For the first time since April 2006, the Arizona men’s golf team is coming home a winner. The Wildcats shot 3-under in yesterday’s third and final round to win the Wolf Pack Classic in Reno, Nev.
Arizona’s final tournament score of 14-under 850 was good for a 16-stroke victory, as it was the only team of 19 to finish under par.
“”Man, it was awesome,”” said senior Creighton Honeck. “”We all played pretty solid and came out a winner. We all had a great attitude, and we got the job done.””
Honeck finished tied for 13th at 1-under 215, but the best performance for Arizona came from junior Tyler Neal, who took first place individually.
“”I was planning on (winning),”” Neal said. “”That’s how I go into every tournament.””
Neal’s 6-under 210 gave him his first college victory and his lowest tournament score as a collegiate.
“”I putted pretty well and kept the ball in play,”” he said. “”I played a little bit better than everyone else.””
Neal didn’t know he would be playing in the tournament until the last minute.
“”I made the decision to take him the day before we left,”” said UA head coach Rick LaRose. “”I had a good feeling about him. It was a very important win for him. We needed someone to step up, and he did.””
Freshman Tarquin MacManus posted his first top-10 finish in only his third college tournament. He tied for eighth place with a 2-under 214.
Forty percent of the team is made up of freshmen, so getting a team win this early in the season was impressive, LaRose said.
“”You have to learn how to win,”” he said. “”It’s good experience.””
Arizona’s first two tournament finishes led to the team falling out of the nation’s top 25, but yesterday’s win should propel the Wildcats back into the national rankings. That is something Honeck says will be huge heading into the team’s next tournament, the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 21, as much of the nation’s top 15 is expected to compete.
“”The win is very important for the rest of the season,”” Honeck said. “”It’s gonna jump-start us. Now we know what it feels like to win.””
LaRose cautioned that this victory was the first step in a long season for the Wildcats.
“”They did a great job,”” he said. “”They played hard, and it was a team effort. We have a long way to go, but we certainly made an improvement.””
Arizona’s last tournament win came at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational on April 9, 2006.
