Men's golf captures tourney

Not even the theft of his car and golf clubs could keep freshman Erik Flores from leading the UCLA men’s golf team to an impressive win in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate golf tournament in Florida on Tuesday.

Flores, who was robbed on Friday prior to leaving for the tournament, was able to buy new clubs right before the competition and finish second overall in the tournament at 2-over par.

With Flores’ play, the Bruins led throughout the three-day tournament and captured the title by shooting +32, defeating second-place Texas Tech by five strokes.

The victory marks the fourth tournament win of the season for the Bruins, which surpasses the three tournament wins they had last season.

“You don’t have to motivate these guys,” assistant coach Gus Montaño said. “They are driven to be the best.”

It was quite an encouraging victory for the No. 5 Bruins, which are composed of two freshman, two sophomores, and one junior.

“They have a lot of composure for young players,” coach O.D. Vincent said. “I love their ambition and hunger.”

Playing in gushing winds on a course that is difficult even in fair conditions, the Bruins led the tournament by 11 strokes after the first round.

Conditions became even worse during the next round when the Bruins were faced with brutal winds of up to 15 mph during their last nine holes.

During that time, their lead was shortened from 11 to two strokes as Texas Tech closed in, and the Bruins were caught in the blunt of this late afternoon wind.

“We are all well-seasoned players,” sophomore Kevin Chappell said of the conditions. “The Santa Ana winds (in Los Angeles) helped us to prepare for this.”

Even worse weather was expected for the third and final rounds, but the Bruins stayed focused and prepared themselves for the worst.

The Bruins came out confident during the final round – which included on-and-off rain showers, an overcast sky and 15 mph winds – and shot 5-under par during the last three holes to capture the victory.

Chris Heintz, who struggled during the first two rounds, came out big for the Bruins when he eagled the last hole and shot his best overall round of the tournament. James Lee similarly performed well down the stretch as he shot an eagle and then a birdie on his last two holes.

“The guys clicked at the end of the round and made some amazing shots,” Montaño said. “The tournament could have gone either way.”

The reason for the Bruins’ overall success was their play earlier in the tournament. Flores led all golfers after the first round, scoring 4-under par. Lee, meanwhile, finished in seventh place with 2-over par after the first round.

Vincent was not with the team on the road while he welcomed his newly born child, but he certainly expects to be back with the team in full capacity before their next tournament.

Vincent was replaced by coach Montaño, who described the trip as anything but stressful.

“The team is really a lot of fun,” Montaño said. “Our team chemistry and confidence have been great so far.”