UCI Hopes to Forge Some New Links to Championship Golf : NCAA regionals: The Anteaters were a national Division II power in the mid-70s. Now they’re getting their first shot at Division I.

You have to go back to the 1970s to find a UC Irvine golf team that was still playing when national championships were being decided.

This time of year, UCI golfers are usually taking it easy or fooling around on the driving range, doing whatever it is they do when the season is done.

But today, for the first time in the history of the program, there will be Anteaters at the NCAA Division I golf regionals.

Irvine is one of 18 teams at the West Region championships today through Sunday at the Tucson National Golf Club. The top nine teams, and the top two individuals from the rest of the field, qualify for the NCAA championships June 3-6 at Albuquerque.

There is some glamorous golf in Irvine’s past, but it was before the school joined Division I in 1977.

Seventeen years ago, an Anteater team led by Jerry Wisz and coached by Jerry Hulbert won the NCAA Division II title at Ft. Campbell, Ky. Irvine was second in the nation in 1974 and ‘76, and fourth in 1973.

Wisz, now director of golf at Alhambra Golf Course, was the medalist at the national tournament, and was named an All-American. He remains close to the program, which has been coached by Steve Ainslie the past 18 years.

“Jerry’s one of my biggest boosters,” Ainslie said.

This Irvine team isn’t built around stars, but on consistency.

“This is the best team I’ve ever had,” said Ainslie, who was named Big West Conference coach of the year this season. “Depth is the word you’re looking for.”

Ainslie has two very good golfers in William Yanagisawa and Joey Sugar, and a stable of solid ones behind them.

When the Anteaters finished seventh in the nine-team Big West tournament, it was a surprise to many--except for those who knew that the Anteaters already had wrapped up an invitation to the regionals.

They are not favorites in the difficult region by any means. It includes the nation’s top three teams: No. 1 Arizona State, No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Nevada Las Vegas.

“Actually, it’s kind of neat that we haven’t been before,” Ainslie said. “Nobody expects us to do anything. It’s back to the UCI David-and-Goliath syndrome. I think the guys will go in loose. They’ve got nothing to lose. Nobody expects us to be there in the first place, and nobody expects us to go further. I think we’ll be ready to play.”

The top nine is the goal, because it means advancing.

“If we were to finish ninth in this tournament, it would be awesome,” Ainslie said. People would say, ‘You finished ninth? Too bad.’ ”

But the Anteaters would be on the way to Albuquerque.

It’s more realistic to hope an individual can advance, as one of the two top golfers not playing for one of the nine top teams.

Ainslie is preparing his team to go for it.

“You’d better believe it, 75 or 76 isn’t gonna get it down there,” he said. “We’ve got to shoot low.”

Each team starts five players, with the four best scores counting toward the team total. A look at Irvine’s top five:

No. 1 William Yanagisawa, sophomore--He became Irvine’s No. 1 player as a freshman, and this year the former Long Beach Poly High golfer is even better. His 72.95 stroke average has helped him to seven top-10 finishes, including three seconds. He won the San Diego State Aztec Invitational in November with rounds of 68 and 72. Yanagisawa--”Willie” to his teammates--has five rounds in the 60s this season, including a 67 at the Fresno Classic in April. “He’s just a great player,” Ainslie said. “He’s always going to shoot around par. He’s our No. 1 guy, and our guys know he’s going to be close to the lead in any tournament he plays in.”

No. 2 Joey Sugar, senior--The team captain, Sugar is also a phenomenally successful fund raiser for the school. With his low-pressure telephone sales pitch, “He could sell you a vacuum cleaner,” Ainslie said. “He’s one of the greatest guys I’ve ever coached in 13 years. This kid’s a winner.” Sugar, formerly of Esperanza High, worked hard before his senior season to improve his putting, once a weak link in his game. He has a 73.19 stroke average with seven top-10 finishes. Sugar was second at the Pacific Coast Championships at Goleta in March, shooting 69-72-72. With a semester of school remaining after his eligibility expires, he’ll probably be an assistant coach under Ainslie next year. “Joey’s our glue,” Ainslie said. “He’s the kind of guy who keeps a team together.”

No. 3 Lyle Archer, senior--Ainslie says Archer, from Holtville, Calif., is one of the smallest Division I players around, but a long driver nonetheless. “How big is he really, or how big does he say he is?” Ainslie asked. “I say he’s 5-5, 130. His heart is 6-foot, 200.” Archer’s stroke average is 74.53, and his extraordinary accomplishment this season was to win his third consecutive Anteater Invitational title at Big Canyon in Newport Beach. “It’s unprecedented, and it will never happen again,” Ainslie said. “The course does suit him. You’ve got to hit the ball long and straight, and that’s what he does. He hits the ball farther than people think he will. I’d say his average drive is 250 yards.”

No. 4 Adam Horodyski, junior--His teammates are models of consistency, but Horodyski, who is from Victoria, British Columbia, is a picture of potential. “We expect big things out of Adam next year,” Ainslie said. “He’s the kind of guy who can shoot a very low score. Adam will win tournaments next year. His talent is probably larger than his confidence.” Horodyski had a 75.31 average, and finished second at the Sacramento State Invitational in March, shooting 72-72-80.

No. 5 Steve Holmes, freshman--Ainslie faced a tough decision on who to take as the team’s fifth golfer. “Oh boy, did we,” Ainslie said. “The coach made a choice and he chose somebody who probably isn’t even in your media guide.” Steve Holmes, a freshman from Newbury Park High, didn’t finish higher than 59th in any tournament this season, but Ainslie believes he is capable of coming up with a crucial round. “He’s the kind of guy who could shoot a real low score for us. He’s done it before in a major tournament.” Holmes had a round of 71 in the San Diego State Aztec Invitational in November, helping Irvine win the tournament.