The Loop

The Syllabus: Beware of Bears

October 11, 2012

There are any number of reasons for California men's coach Steve Desimone to be downright giddy about how the 2012-13 season has started. Most pundits, including yours truly, thought the Golden Bears were going to be among the top teams in the country, given how the program reached the NCAA Final Four a year ago and that everybody from that team was back this time around (notably Max Homa and Brandon Hagy), plus U.S. Amateur runner-up Michael Weaver was back after coming off a redshirt season.

What has to make the GCAA Hall of Fame coach most pleased, however, about winning the title at the Gopher Invitational, sharing the title at the Ping/Golfweek Preview and then walking off with win No. 3 in the young season last week at the Pac-12 Preview, is not just the impressive play on the course. No, it's the way his squad has handled expectations as the group eyes a fourth straight win when it hosts the Alister MacKenzie Invitational this coming week.

This team isn't one that was going to be sneaking up on anybody, like say the 2004 Cal squad that won the NCAA title. It's a group that before their van even left the parking lot at Riviera CC last spring after losing to Alabama in the NCAA semifinals was already talking about what a big year 2012-13 could be. Homa, Hagy, Weaver, et al. have completely embraced the fact that they've got potentially the best team ever assembled in Berkeley, helping lift them to the No. 1 ranking in the Golf World/Nike Golf men's coaches' poll.

What Desimone has that his coaching brethren are likely to be most jealous of is a deep, balanced roster. Sure there are the name players at the top, but it's the likes of Michael Kim, Joel Stalter and Walker Huddy rounding out the lineup that has to make him feel good, considering each has the potential to contend individually at any given tournament. This allows everybody to play more aggressively because they all know that their teammates have their back.

It showed at Pumpkin Ridge last week, where Kim (T-6) and Stalter (T-8) were the Golden Bears with top-10 finishes, followed by Hagy and Homa (T-14) while Weaver took the fifth spot on the team but still finished T-22. Not surprisingly Cal came away with a seven- strokes triumph on Washington.

"This was really quite a victory," Desimone said afterward. "It was a tremendous team effort in a great field. We certainly have earned our No. 1 ranking. We proved that yesterday and then again today, but it's only October 9 and we have a long way to go until we get to late May and early June. But we certainly like the way things have shaped up thus far."

Desimone said it all right there. It's early, and much can happen between now and the postseason. But at this point in time, he can feel comfortable knowing he has a team that isn't going to flinch at the thought of being the best team in the country.

On the contrary, the Golden Bears appear to be thriving on it.

__THE FAB FIVE

____My look at the top five teams in the country right now

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__1. California __(Last week: 1)

With a victory at the Pac-12 Preview, the team's third in three starts this fall, Cal has now won or claimed a share of the team title in nine of their last 17 tournaments dating back to the start of the 2011-12 season.__

__Next event: Alister MacKenzie Invitational, Meadow Club, Fairfax, Calif., Oct. 15-16

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2.____Texas (2)

I've heard coaches coming off winning national titles in golf (as well as other sports) say the biggest trap you can fall into is letting the distractions of being the defending champions get in the way of actually defending the title. Given the quiet fall schedule for the Longhorns, my guess is that this issue won't be quite so problematic in Austin.

Next event: Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, Isleworth CC, Windermere, Fla, Oct. 21-23

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3. Washington (3)

There's lots of good to come from a second-place showing at the Pac-12 Preview, earned despite missing senior All-American Chris Williams from the lineup. Best thing: the continued development of junior Trevor Simsby, who claimed medalist honors at Pumpkin Ridge. *

*Next event: Pac-12 Preview, Pumpkin Ridge GC, North Plains, Ore., Oct. 8-9

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__4. Florida __(4)

Why is it that I get this feeling Buddy Alexander is wearing his poker face right about now regarding the potential of his Gators squad? He has sounded positive about the team, as he should after finishing first and second in their first two fall starts, but for some reason I have this funny feeling he's sort of hiding just how good a group he believes he's got in Gainesville.

Next event: Jerry Pate National Collegiate, Old Overton GC, Vestavia Hills, Ala., Oct. 15-16

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5. Alabama (5)

With the World Amateur Team Championship behind them, and Justin Thomas back focused on college golf again, this coming week's event at Old Overton could help set the tone for the Crimson Tide going forward in 2012-13. It's not a make or break event, but a win would restore this team's confidence.

Next event: Jerry Pate National Collegiate, Old Overton GC, Vestavia Hills, Ala., Oct. 15-16

Women

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__1. Arizona __(1)

That a Pac-12 school would be in my top spot in mid-October shouldn't come as a shock. It's just that I would have figured it to be UCLA, USC or Arizona State. Admit it, except for the folks on the Tucson campus themselves, nobody saw this quick start from the Wildcats coming. Now can they keep it up when they become the hunted in Palo Alto?

Next event: Stanford Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 19-21

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2. Florida (2)

There was some risk involved in naming Emily Bastel the head coach after she had spent less than a year in Gainesville as an assistant. But judging from the comments of some players, having somebody they were familiar with, as opposed to a brand new face coming to campus, seems to be paying off.

Next event: Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley GC, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 12-14

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__3. Alabama __(3)

Now that's more like it. Have to guess that was the feeling for the defending NCAA champions after their second-place finish at the Liz Murphey Preview. While in position to claim the title only to miss out on some birdie opportunities down the stretch, the Crimson Tide looked much improved from the group that opened the season with a eighth-place showing at the Cougar Classic.

Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, U. of Texas GC, Austin, Oct. 28-30

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4. North Carolina (NR)

Not to sound all ESPN-like, but it's safe to describe the four-stroke victory over Alabama at the Liz Murphey last weekend as the Tar Heels' biggest regular-season win since Jan Mann took over the program in three years ago. Similarly, not to sound all ESPN-like, but now we must ask: What can they do for an encore?

Next event: Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational, UNC Finley GC, Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 12-14

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5. Washington (NR)

Yesterday marked the first time in 31 years hosting the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational that the Huskies claimed the team title. Making it more remarkable was the fact they did it with the team's top player, SooBin Kim, playing only as an individual (and winning medalist honors with a new 54-hole tournament record of 11-under 205 after shooting an 82 at Sahalee CC in qualifying). Moreover, they did it in style, winning by 14 strokes over UC Davis to rack up win No. 2 on the season.

Next event: Stanford Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 19-21

__STAT OF THE WEEK

3

__Number of consecutive tournaments that the UCLA women's golf team has finished in eighth place, counting the NCAA Championship last May, the Golfweek Conference Challenge last month and the Liz Murphey Fall Preview last week. The last time the Bruins finished outside the top five in three straight starts? Try the 2006-07 season, when the team finished T-8 at Stanford, T-11 at UNLV, 10th at the Northrup Grumman and ninth at the Arizona Lady Wildcat.

Prior to last year's NCAAs, you had to go back 35 tournament starts to count three finishes total outside the top five for UCLA.

__TWEET OF THE WEEK

__[#image: /photos/55ad756aadd713143b4267ad]|||Tweet of the week (Mary Michael Maggio) 10-11-2012.jpg|||

—Texas A&M's Mary Michael Maggio, recent individual winner at the Liz Murphey Fall Preview, praising her Aggie coach Trelle McCombs as the squad makes its way to the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate in Knoxville this weekend.

__RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

__I ask this with all due respect—and even a little bit of envy—for my friends in Orlando, but is there a tournament in any division of college golf that Golfweek hasn't sponsored in the last month?

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

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The NCAA doesn't track individual victories, and stats at many schools prior to 1981-82 (when the association officially recognized women's golf) are sketchy. Looking at the record books for several high-profile programs, however, it appears Inkster's mark is tops in Division I golf.

Expecting her to do it on the trip to the Aloha State might be asking much, but she'll win No. 17 no later than the Jackrabbit Spring Invitational in March and break Inkster's record before wrapping up her career in May.

__TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS

MEN__

Bank of Tennessee at Blackthorn

(For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Blackthorn Club, Jonesborough, Tenn.

Oct. 12-14

Host: East Tennessee State

Defending champion: Kent State (+5/869) by seven strokes over Virginia; Missouri's Jace Long and N.C. State's Mark McMillen (-2/214) co-medalists

Field: Army, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Furman, Memphis, Missouri, Penn State, Pepperdine, Tennessee, UNC Wilmington, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Skinny: The host Bucs have a young squad—four sophomores, three freshman. Blackthorn is still new to these guys, so I'm curious to see if they'll have much of a home-field advantage this week.

__Rod Myers Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Duke University GC, Durham, N.C.

Oct. 13-14

Host: Duke

Defending champion: Duke (-3/861) by nine strokes over Baylor; Duke's Julian Suri (-5/211) by two strokes over Iowa's Steven Ihm

Field: Baylor, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Iowa, Liberty, North Carolina, N.C. State, Northwestern, Pacific, Tulsa

Skinny: Northwestern has had an impressive fall thus far, but it's hard not to see the host Blue Devils taking the team title here. Home course advantage will be big.

__UTSA/Lone Star Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Hill Country Resort GC, San Antonio

Oct. 14-16

Host: UTSA

Defending champion: New Mexico (-3/861) by eight strokes over Texas A&M and North Texas; Rice's Jeff Wibawa (-7/209) by one stroke over Baylor's Joakim Mikkelsen

Field: Arizona, Central Arkansas, Denver, Houston, Houston Baptist, Illinois State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, Utah Valley, UTSA

Skinny: The fourth-year event will be held for the first time at the Hill Country Resort after three stops at Briggs Ranch.

__Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Old Overton GC, Birmingham, Ala.

Oct. 15-16

Host: Alabama

Defending champion: Texas (-4/836) by 20 strokes over Alabama and Clemson; Clemson's Corbin Mills (-9/201) by two strokes over Texas' Dylan Frittelli

Field: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee State, Samford, South Alabama, UAB, UNLV, West Florida

Skinny: An eclectic mix of talent comes to Birmingham. Curious though if this will become more than a two team chase between Alabama and Florida.

__AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Berkeley Hills CC, Duluth, Ga.

Oct. 15-16

Host: Georgia State

Defending champion: North Florida (-9/855) by two strokes over Chattanooga; East Carolina's Harold Varner (-8/208) by one stroke over Chattanooga's Steven Fox

Field: Chattanooga, Furman, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Old Dominion, USC-Aiken, South Carolina, Towson, UNC Greensboro, VCU, Winthrop, Wisconsin

Skinny: Georgia State freshman Jonathan Grey will be trying to make it three straight tournament victories after the Englishman shared the title at the Brickyard and won the Mason Rudolph Championship

__Alister MacKenzie Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Meadow GC, Fairfax, Calif.

Oct. 15-16

Host: California

Defending champion: California and Oregon (-41/811) co-champions; Oregon's Eugene Wong (-18/195) by five strokes over California's Max Homa

Field: Arizona State, BYU, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Francisco, San Jose State, UC Davis, Wichita State

Skinny: There are tournaments where the winner needs to go low, and then there's the MacKenzie, where the team champions have shot at least 23 under every year since 2006. In 2010 you needed to post a 48 under team total to claim the title; last year you only had to shoot 41 under. #noblackinkforthecaligrapher

__WOMEN

Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

UNC Finley GC, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Oct. 12-14

Host: North Carolina

Defending champion: LSU (-8/856) by four strokes over Alabama; Auburn's Marta Sanz (-9/207) by one stroke over N.C. State's Augusta James, Alabama's Brooke Pancake and Michigan State's Caroline Powers

Field: Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississipi, N.C. State, North Carolina, South Carolina, UCF, Virginia, Wake Forest

Skinny: Great field assembled in Chapel Hill, with home Tar Heels the likely favorite after their recent win at the Liz Murphey Fall Preview

__LPGA Xavier Invitational

__LPGA International (Legends course), Daytona Beach, Fla.

Oct. 12-14

Host: Xavier

Defending champion: Campbell (+10/298) by six strokes over Lousiana-Monroe; North Dakota State's Amy Anderson (-2/70) by two strokes over Michelle Koh

Field:

Skinny: Hoping for better weather than a year ago when the final two rounds were washed out by rain.

__Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Holston Hills CC, Knoxville, Tenn.

Oct. 12-14

Host: Tennessee

Defending champion: Alabama (+1/865) by four strokes over UCLA; Alabama's Stephanie Meadow (-5/211) by two strokes over Vanderbilt's Lauren Stratton

Field: Chattanooga, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky, Florida State, Furman, Iowa State, James Madison, Memphis, Miami, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UTSA

Skinny: Tournament has been known as a stingy test for some of the country's top programs. Only once in its 15 previous editions has the team champion had a 54-hole score under par (Tennessee, -15 in 2010).

__Hoosier Fall Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Belterra Resort, Florence, Ind.

Oct. 13-14

Host: Indiana

Defending champion: Eastern Michigan (+48/912) by one stroke over Notre Dame; Notre Dame's Becca Huffer (+4/220) by three strokes over Wichita State's Gretchen Huhnerkoch

Field: Augusta State, Ball State, Boston College, Delaware, East Tennessee State, Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin

Skinny: Three teams (Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin) in the field rank inside Golfstat's top 50.

__Susie Maxwell Berning Classic

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Jimmie Austin GC, Norman, Okla.

Oct. 15-17

Host: Oklahoma

Defending champion: Oklahoma (+14/878) by one stroke over Texas Tech; Oklahoma's Anne Tanguay (-6/210) by three strokes over Texas Tech's Kimberly Kaufman

Field: Coastal Carolina, Denver, Kansas, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Kent State, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Redlands CC, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, USF

Skinny: Tournament being held for the 34th time. The NCAA doesn't track individual titles, and stats at many schools prior to 1981-82 (when the association officially recognized women's golf) are sketchy. Yet looking at record books for several high-profile programs, it appears Anderson now trails only San Jose State's Juli (Simpson) Inkster and her 17 victories from 1978-82 for the all-time Division I lead.