about how the team pretty much takes the entire winter off to recharge, understanding that when they return to action in February and March their games aren’t likely going to win them much of anything.

“They are going to be ready when they need to be,” Thurmond says. “I don’t have to ride them for that. I know that and have such high trust for them.”

So is he surprised with where his team sits with 18 holes to play? “Not a bit,” he says. “And I know what the perception is or the lack of perception. And we like that. Nobody thinks about Washington … but we’re the most experienced team here. Four of these guys were on a third place team last year. I have the NCAA champion. We should have been the favorites, to be honest.

“[But] it’s a common theme. We’re up in the corner of the country. People don’t think about us much and we don’t really care. We like ourselves and that’s all that matters. As long as we can get up and down and hit fairways and make putts.”

Mind you, Washington isn’t the only name atop the leader board that has built momentum in recent weeks. Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Jonathan Moore, who hails from Vancouver, Wash., has the individual lead after shooting a 69 Friday to sit at nine-under 207, one better than 36-hole leader Kyle Reifers of Wake Forest.

"It was tough out there today, no doubt about it," said Moore. "You just have to stay patient and I think I did a good job of that."

Moore has posted sub-par rounds the last nine times he has teed it up competitively, winning the Maxwell and Central Regional titles within the last three weeks.

"I'll come out tomorrow and try to keep doing what I have been doing these last few weeks," Moore said. "I would love to win, but more than anything I would love for our team to win."

No doubt both the team and individual leaders are playing well at the right time of the season, but can they hold up in the final round? Sarcasm won’t get the ball in the hole. It’s time to see what these folks are made of.

SUNRIVER, ORE.—I have a love-hate relationship with playing golf tournaments at Oregon’s Sunriver Resort. I love the beautiful view of snow-covered Mount Bachelor you can see off to the west. I just hate the fact I never actually get to see it because of all the rain that falls here.

Seriously, would somebody please tell me where the sun is in Sunriver?

Yes, the weather was pleasant enough during the two practice rounds and turned out OK for the first round of the 109th NCAA Men’s Championship. But when players teeing off in the morning on Day 2 were greeted with cloudy skies and drizzle, and players in the afternoon had to “weather” a drenching downpour in the early afternoon that stopped play for a half hour, once again I had to question the wisdom of playing a national championship in an area where the climate can greatly affect the tournament. (Forecasts call for more rain Friday—enough to where the NCAA has moved up tee times a half hour, with the first groups in the third round teeing off at 7 a.m. PDT—and isolated T-storms Saturday.)

It’s not like we weren’t aware this could happen. All you have to do is turn the clock back a year and see how horrible conditions were at the NCAA Women’s Championship held at Sunriver’s Meadows Course. Three of the four days of competition were marred with continuous sleet and rain and wind, while the one “good” day still saw temperatures peak in the mid-50s.

The thing of it is, it could be worse. It actually snowed here within the last two weeks, causing the greens to turn into the slow, bumpy surfaces the players have faced this week. Combined with the fact they didn’t grow much rough (in Sunriver’s defense, it is a resort course and growing rough for a national championship might not be conducive to the two- and three-figure green fees they get), the course set-up lacks the toughness you look for in a major golf tournament. Not surprisingly, the leaderboard is bunched up with teams that weren’t necessarily the favorites entering the tournament (click here for full results).

I’ll repeat the line then that I used in the game story from that tournament.

Note to the NCAA: When you’re holding a tournament and there is, in fact, a snow-covered mountain nearby, chances are you're in for a bad-weather week.

According to the University of Utah's Department of Meterology, the average number of days with rain each year at the nearest measuring station in Pendleton, Ore., is only 98. This compares to 151 in Portland. Maybe the NCAA is just snake-bit, having also faced weather issues in the four of the last five men’s championships.

Or maybe it needs to do a better job of picking sites for its most important golf tournaments of the year. Of course you can’t plan around bad weather, and bad weather can hit any place you hold a tournament. It’s just that when you’ve got empirical data that suggests there could be problems, you might want to think twice about making the trip to a particular dicey area.

Next year, the men’s event goes to Golden Horseshoe GC in Williamsburg, Va., a place where humidity can become an issue and thunderstorms can pop up as quickly as gas prices. Same with the women’s championship, being held at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., a magnet for lightning and thunder. I’ve packed my rain gear already.

Meanwhile, for those who want to throw stones at this golf writer who can stay in a warm cushy media center (or a dank, cramped cart barn as the case might be), here is my rebuttal. I don’t mind carrying an umbrella while on the course. I think the players do, however. It’s not fair that the one tournament that everybody remembers each year be hampered and detailed by poor weather.

Even worse, if the weather breaks certain ways, it affects only one wave of the field, giving the other an unfair advantage. Wake Forest senior Kyle Reifers, who shot a 65 in the first round to take a one shot lead over Oklahoma State’s Pablo Martin and USC’s Taylor Wood, had to deal with the drenching this afternoon. To his credit he hung on with a two-under 70 today to stay in the lead by three shots.

"It got pretty ugly out there at times this afternoon," Reifers said after the round. "It was a survival test for a while."

His Wake Forest teammates weren't as luck though as the school that was out front after the first round shot a one-over 289 and has fallen into a tie for second with Arizona State, three shots back of 36-hole leader Washington.

Rub of the green you say? Sure it is, but that doesn’t justify taking events to places that are likely to face questionable conditions.

Don’t get me wrong, Sunriver Resort is a facility that’s second to none with its amenities and service. On a chamber of commerce day, with the emerald green pines in the foreground and Mount Bachelor as the backdrop, you likely think you’re in a tiny corner of heaven.

It’s just too bad that Sunriver’s Chamber of Commerce doesn’t have a great working relationship with Mother Nature of late.

SUNRIVER, ORE.—His school is one of two out of the 30 in the field here at the 109th NCAA Men’s Championship that has never previously advanced to nationals. Maybe then Loyola Marymount coach Alex Galvan can forgive somebody if they don’t recognize the fourth-year coach.

No, seriously, I’m really asking you Alex … can you forgive someone for not recognizing you?  You know, say a writer from a national golf magazine who accidentally introduced himself to your assistant coach earlier in the day only to be politely told he had the wrong guy?

In truth, it’s probably part of the fun for Galvan (pictured) and his charges, the novelty of participating in the year’s biggest tournament being that everything, no matter how great or small, is a new and entertaining experience. “This means everything,” said Galvan, whose team won the West Coast Conference title to receive an automatic spot into regionals, and then finished T-6 out West to earn a trip to Oregon. “It means all our hard work has paid off this year. I’m thrilled. I couldn’t be happier.”

That’s not to say there wasn’t a bit of disappointment when the Lions shot a opening-round 12-over 300 at the Crosswater Club at Sunriver Resort, leaving them in 29th place, 23 shots behind first round leader Wake Forest. (For full results, click here.) While expectations had to be somewhat tempered by their lack of experience in the event, a solid first round wasn’t asking too much.

Yet the truth of the matter is the Lions starting five—freshmen Brian Locke and Louie Bergna, sophomores Jason D’Amore and Josh Escobedo, and senior Chaz Inouye—is a pretty loose group. At nights, each player has taken turns picking a movie to order for the team’s condo. Likely, the one that gets the most excited about being in this position at all is Galvan himself, a Loyola Marymount alumni who became the first full-time coach in school history and who is banking on the idea that getting to nationals can improve the program’s profile.

“I’m hoping everything changes from strength of schedule to recruiting to fundraising. You know [maybe getting] other courses to help us out with practice [access].”

Or, maybe even just the national media recognizing your face.

Meanwhile, in the giving credit where credit is due department, toss Wake Forest’s Kyle Reifers a bouquet. The senior from Columbus, Ohio, (pictured) was in the fourth group of the day but posted the number that would hold, shooting a seven-under 65 that took the individual lead here by one over Oklahoma State’s Pablo Martin and USC's Taylor Wood equaled the Demon Deacon school record for low round in the NCAA Championship. Just who else has shot such a low number? Curtis Strange, en route to his NCAA individual victory and the team’s national championship in 1974.