Chambers Thrust Into Action At NCAA Regional
May 16, 2012
• NCAA Regional Notes 
• Follow the Huskies on the Road to Riviera
• Golfstat.com Live Scoring
• NCAA Men's Golf Norman Regional Central
The Husky men's golf team arrived in Norman, Oklahoma on Tuesday for the NCAA regional, which runs Thursday through Saturday. In the lineup for just the fourth time this season is senior Ty Chambers. The native of Brush Prairie in southwest Washington was thrust into the lineup for the Pac-12 Championship and earned a travel spot for the regional. He played the same ball for all 72 holes of the Pac-12 Championship, but will bring in a fresh sleeve of balls and a clean slate when play commences tomorrow. Chambers was nice enough to chat with GoHuskies.com and let Husky fans what is going on with him and his team as they prepare for the biggest tournament of the season to date.
GoHuskies.com: How are you feeling about the biggest tournament of your life?
Ty Chambers: I feel pretty good. I just came off of a pretty mediocre Pac-12 Championships, but I had a great last round that propelled me into regionals. I shot 71 my final round at the Pac-12 championship. It was a great round to look back on and feed off of the momentum that I had there and bring it here. I feel very relaxed coming into this tournament, of course I'm pretty nervous, but I feel my game is there and I just need to play smart.
GoHuskies.com: How gratifying is it to end your career as a senior with this tournament and hopefully the NCAAs?
Ty Chambers: It is great, I really believe it will be more gratifying if I put up a good performance, but I am really glad to have the opportunity to play regionals in my last year.
GoHuskies.com: A couple months ago, I imagine it would have been tough for you to predict you would be in the lineup for the regional after playing in just two tournaments during the regular season.
Ty Chambers: I realized, probably late winter or early spring that there was an opportunity and I knew that it probably wouldn't happen. I just kept practicing and working hard and just kept my game sharp in case the opportunity arose. Somehow I played in the Pac-12s and now I am playing regionals. I played every day with the guys and they just told me to be prepared when the opportunity arose.
GoHuskies.com: What are the expectations that you have laid out for yourself and the team this week?
Ty Chambers: Naturally I have really high expectations for myself in any tournament I go into, that is just the way I am. I feel like this week, I am going to have to focus a little bit more on myself. I feel like I play better when I am relaxed. When I am having fun out there I will only play better. As for the team, I feel like our expectations are high. We are ranked top-15 in the country, and I think we expect to win this thing this week.
GoHuskies.com: Describe what is has been like to play with Chris Williams and Cheng-Tsung Pan, not only two of the best collegiate golfers, but two of the world's top amateurs.
Ty Chambers: It is amazing playing with them. I have played with Chris more than I have played with Pan. I think the best thing about playing with them is that they make my game better. I feel like my game needs to be better than it is because their level is among the best amateurs in the world. I feel like I just can't be that hacker hanging out with those guys when they are shooting in the 60s every round.
GoHuskies.com: Can you summarize your four years at UW?
Ty Chambers: Amazing experience. Obviously with golf there have been highs and lows, and I wouldn't change anything because of the great opportunity I have had to make friends with the guys on the team and in school. It has just been an amazing experience and I am blessed to have the opportunity to play my senior year in Pac-12s and regionals.
GoHuskies.com: What's it like to play with your brother (Gerrit)?
Ty Chambers: It is great. Having my brother on the team has been amazing. We grew up playing golf together and to compete with him on the golf team couldn't have been any better. He is my roommate too, we see plenty of each other throughout the day. We really push each other to be better and we have done that the last few years.
GoHuskies.com: It must make it easier on your parents to keep track of you. When they visit, do they try to stay with you guys?
Ty Chambers: They come during Christmas break and spring vacation. They let us do our own thing for the most part.
GoHuskies.com: Nick Taylor played at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course. Has the team had any contact with him regarding advice?
Ty Chambers: He only told us that the course is a ball-strikers course, hitting the fairways and greens are critical here. There is not a lot of trouble off the tee, you know there are hazards and out-of-bounds, but you have to hit the fairways and greens because there are a lot of bunkers in the fairways and around the greens. That is pretty much all I have heard about the course, but I know that we will focus on what Nick has told Coach Thurmond (today at practice). As far as the course, I think it is going to be a test. We have to concentrate on hitting the greens.
GoHuskies.com: What movie did you see Tuesday as a team?
Ty Chambers: Avengers in 3D. It was amazing. The coaches didn't really care for it that much, but all the guys thought it was great.
GoHuskies.com: What are the plans for Wednesday ahead of Thursday's first round?
Ty Chambers: We have a practice round in the morning, but for the afternoon Coach Thurmond has not really told us. But I know it will be something fun to keep us loose for the rest of the day.
GoHuskies.com: Since you are in Oklahoma City Thunder territory are there any plans by you guys to wear green to represent the Sonics?
Ty Chambers: Chris Williams will make a statement. He bought a Sonics jersey and says he is going to wear it sometime this week!
