UCI One of 30 Golf Teams at NCAA Division I Finals
The UC Irvine golf team makes the school’s first appearance in the NCAA Division I championships, which begin today at The Championship Course at the University of New Mexico.
Thirty teams qualified for the tournament, which continues through Saturday. A 15-team cut will be made Thursday after the second round.
Irvine, which won the 1975 Division II title, qualified for the NCAA championships by tying for eighth place in the NCAA West Regional at Tucson. The top nine teams advanced.
“We have already accomplished all of our goals this season, so this is a bonus,” Coach Steve Ainslie said. “Obviously, our top goal in New Mexico is to make the cut. Nobody expected us to reach the regional, then nobody expected us to advance. Realistically, our players should be relaxed after they hit their first shot at the NCAAs.”
Lyle Archer, a senior, was Irvine’s top golfer at the regional, finishing fifth. His round of 65 tied Arizona State’s Phil Mickelson and Nevada Las Vegas’ Warren Schutte for the lowest round of that tournament.
Sophomore William Yanagisawa leads Irvine with a 72.88 stroke average.
The top teams in the field are No. 1-ranked Arizona State, No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Nevada Las Vegas.
In addition to the top 15 teams and teams tied for the top 15, the top six individuals not on those teams will make Thursday’s cut.
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