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Who will grab top 'Honors' at the NCAA Championship?

Monday, May 31, 2010 Comments
OOLTEWAH, TENN.—So how do you know that the NCAA Men's Championship is about to get started?

Look for the storm clouds.

OK, so I've written this lead before ... try two weeks ago on the eve of the women's championship. Sadly it might be just as applicable this week as the men get ready to tee it up at The Honors Course, an already menacing golf course made only more so by the dark passing clouds seen during Monday's lone practice round. Unlike the day before, no heavy rains fell, but the subtle hint of possible precipitation wasn't lost on anyone.

With weather forecasts suggesting the chance of thunderstorms exist almost every day between now and the end of the week, the 30 schools set to begin 54-hole stroke-play qualifying tomorrow can do nothing about it except to acknowledge and move on, or else go home after three days rather than six. 

Wet weather at nationals, of course, is not a first. By my recollection since 2001, rain has fallen during the competition six times, including a year ago at Inverness Club. As was the case two weeks ago in Wilmington, N.C., I made certain to bring my Gore-tex, even packing two pairs of rain pants ... upsetting the folks at Delta who weren't too keen on my overstuff suitcase being backed in the overhead bin. But I digress.

As if the introduction of match play a year ago to determine the national champion—the top eight teams in stroke play advance to a bracketed format pitting school versus school—didn't already make predicting a team winner as challenging as senior-year biology, the weather factor creates another layer of intangibles to ponder. Which teams might best adjust should play start and stop at various times during a round? Do teams that practice in wetter climates—that's you Washington, Oregon and Oregon State—have an advantage considering their familiarity with the elements?

Never mind the fact that throughout the 2009-10 season, we really never saw the separation of the game's "elite" schools from the rest of the pack that many thought might materialize. Oklahoma State never lost its spot atop the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, but the Cowboys hardly seemed invincible at times during the year. Similarly, almost every team that spent time in the top five seemed to be renting not owning, showing flashes of brilliance but also glimpses of humility.

With that, I will again sample from my preview of the women's championship from two weeks ago, only this time offering up the eight schools that I believe are the most viable candidates to advance to match play, listed in descending order of how confident I am that they will emerge as the eventual champion.



Arizona State logo 2008-09.gifArizona State
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 9
Wins: 1
Top fives: 5
Starting five: Knut Borsheim, Sr., James Byrne, Jr., Jesper Kennegard, Jr., Braxton Marquez, Sr., Scott Pinckney, Jr.
Birdie: All year long Randy Lein has been talking up The Honors Course, site of his lone national title as ASU coach in 1996, to his golfers, who narrowly earned a chance to play here with their T-4 finish at the Southeast Regional. "Finally we're here and they get to see what I've been talking about," said Lein, who hopes the good vibes from the course can transfer over to this year's crew. "They saw the plaque [outside the clubhouse commemorating ASU's '96 win]. It's been neat to get back."
Bogey: By Lein's own admission, his team has been wildly inconsistent during the season, having made some noise with their victory at Olympia Fields to start the fall, then leaving the remaining headlines to the rest of their Pac-10 brethren.

Augusta State logo.jpgAugusta State
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 10
Wins: 3
Top fives: 9
Starting five: Taylor Floyd, Soph., Mitch Krywulycz, Jr., Carter Newman, Jr., Henrik Norlander, Jr., Patrick Reed, Soph.
Birdie: The Jaguars didn't miss a beat when they traveled cross country to play in the Southwest Regional outside San Diego, finishing second and easily securing their bid to nationals. Moreover, the team hasn't finished outside the top five in any tournament since early October.
Bogey: A convincing win in a high-profile event would give outsiders a little more confidence that this group is for real.

Texas logo 2009-10.gifTexas
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 6
Wins: 2
Top fives: 11
Starting five: Dylan Frittelli, Soph., Cody Gribble, Fr., Charlie Holland, Sr., Bobby Hudson, Jr., Lance Lopez, Sr.
Birdie: The Longhorns came into their own with a impressive victory at the Puerto Rico Classic in February and have showed signs of late that they're ready for another impressive week, having shared the team title with Kent State at the East Regional. Frittelli, a South African who quietly claimed Big 12 player-of-the-year honors, leads a team with more depth than you might think.
Bogey: The Longhorns have struggled to get all five guys playing consistently in the same week.

Texas A&M logo 2008-09.gifTexas A&M
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 4
Wins: 3
Top fives: 12
Starting five: Nacio Elvira, Jr., Andrea Pavan, Sr., Cameron Peck, Fr., Jordan Russell, Soph., Conrad Schindler, Jr.
Birdie: Having won the national title the first year of match play, despite not being among the favorites, the Aggies took their share of criticism for not being a quote/unquote deserving winner. They then spent the 2009-10 season proving they indeed had a little bit of talent. While losing last year's hero, Bronson Burgoon, J.T. Higgins' group has seen Andrea Pavan step up into the No. 1 role.
Bogey: Experience from a year ago might be overrated, as only two players from last year's starting five are here in Tennessee. Moreover, it's been 25 years since a team has repeated as NCAA champs, the feat last accomplished by Houston in 1984-85.

Oregon logo 2008-09.gifOregon
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 5
Wins: 5
Top fives: 13
Starting five: Jake Dukeminier, Jr., Daniel Miernicki, Soph., Isaiah Telles, Jr., Andrew Vijarro, Soph., Eugene Wong, Soph.
Birdie: The Ducks have continued to improve under fourth-year coach Casey Martin—my pick for national coach of the year—having become a team no longer merely satisfied by being in contention but expecting to actually win any given event they're playing in. Miernicki and Wong emerged as lean-on-me players in the spring, yet they have a supporting cast that all have stroke averages below 72.7. Meanwhile, this is the third straight season Oregon has advanced to nationals, meaning that the atmosphere surrounding the tournament won't be a novelty to this bunch.
Bogey: For all the winning the Ducks have done, there is still a question as to whether they can stand-up in the big moment. The Regional victory help assuage some fears, but this is a young group that Martin is fielding.

Stanford logo 2008-09.gifStanford
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 2
Wins: 3
Top fives: 8
Starting five: Joseph Bramlett, Sr., David Chung, Soph., Sihwan Kim, Jr., Andrew Yun, Fr., Steve Ziegler, Sr.
Birdie: Conrad Ray's squad is as talented as any five in the field. Should they make it to the Elite Eight, the Cardinal have some of the match-play players in the field, with a past USGA champion (Kim) and runner-up (Chung) and a U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist (Ziegler).
Bogey: There have been times when each player has gotten a little loose with his game this spring.

Oklahoma-state-logo-latest.jpgOklahoma State
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 1
Wins: 5
Top fives: 10
Starting five: Sean Einhaus, R-Fr., Morgan Hoffmann, Soph., Peter Uihlein, Soph., Kevin Tway, Jr., Trent Whitekiller, Sr.
Birdie: All five starters for the Cowboys potentially could win the medalist race, with four of the five having won at least once in the past two years. The team comes in with momentum as well, having won the Big 12 and Southeast Regional, while Uihlein is making a bid for national player of the year honors.  
Bogey: A year ago, OSU outshined the field in stroke-play qualifying, earning the No. 1 seed in match play, only to get bounced in the quarterfinals by Georgia. The Cowboys again might be the deepest team in the championship was four rounds of stroke play.

Washington logo 2008-09.gifWashington
Golf World/Nike Golf ranking: 3
Wins: 4
Top fives: 10
Starting five: Charlie Hughes, Fr., Richard Lee, Sr., Nick Taylor, Sr., Darren Wallace, Sr., Chris Williams, Fr.
Birdie: This is the year that the Huskies have been waiting for, with the team's three experienced seniors ready to lead the charge for Matt Thurmond's squad. Two impressive come-from-behind victories at the ASU Thunderbird and the Pac-10 show the team doesn't get nervous when the pressure rises. Moreover, a 29-stroke victory at the West Regional shows the Huskies doesn't have to feel the heat of trailing to get motivated; they can play from in front just fine too. Lastly, Washington advanced a year ago to the match-play bracket, so the team can rely on that experience when they hit balls in earnest on Tuesday.
Bogey: Has UW piqued too early? Huskies fans have to hope the wins at Pac-10s and regionals weren't the best the team has to offer.

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Campus Insider Podcast/Mike McGraw

Friday, May 28, 2010 Comments
Mike McGraw.jpegThe NCAA Championship is just days away and as a preview of the event at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., my featured guest on the podcast this week is Oklahoma State men's coach Mike McGraw.

The Cowboys, ranked No. 1 all season in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, are among those considered the favorites to win the national title, what would be the 11th in school history and second under Coach McGraw.

The expected starting lineup for the Cowboys at nationals includes Peter Uihlein, Kevin Tway, Morgan Hoffmann, Trent Whitekiller and Sean Einhaus.


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NGCA creates new summer tournament

Thursday, May 27, 2010 Comments
For more than two years now Roger Yaffe, executive director of the National Golf Coaches Association, has tried to get a summer tournament in some form or another started that would benefit college golfers. Word out of last week's NCAA Championship was that it was close at hand, and this morning an official release went out announcing the creation of the Hooters Women's Collegiate Team Championship.

The inaugural event will take place Aug. 3-5 on the Jack Nicklaus designed Signature Course at  Achasta by Reynolds in Dahlonega, Ga., about an hour north of Atlanta. Two-person teams of current women's college golfers (no incoming freshmen or outgoing seniors) from the same school (Division I, II or III) will compete in a three-day format, Day 1 consisting of Alternate Shot, Day 2 of Best Ball and Day 3 the combined scores of the two players. Sixty teams are expected to participate.

"The NGCA believes there is a lack of high quality amateur tournament opportunities for women's collegiate golfers during the summer," said Yaffe. "By creating this event, we are offering a unique format and professional operated event that also captures the spirit of college golf."

Among the teams already committed to play, according to Yaffe, are Duke, Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Ohio State, Virginia and Wake Forest.

The only down side? With Hooters sponsoring the summer event, the seven-year-old in-season match-play tournament it previously started will be folded.
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A fitting ending for Purdue, Caroline Hedwall

Saturday, May 22, 2010 Comments
WILMINGTON, N.C.—The scene behind the 18th green at CC of Landfall Friday afternoon was unusual to say the least. Purdue had just won an historic NCAA Women's Championship, holding on to beat USC by one stroke at CC of Landfall when Trojan sophomore Jennifer Song just missed a 10-foot birdie putt that would have caused forced a two-team playoff. When the putt grazed the left edge of the cup, it was as if the Boilermakers didn't know how to react. There was no jumping for joy or even any high fives. Instead, there were silent smiles from Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Numa Gulyanamitta, Laura Gonzalez-Escallon, Thea Hoffmeister and Paula Reto toward each other as if to say "Did this really happen?"

Conversely the Trojans' emotions weren't hard to interpret. Tears ran down the faces of the USC golfers, their dream of winning a third national title for their school in seven years falling one tantalizing stroke shy of becoming a reality.

"It was just really upsetting that we have to come in second place as a team and that's how it's going to end,” said Song, the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur and Public Links champion set to turn professional this summer. For the second straight year at nationals, she had walked off the 72nd hole trying to dry her eyes, a fate the thoughtful 20-year-old doesn't deserve.

So what to make of the 29th NCAA Championship? For some time now I've been saying that women's college golf has grown deeper but has yet to achieve true parity. With the Boilermakers becoming the first northern school to win a national championship, such an assessment might be in need of change. My previous argument was that somebody other than the Pac-10s "Big Three" (USC, UCLA and Arizona State) or the beast of the East (Duke) needed to claim the title to truly suggest a paradigm shift. Thanks to the Boilermakers, such a benchmark has been achieved.

I can't help but think that the victory was vindication for Purdue coach Devon Brouse, who after 21 seasons coaching at North Carolina, answered the clarion call of his alma mater in 1998, assuming the coaching roles for the women's and men's squads in West Lafayette, Ind. Apparently you can go home again, as the 61-year-old Brouse helped oversee the building of the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, a model on-campus facility that includes one of the best college course's in the country (the Kampen Course) as well as a state-of-the-art practice area the envy of any program, degardless of locale. 

More importantly, Brouse established a pair of golf programs practically from scratch.

"We knew when we hired him that he was the right person for the job," said Nancy Cross, a senior associate athletic director at Purdue and the chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Committee. "His ability to coach and change behavior was something that set him apart. He’s a phenomenonal coach."

In previous years, Brouse might have had more talented players. Look back only 12 months ago, when senior Maria Hernandez claimed the individual title while enjoying the single best year in school history. Still, the 2009-10 edition of the Boilermakers has to be considered his best "team," and not just because it claimed the NCAA title.

"As a coach to say you lose a first-team All-American, national player of the year [and you might be better] is hard to fathom," Brouse said. "But I knew we would have a great team if the freshmen stepped up. I felt like 1-2-3 with Maude, Numa and Laura, we could match up well with anyone."

Such a belief was tested only a few weeks earlier when Purdue was outclassed by both USC and Arizona State at the Central Regional. Brouse admits that going through finals the week before the tournament left his team ill-prepared for the event, something he was determined would not happen come nationals.

"It got our team's attention," Brouse said. "We went home and had the best practice we've ever had."

The hard work showed during Purdue's impressive third-round performance at Landfall, the team shooting an eight-under 280 to vault from third to first place. Afterwards, Brouse instructed his charges to celebrate, but only for an hour, and then focus on the final round.

"We didn't come here to play a three-round event," Brouse said. "We came to play all four rounds."

With the final 18 holes complete in the early evening Friday, and the championship trophy in his players hands, there was no time limit put on this celebration. This one would last all night long.

****

After claiming medalist honors with a final-round 68 and a 12-under 276, Caroline Hedwall confirmed what most had suspected. The Oklahoma State sophomore had competed in her final college event. The 21-year-old told Golf World she will remain an amateur through the fall, playing for her native Sweden as it attempts to defending its title at the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, but she won't be back in Stillwater.

"She's ready for the next level," said OSU coach Annie Young, who noted the decision had been made all the way back in February. "Just look at how she played this spring."

Indeed, Hedwall didn't finish worse than T-4 in eight starts since February, winning the Big 12 title by eight strokes before taking the NCAA title while tying the championship's 72-hole scoring mark.

Truth be told, Hedwall could have gone even lower. In both her second and third rounds, she actually struggled getting the ball in the hole, her putting confounding her at times. Nevertheless, she managed to beat runner-up Jennifer Johnson of Arizona State by four strokes. Following the championship, Hedwall was named NGCA national player of the year

Hedwall's spring semester was even more compelling when you consider the situation back in Stillwater. On a roster with four freshmen, Hedwall knew she had little margin for error if her team was to have the change to advance to either NCAA Regionals or the national championship.

"She’s played awesome," Young said. "I don’t know she thinks about it as pressure as much as she just takes the team and puts it on her back. She’s a great leader."

One who no doubt will be missed come September.
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LSU's McChrystal sets NCAA mark with final-round 64

Friday, May 21, 2010 Comments
WILMINGTON, N.C.—LSU junior Megan McChrystal and her coach, Karen Bahnsen, were going to spend the afternoon at the beach after finishing up the final round at the NCAA Championship during the morning wave. Yet her plans changed after shooting a championship record eight-under 64 to finish the tournament at five-under 283.

The 22-year-old junior from Stuart, Fla., is currently in fifth place, three back of third-round leader Jennifer Johnson of Arizona State. All four players ahead of her on the leader board at CC of Landfall still have to play their final rounds.

"I didn't really know what I was shooting. I was just playing golf and making putts today. I wasn't keeping track of the score," said McChrystal, who made nine birdies, offset by one bogey.

Indeed, it wasn't until McChrystal rolled in her ninth birdie of the day on the 18th, when she turned to Bahnsen and asked where she stood.

The 64 was also a school and course record. The previous NCAA Championship mark was 65, set by four different players, most Grace Park of Arizona State in 1998. 

McChrystal now will spend a little more time at the course, watching to see if the leaders might fall back under the final-round pressure.


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Purdue looking to make history at NCAAs

Thursday, May 20, 2010 Comments
WILMINGTON, N.C.—It's safe to say Purdue women's coach Devon Brouse has heard it uttered hundreds if not thousands of times. Yes, he's well aware that no northern school has won the national title in women's golf. With 18 holes to play in 29th NCAA Championship, however, he and his Boilermakers squad have the chance to keep the statement from every being said again.

With four of its five starters shooting sub-par rounds Thursday at CC of Landfall, Purdue posted the lowest 18-hole score of the tournament. Shooting an eight-under 280—after carding a disappointing six-over 294 a day earlier—the Boilermakers vaulted past second-round leader USC to take a seven-shot advantage over the Trojans entering the final round with a six-under 858 total.

Freshman Laura Gonzalez-Escallon led the way for Purdue with a 69 while juniors Maude-Aimee LeBlanc and Numa Gulyanamitta shot 70s and freshman Thea Hoffmeister carded a 71. Even their non-counter played well as freshman Paula Reto's 73 was the drop score.

If the Boilermakers hang on to claim the NCAA title—their best previous finished was a second-place showing in 2007—they might look back on the way they played the par-5 18th to close out Round 3. Combined, the team's five counting scores shot a five under on the home hole, the only reachable par-5 on the course. In the final two groups, Gulyanmitta made an eagle after hitting her second shot to five feet while LeBlanc made birdie, extended the team's four-shot edge to the final seven-shot margin.

"It's a hole you've got to play you've got to play well on and we did that today," said Brouse.

Asked how his golfers were able to bounce back from the disappointment of their second-round performance, Brouse noted the team tried to accept that over a four-day event you're not always going to be on top of your game.

"I think the conversation [we had] was that every team here, every player here is going to have one round out of the four rounds that they've not going to be very happy with," Brouse said. "Lets say [this] was our round. Lets go to work tomorrow."

Noted LeBlanc: "To play well at the NCAA Championship is going to take a little luck, to get all the players playing well at the same time. But I think we all believe we're capable of this."

While the Boilermakers managed to make some red numbers, USC stumbled for the first time during the championship, posting a seven-over 295 to fall back to one over for the tournament. After opening with a 68, freshman Cyna Rodriguez shot a third-round 84. Senior All-American Belen Mozo walked off with a 76. Jennifer Song and Lizette Sales each shot 72s, keeping the Trojans within shooting distance of the lead

Playing with Purdue and USC in the final round Friday will be Arizona State, the Sun Devils shooting a two-over 290 and sitting 13 shots back in a tie for third with Alabama.

While the Boilermakers seem to have cornered the market on momentum, Brouse is understandably cautious about what might come in the final round.

"There are some good teams back there. Nobody is going to hand it to us. We've got to play a good round, " he said. "We came here to put ourselves in this position. it will be fun. We want to be in this position. We've got to embrace and we've got to go play better than everybody else tomorrow."

****

Individually, second-round leader Jennifer Johnson of Arizona State stayed atop the leader board, grinding out a solid if not spectacular two-under 70 to get to nine-under 207 for the tournament, one stroke better than Oklahoma State's Caroline Hedwall.

A freshman from LaQuinta, Calif., Johnson struggled on the greens, never seeming to be able to get any putts to fall. A birdie on the third hole was offset by a bogey at No. 8, causing her to make the turn at even par for the day. Meanwhile, Hedwall, three back of Johnson to start the day and playing off the 10th tee, made four straight birdie in the middle of her round to snatch the lead away.

With a birdie on the 15th, Johnson eventually got back to red figures, then regained the lead when she made a birdie on the 18th hole while Hedwall made a bogey on her final hole (No. 9) for a 68.

"It's nice to be in the lead, but there are still 18 holes tomorrow," said Johnson. "I just want to go out there and have fun."

Tied for third place, three strokes back of Johnson, are USC's Jennifer Song, who will be playing her final college round on Friday, and Purdue's Maude-Aimee LeBlanc.
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How will the Tide roll in Round 3?

Thursday, May 20, 2010 Comments
WILMINGTON, N.C.—It should be exciting to watch the third round of the NCAA Women's Championship unfold here Thursday at CC of Landfall. Of course, I'm curious about how USC does with a seven-stroke lead and what kind of fight Pac-10 powers UCLA and Arizona State put up as they begin the day 10 and 11 strokes behind the Trojans, respectively.

The team, however, I'm most interested in watching today is the one that surprisingly is in second place right now. How will upstart Alabama respond to being in the day's final threesomes? The Crimson Tide actually held the lead midway through Wednesday's second round, at one point sitting a seven under on the day before stumbling a bit on the back nine and finishing with an even-par 288 and a one-over 577 total.  

Alabama's rise over the past few seasons has been an impressive story that only continued during the 2009-10 campaign when coach Mic Potter's squad won its first SEC title in school history.

There were signs back in September that Alabama was ready to take the next step toward being a national contender. Playing in their first tournament of the season, the NGCA Collegiate Match Play, the Crimson Tide was in 12th place with only a few holes left in stroke-play qualifying, yet managed to close strong and finish in sixth place, putting it in the championship flight.

"I think at that point," said Potter, "my assistant, Susan Rosenstiel, and I kind of said to ourselves that they showed us something there they really hadn't in the last four years."

So began the yearlong transition of a team that merely hoped to succeed at any given event to one that expected success. "I think we've gotten to the point where we're not afraid to win and not afraid to play with anything," Potter said. "I think we feel like we can hold our own with any other team."

Including the Alabama men's squad. Just prior to coming to nationals, the two teams played a bit of a grudge match back near campus. Potter proudly noted that it was the women who walked away with the victory, and a little extra confidence.

With junior Camilla Lennarth, freshman Jennifer Kirby and sophomore Brooke Pancake providing solid performances at the top of the lineup, Alabama posted three top-five finishes this spring prior to the conference championship. Since then, however, it's been the play of the No. 4 and 5 golfers, Helena Blomberg and Rhea Nair, that Potter believes has  allowed them to make some noise in the postseason. Blomberg's T-7 showing at the SEC Championship helped key the Crimson Tide's victory. After two rounds at nationals, Nair is the low Alabama player, shooting a two-under 142, five off the individual lead, and resulting in a 3:24 pairing with USC's Jennifer Song and Purdue's Maude-Aimee LeBlanc in the third round.

Give credit to Potter, who took a leap of faith five years ago when he left the Furman program he had coached for more than two decades to come to Tuscaloosa and see what he could do for a program that had gotten to the NCAA Championship only once before he arrived. The NGCA Hall of Fame coach, though, says the ones that made the real gamble are the players who bought into Potter's message over the past few years despite the school having almost no track record.

"Certainly Susan and I worked hard at it," said Potter, "but those girls took a risk, too, and that made a big difference."

Just how far has the Crimson Tide come? We'll know a little more in the next two days.
  
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3 questions entering D-I Men's Regionals

Thursday, May 20, 2010 Comments
1. Are any of the schools hosting a regional at risk of not securing a berth to the NCAA Championship?

The expansion from three to six regionals a year ago and the need to finish in the top five rather than the top 10 to advance to nationals has made having a home-course advantage that much greater an intangible to have in your favor. Three of the four schools in the regional fields that are hosting an event this year (Georgia Tech, Washington, Texas A&M) are all programs that shouldn't need any edge to qualify for nationals. The one you've got to wonder about is San Diego State. Seeded fifth in the Southwest Regional, the Aztecs in my mind are definitely the most vulnerable.


2. Which regional might be the most unpredictable?

Hands down to me it's the Central Regional being played at The Warren GC in Notre Dame, Ind. Stanford would appear to be the clear favorite but after that you've got eight schools in my mind that could legitimately grab the four remaining spots. Florida and Florida State on paper have the better talent so they should get two of the spots and I'm on the record in thinking that Duke and N.C. State will get the other too. However, Big Ten rivals Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern might feel comfortable playing in at a course that has a Midwestern feel to it and all three have the golfers on their squads to make things interesting. Same with LSU, which when playing at its best can post some low numbers. Virginia Tech is the one other school I am curious about in this regional too. Bottom line: anything really could happen out in Indiana this week.


3. Will cross country travel affect any of the top-ranked teams that were sent packing?

UCLA has had a great time since taking a red eye out to the New York area to play in the East Regional at The Course at Yale. The Bruins came out a day earlier and did the New York City thing. I get the sense they're pretty relaxed and aren't going to let the travel become an issue. Arizona State heading to Capital City Club outside Atlanta has me a little more nervous, but veteran coach Randy Lein knows how to get his teams focused so I think they should be OK. Going the other way, Augusta State playing out at Carlton Oaks CC near San Diego could be an interesting story. I like the depth of the Jaguar team and just have a hunch they'll step things and be fine out of their own time zone. Similarly, Illinois is a solid team that should handle heading to the Pacific Northwest and Gold Mountain GC. My only fear here is whether the lack of familiarity with the course might hurt them compared to Washington, USC and Oregon State.
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Familiar foes atop leader board after 36 holes at NCAAs

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Comments
WILMINGTON, N.C.—Are we looking at a rematch of the 2009 U.S. Women's Amateur showdown between USC's Jennifer Song and Arizona State's Jennifer Johnson? Taking a glance at the leader board Wednesday evening at the 29th NCAA Women's Championship, you couldn't help but think as much.

With both golfers having finished 36 holes on the Pete Dye Course at CC of Landfall, it's the runner-up from last summer's showdown at Old Warson CC who currently has the edge. Johnson's two-under 70 in the second round, compared to Song's second-round 71, put the Sun Devil freshman out front by one stroke with a seven-under 137.

It might have been a two-shot lead had Johnson not caught an unfortunate break. With one hole left to play in her round, thunder rumbled from the skies above, causing the first of two early afternoon weather delays that ultimately kept the entire second round from being completed before nightfall. Almost an hour later, Johnson returned to her final hole, the par-4 ninth, only to hit her tee shot into the right rough and have her second shot clip a trip eventually leading to a closing bogey.

Despite the blemish, Johnson managed to shake off the mishap. "I played pretty smart," she said. "I hit a lot of greens and when I had the birdie chances, the close ones, I made them."

Song, who was tied for the lead with Johnson and Purdue's Maude-Aimee LeBlanc after Round 1, played solidly from tee-to-green but struggled getting any putts to drop. While having nine birdie chances inside 15 feet, the Trojan sophomore made just two (adding a third birdie from outside 15 feet) while also taking a double bogey on the par-3 16th hole when she pushed her tee ball into the water.

Song, too, choose to take the glass-half-full look at the day. "I was really happy with the way I handled things out there," she said. "It's easy to get frustrated when they're not falling and give up. But I was really patient out there."

LeBlanc followed up her opening-round 67 with a 73 to leave her tied for third at four under along with USC's Cyna Rodriguez (72), Oklahoma State's Caroline Hedwall (70) and Arizona's Margarita Ramos, who posted the low round of the day with a 69.

When heavy rain returned at 7:27 p.m., play was called for the day with six teams failing to finish their rounds, requiring them to come back early Thursday morning.

Swirling winds and muggy conditions prevented the top-seeded schools playing in the morning wave from posting many sub-par scores. First-round leader USC extended its advantage after posting an even-par 288 to sit at six-under 570, seven shots better than SEC champion Alabama (288), eight ahead of Big Ten champions Purdue (294) and nine up on top-ranked UCLA (292).

"It felt a little more difficult out there today," said USC women's coach Andrea Gaston. "We gave away some shots out there. Overall, they played solid."

"It's certainly exciting to be in this position," she continued. "That's what we're here for. We're here to try and win a championship. Pretty much both of the championships we won [in 2003 and 2008], we were leading start to finish. I think you get a little momentum going, and that's positive because you don't have to try to make up [ground]. Now you can't sit and try and protect it, either. we have to go out and make some shot. There is a lot of golf to play.

*****

At 11 strokes back of leader USC through 36 holes, Arizona State is right where it wants to be.

OK, maybe not right where it wants to be, but the Sun Devils can lean on the fact that a year ago they were also 11 strokes off the lead at the midway point at Caves Valley and came back to win the NCAA title.

If coach Melissa Luellen has trouble sleeping this evening after her squad posted a five-over 293, it will be because of the second hole, a 131-yarder with water surrounding much of the island-style green. With the wind in their face, Carlota Ciganda, Jaclyn Sweeney and Giulia Molinaro all hit their tee shots in the water, resulting in a triple bogey, double bogey and triple bogey.

"It was kind of hard to pick a club there," Luellen said. "It was an in-between [yardage] and you're trying to hit a shot that you kept out of the wind."

Compounding the tough tee shot was a drop area that produced a difficult angle to the back pin location, forcing a conservative third shot and becoming the cause of the numbers getting so big.

"What are you going to do," Luellen said. "They make it 72 holes and everybody is going to have their bleeps. We had our bleep."
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NCAA men's D-I regional previews

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Comments
Turning my head for a few minutes away from the action at the NCAA Women's Championship to ponder what might take place this weekend in the six NCAA men's regionals being contested across the country.


East Regional
The Course at Yale, New Haven, Conn.
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Texas
Shouldn't have a problem: UCLA
On the good side of the bubble: South Carolina, Alabama, East Tennessee State
On the bad side of the bubble: Virginia, Kent State, Charlotte
Will play respectably: Southeastern Louisiana, Vanderbilt, Penn State, UNC Wilmington
Just happy to be there: Columbia, Lafayette
Most likely player to advance as an individual: Corey Nagy, Charlotte

Texas has showed signs of being a dangerous team this spring and I think things will come together this weekend. The only reason I give them an edge of UCLA is because of the distance the Bruins have to travel. That doesn't mean, though, Derek Freeman's squad isn't going to be ready to play. South Carolina will find some inspiration from the school's women's team taking the East Regional title two weeks ago and advance to nationals. I think Bud Cauley has a little something to prove, which means only good things for Alabama. East Tennessee State being the fifth team out of the regional is only a hunch, but I think Fred Warren can get his guys focused in big moments.


Southeast Regional
Capital City Club, Alpharetta, Ga.
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Georgia Tech
Shouldn't have a problem: Oklahoma State, Arizona State
On the good side of the bubble: Clemson, Arkansas
On the bad side of the bubble: Wake Forest, Mississippi, Furman
Will play respectably: BYU, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern
Just happy to be there: South Alabama, Towson
Most likely player to advance as an individual: Jonathan Randolph, Mississippi

Georgia Tech's home course advantage allows them to slip past Oklahoma State and take the team title. That said, the Cowboys aren't a team to sleep on, obviously. It's been a while since Arizona State was in peak form, but I think the Sun Devils find a way to get the job done. Despite the fact that the TIgers have failed to get out of regionals two times in the past three years, Clemson gets the job done. NCAA runner-up Arkansas is a bit of a flier here, only because they haven't made a whole lot of noise in 2009-10. Still they're a gritty type of team that seems to rise to the challenge.


Central Regional
The Warren GC, Notre Dame, Ind.
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Stanford
Shouldn't have a problem: Florida, Florida State
On the good side of the bubble: Duke, N.C. State
On the bad side of the bubble: LSU, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern
Will play respectably: Indiana, Virginia Tech
Just happy to be there: Murray State, Detroit Mercy, St. Francis (Pa.)
Most likely player to advance as an individual: John Petersen, LSU

I've been high on Stanford all season so why stop now. The Cardinal typically play well at tough courses. Florida's talent gets the job done, even if it's not always pretty. Florida State takes the next step in its rise to national contender. Duke isn't a flashy team, but the Blue Devils know how to get the job done. Matt Hill went it alone a year ago at Inverness, but this time around he brings his N.C. State teammates with him.


South Central Regional
Traditions Club, Bryan, Texas
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Texas A&M
Shouldn't have a problem: Georgia
On the good side of the bubble: Texas Tech, TCU, Pepperdine
On the bad side of the bubble: North Florida, Auburn, Baylor
Will play respectably: North Carolina, Tulsa, Rice, Wichita State
Just happy to be there: Georgetown, Jackson State
Most likely player to advance as an individual: Dustin Garza, Wichita State

There is no bigger lock for a team to advance to nationals than Texas A&M, which is only fair when you're talking about the defending NCAA champs. Georgia had me eating crow after its SEC championship, so I'm not betting against the Bulldogs. Texas Tech does a great job almost year of falling under the radar and then stepping up come the postseason. TCU also will enjoy getting to play at a regional not too far from home. Pepperdine is a flier, but the Waves are frequent overachievers.


Southwest Regional
Carlton Oaks CC, Santee, Calif.
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Augusta State
Shouldn't have a problem: Oregon
On the good side of the bubble: San Diego State, California, Arizona
On the bad side of the bubble: UNLV, Tennessee, Chattanooga
Will play respectably: UCF, UC Irvine, Missouri
Just happy to be there: New Mexico State, Oral Roberts
Most likely player to advance as an individual: Brett Kanda, UNLV

All five starters can win tournaments at Augusta State, which makes them a dangerous bunch even if they're flying cross country. Oregon has made believers of pretty much everyone, with Casey Martin a good bet to win national coach of the year. San Diego State benefits from playing close to home and California finds the mojo it showed at the Arizona Intercollegiate in February. Arizona has only had four top-fives all season, so predicting it will happen this week is a bit of a long shot, but Wildcat golf has been having a pretty good run on the women's side so why not the men?


West Regional
Gold Mountain GC (Olympic Course), Bremerton, Wash.
For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat

Winner: Washington
Shouldn't have a problem: USC, Illinois
On the good side of the bubble: San Diego, Colorado State
On the bad side of the bubble: Oregon State, SMU, New Mexico
Will play respectably: Middle Tennessee State, Fresno State
Just happy to be there: Eastern Michigan, VCU, Loyola (Md.)
Most likely player to advance as an individual: Diego Velasquez, Oregon State

Washington is a serious threat to win the NCAA title and sometimes serious threats to win the title stumble at regionals. Not the Huskies. USC hasn't won a tournament this season and is a young bunch, but also one that shouldn't be underestimated. Mike Small's ability to get his team motivated allows Illinois to enjoy its stay in the Pacific Northwest. San Diego's trip to nationals a year ago made this group hungry to return. No one expects much from Colorado State, which might serve as the best motivation the Rams could ever conjure up.
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