JANE LEE
Sports Editor
The Pepperdine men’s golf team carded a final-round 2-over par 290 to finish with a 54-hole score of 46-over par 910 and in 10th place at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational that concluded Tuesday at the Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Behind freshman Carl Smith’s 2-under par 70, the Waves’ third-round total was the second-lowest of the day behind Alabama, but it wasn’t enough to boost their overall score.
“I’d say we were pretty disappointed because we expect more of ourselves,” freshman Shane Mason said. “We struggled the first two days, but the way we played the final day really showed our character.”
Mason shot a third-round total of 3-over par 75 to tie for 11th place and equal his career-best finish.
UCLA’s Kevin Chappell, who shared the first-round lead with Mason, claimed individual medalist honors with a 2-under total of 214.
“The first round was really exciting for me because it was great to be in the lead at a college event, especially as a freshman,” Mason said. “But really, for me, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can right now.”
Junior Colin Wilcox finished as the top individual performer for the Waves as he tied for eighth with a 6-over par score of 222, carding a final-round 1-under 71.
“I was pretty pleased with how I finished, but I left a couple shots out there,” Wilcox said. “As a team we could’ve done a little better, but the weather made it tough.”
The weather proved to be a tough factor for all, including Smith, whose final-round 70 helped him move up 20 spots in the standings to tie for 51st with a 16-over par total of 232. Juniors Jesse Barnsley and Eric Shriver tied for 63rd and 72nd, respectively.
“The course was tough,” Smith said. “It was windy and much colder than we are used to. There was a lot of trouble off the tee; you really had to keep the ball in the fairway and the greens were very firm and fast.”
Wilcox also voiced frustration with the weather conditions, saying “there were times when there were twirling winds and then other mornings when it was just flat-out cold.”
One player, however, who appeared just as smooth as the wind was blowing was Mason.
“I played my best round in the toughest conditions,” he said. “There’s no rhyme or reason for it, it just worked out that way.”
The Waves are off until March 5 when it opens play at the USC Ashworth Intercollegiate at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village.
“It’s kind of been a trend this year for us getting some good play from a couple of guys, so we really need solid contributions from at least three or four guys to really do well,” Smith said.
02-22-2007
