The Arizona men’s golf team competes in the Pacific 10 Conference Championships at The Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif., today through Wednesday. The No. 56 Wildcats will be competing for more than just a conference title, something they have not accomplished since 2004. On the line is also a playoff spot into the NCAA West Regionals in Seattle in mid-May.
“”We are right on the bubble,”” said UA assistant coach John Knauer. “”It wouldn’t surprise me if we were the last team in or the first team out.””
With the new rule in place this year, a team must have a record of .500 or above to be eligible for the regionals. The team will need at least a fifth-place finish or better to make it in.
“”We are definitely ready and I think this team has what it takes to compete,”” Knauer said.
The Wildcats have a young and relatively inexperienced squad with senior Creighton Honeck being the only one in their five-man lineup who participated in the 2007 event.
Out of freshmen Roberto Galletti and Tarquin MacManus, juniors Tyler Neal and Nick Park, and senior Mark Lamb, only Lamb has participated in the tournament and that was back in 2004.
But that won’t stop the Wildcats, Knauer said.
“”This team is just very young with a lot of inexperience, but we have worked very hard and they understand how important this is,”” Knauer said.