Huskies Eyeing Third Straight Pac-10 Crown
April 28, 2011
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SEATTLE -- This weekend marks the 52nd annual Pac-10 Conference Men's Golf Championship and Washington has its sights set on extending a school record. The Huskies are the two-time defending Pac-10 champions -- having won at the Seattle Golf Club in 2009 and Karsten Golf Course in 2010. Previously, UW has never won back-to-back Pac-10 titles and are hoping to join elite company at Stanford Golf Course this week with a third-straight conference crown (which would also be the team's seventh overall since 1960).
The Huskies are trying to join an illustrious group of three-straight winners that includes just two other Pac-10 schools: USC from 1964-67; 1971-73 and Arizona State 1995-2000. If the Huskies are going to extend their run of conference titles, they must shake a slump that has plagued them the last two tournaments.
After a mid-March run that saw the Huskies finish first at the Bandon Dunes Championship and third at the Oregon Duck Invitational (tournaments that also saw UW's super sophomores Charlie Hughes [Bandon] and Chris Williams [Duck] earn medalist honors), Washington struggled in April at the Augusta State Invite (14th) and Western Intercollegiate (11th).
UW Coach Matt Thurmond hopes that his guys' return to earlier form coincides with the upcoming stretch of post-season tournaments.
"We have not had a very good April. Golf is just that way though...it just kind of comes and goes," said Thurmond.
"We have a really good team and the chance of us playing three very poor events in a row is highly unlikely," continued UW's 10-year head coach. "I think that maybe we were pressing a little bit too hard or missing some details that it takes to be successful. I'm pretty sure that we'll play a lot better this weekend."
If experience counts for anything, UW is in good shape there. Four players in the Huskies' lineup have played in a Pac-10 championship. Williams, Hughes and senior Kevin Spooner were members of the 2010 lineup that rallied from seven strokes down after the third round to win. Senior Tze Huang Choo was eighth on the final leader board as the 2009 team rolled to an 18-stroke victory over the field.
With that many players in the lineup who have experienced success in the championship, Thurmond is not worried about his team putting too much pressure on themselves to live up to teams of the past.
"This team didn't win the tournament two years in a row. This is a completely different team...although there are four guys that have won championships," said Thurmond. "I always worry about (the players) putting too much pressure on themselves, but not based on past results."
"This team has to write their own history. Last year's team wrote theirs. This team will write their own."
Joining the experienced foursome in the Husky lineup this weekend are freshmen Trevor Simsby and Cory McElyea. While yet to experience a conference championship, Simsby and McElyea have been valuable contributors this year and each recorded top-10 finishes at tournaments this season.
The six Huskies will be paired with foes from Stanford and Arizona during the first and second rounds. Friday's action will involve 36 holes, starting at 9:00 a.m. for the Huskies from the No. 1 tee. Saturday's third round will begin at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday will start at 8:00 a.m.
UCLA's enters the tourney as the conference tournament favorite. The Bruins are third in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. California is No. 18, Stanford 20th, USC 21st, Oregon 22nd and Arizona State 27th. Washington is 30th.
GoHuskies.com will have nightly recaps and fans can follow live scoring at Golfstat.com.
Washington Pac-10 Team Championships: 2010, 2009, 2005, 1988, 1963, 1961.
Washington Individual Champions: Darren Wallace (2009), Erik Olson (2005), O.D. Vincent (1988), Clint Names (1961).
