Young golf team to swing strong
By Justin Phan
Expectations are high for the men's golf team this season as the Broncos aim to win the West Coast Conference and earn a bid to nationals.
"Last year our team was really hit-and-miss," said senior Jonathan Keane. "We had some bright spots like winning the UC Irvine tournament, but we also had a few disappointing finishes that prevented us from postseason play. We've got a young team this year with a lot of potential that we're really excited about."
Keane will be a big part of the Broncos' success as the team's captain and only senior. Not only has he set the tempo on the course with two consecutive top-10 finishes this year, but he has created an organized and positive environment for the rest of the team.
"In order for us to achieve the long-term goals that we set, I try to make sure that the team stays focused on our individual goals for each tournament and that we do all the little things necessary to build up to those long-term goals," Keane said. "This year I really want to work hard and set a good example for my teammates."
The team bounced back from a disappointing debut at the University of San Francisco Intercollegiate to finish in eighth place out of 17 teams at the Saint Mary's Invitational on Tuesday at Pebble Beach.
The Broncos are not where they want to be just yet, but they have a long schedule ahead that will allow them to get into form.
Some key contributors returning from last year's team include juniors Jimmy Cacho, Scott Travers, Alex Bon and Shaun Pienkos as well as sophomore Tyler Ichikawa.
All will be essential to Santa Clara's success this season.
Cacho and Travers are consistent fixtures on the leader board.
Cacho had six top-10 finishes last year and averaged a score of 72.76 per round, while Travers earned All-WCC First Team honors and won the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational.
The team will also be looking to Bon and Ichikawa for strong finishes.
"Tyler had a slow season last year, but he's playing real well and has a ton of experience," Keane explained. "He's got good technique and is very technically sound. Alex could actually be one of our best players. He has never learned from a teacher before so he's really raw and just needs to fine-tune his talent."
According to Keane, this season's schedule will be the strongest in the program's history, which includes the CordeValle Collegiate in San Martin, Calif., and the Turtle Bay Intercollegiate in Oahu, Hawaii.
"CordeValle is our biggest regular season event," Keane added. "We practice at CordeValle, so we're definitely looking forward to competing there. All the Pac-10 teams will be there as well as some top-ranked schools like Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State."
Keane said the Turtle Bay Intercollegiate will be fun because of its location.
"The competition we'll see there is pretty diverse and I'm excited to see what we can do against those teams," he said.
Contact Justin Phan at jphan1@scu.edu