Checking Out The Competition
In just the first few weeks of the new year, the Big West Conference men's golf teams will get a feel for what they are up against this season as many of the league schools are competing in the same tournaments. Cal State Northridge, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and Pacific are schedule to participate in the Saint Mary's Invitational in Monterey, Calif., Sept. 18-20. The following week Long Beach State, UC Davis and Pacific head to Washington for the Husky Invitational Sept. 26-27. The final event that features multiple Big West schools in the Washington State Palouse Collegiate in Pullman, Wash., Sept. 12-13, which Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside are attending.
The Titans also battle in the Kansas Invitational Sept. 19-20, while UC Irvine faces some tough competition at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Burlington, Iowa. Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara do not hit the course until October.
Touring The West
The Big West Conference women's golf programs are touring the western part of the United States at the start of the 2011 fall golf season. Three of the seven schools kick off the new year in the land of potatoes as they visit Coeur dAlene, Idaho, for the Circling Raven Invitational Sept. 13-14. While Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge and Fullerton battle in Idaho, UC Davis and Long Beach State head to the Centennial State to compete in the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Aggies remain in Colorado for their second tournament, the Golfweek Challenge, which takes place at the Red Sky Golf Club in Vail. Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Riverside are also slated to compete in a second tournament this month as the trio visits the Pacific Northwest for the Rose City Collegiate in Portland, Ore.
UC Irvine opens the year at the Washington State Cougar Cup in Pullman, Wash., and Cal Poly is idle until October when it hosts the Firestone Grill Intercollegiate on Oct. 2-3.
Watch And Learn
UC Davis' Demi Runas, the reigning Big West Conference Player of the Year, has been named as one of the top 50 women's college players to watch in 2011-12 by Golf World. The list named the top 10 players to keep an eye on while selecting 40 others, including Runas, as "The Best of the Rest".
Runas earned the distinction after enjoying a stellar sophomore season in which she helped lead UC Davis to a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championships after the Aggies won their second straight Big West title. Runas, a junior from Torrance, led UC Davis with a 74.3 scoring average last season, posting eight top-10 finishes last season including a third-place at the Big West Championship, a tie for fifth at the NCAA West Regional and a tie for fourth at Stanfords Peg Barnard Invitational.
What Happened Last Year?
UC Davis swept the Big West Golf Championships...that's what happened. The UC Davis women fired a final round 292 for a three-day total of 867 to claim its second straight Big West Womens Golf Championship at the Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. The Aggies broke an 11-year Big West Womens Golf Championship team record of 871 set by New Mexico State back in 1999. Long Beach State finished second after firing a three-day score of 885 and was followed by Cal Poly (895) in third and UC Irvine (901) in fourth. Rounding out the seven-team field is UC Riverside (922), Cal State Northridge (926) and Cal State Fullerton (947).
UC Davis' Alice Kim ran away with top individual medalist honors after blasting a three-round score of 207, which shattered the Big West Women's Golf Championship record of 209 set by Cal State Northridge's Beth Allen in 2004. She opened the tournament tying the course record with a 6-under 66 and was one stroke shy of matching her performance on Monday with a 5-under 67.
For the second time in three years the UC Davis Aggies claimed the Big West Mens Golf Championship that was held at the Mission Viejo Country Club in Mission Viejo, Calif. UC Davis posted a three-round total of 871 (288-288-295), besting second place Pacific by 17 strokes. The Tigers finished the tournament with a score of 888 and were followed by Cal State Northridge (895) and Cal Poly (897). Placing fifth at 902 was UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara (921) grabbed the sixth spot. Closing out the nine-team field was Long Beach State (931), Cal State Fullerton (933) and UC Riverside (938).
Walking away with medalist honors was UC Davis' Austin Graham, who carded a 6-under 210. Proving to be the most consistent player on the course that week, Graham fired three rounds of 70 to reach his total. This is the second conference tournament win for the senior who beat teammate Ramie Sprinkling for medalist honors on the first playoff hole at the 2009 event.