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NewsvineIt’s been said that the key to playing good golf is the ability to forget about the bad holes and to regain one’s composure quickly in the face of adversity.
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The Stanford men’s golf team will certainly have a chance to demonstrate some character this weekend, as the Cardinal comes off a disappointing outing at the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz. After positioning itself well through the first 36 holes, the team fell apart in Tuesday’s final round at Pasatiempo Country Club, sliding from sixth all the way to 12th place overall.
Stanford had little time to mope, however, as the players returned to campus for less than 24 hours before packing up and traveling to Tempe, Ariz. Today, the Cardinal begins play at the 31st annual ASU Thunderbird Invitational.
The 54-hole event will take place over two days on Arizona State’s home turf, the par-72 7,037-yard Karsten Golf Course.
Named after the famous club manufacturer, Karsten Solheim, the course is one of the longest that the Cardinal will encounter. Nonetheless, the course has surrendered some low scores in the past, including a tournament-record 200 (12 under par) by Texas Christian’s Bret Guetz in last year’s event.
The competition should be even hotter than the desert sun this weekend, as the Cardinal will do battle with what may be the most talented field in any regular-season collegiate golf event this year.
This year’s ASU Invitational has attracted some of the finest teams in the country, including three of Sagarin/Golfweek’s top five: Texas (No. 2), Arizona (No. 4), and UNLV (No. 5). Joining these giants are No. 7 TCU and No. 10 UCLA.
UCLA is one of the nation’s hottest programs at the moment, having won three of its last four tournaments.
Of course, one should never forget the host. No. 22 Arizona State has made the most of its home course advantage in the past, winning its own tournament 11 times in all, the last title coming in 2001.
ASU golfers have also guarded the individual crown rather jealously, winning eight trophies in individual competition.
The Cardinal will certainly have to play some of its best golf of the year if it hopes to compete in this talented field. Unfortunately, history is not on Stanford’s side.
Last year’s Invitational was a struggle for the team, as they shot a 2-over-par 866 for three rounds. While this would have a been a solid score in most events, the easy desert conditions meant that the Cardinal finished a disappointing 13th out of 16 teams, 34 shots off the lead.
Only Stanford senior Jim Seki has fond memories of Tempe, having finished with a 4-under-par 208, good enough to tie for seventh place in the individual competition. Unfortunately for Stanford, it is unlikely that Seki will play this weekend, as his injured back continues to bother him.
“We played a lot of holes [at the Western Intercollegiate],” Seki said. “After a while, it just starts to wear you down.”
It is still unclear how coach Jeff Mitchell will shuffle his lineup to account for the loss of Seki, a perennial starter.
After the Cardinal finishes play on Saturday, the squad will return home for the U.S. Intercollegiate. The tournament will take place Apr. 19-20, and is the only event of the spring to take place at the Stanford Golf Course.
Last year, Stanford fared well at its own tournament, finishing second in the team competition. The U.S. Intercollegiate will be the last tune-up before the Pacific-10 Conference Championships begin April 28.