Arizona men's golf tees off NIT in Tucson after winning Copper Cup

Arizona men's golf set the tone for its spring season with a win over seventh-ranked Arizona State, USC and UCLA at the Copper Cup at El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel, California, this past week. 

The Copper Cup, a biannual Ryder Cup-style competition, pits the Wildcats against its the "rivals to the north," according to UA men's golf head coach Jim Anderson.

Arizona also won the Copper Cup in Maricopa in 2024. "We're super excited to be back and to win the Copper Cup for the second time in a row," Anderson said.

"We were fortunate enough to have our guys ready to go, we played some really terrific golf, competed at a high level and that's really important for us this time of year, because we want to be sharp and ready to go for upcoming stroke play and the more traditional tournaments," Anderson said.

"Either way, when you get to play your rival and come out on top, I think everyone in Tucson knows what that means, and it certainly adds a level of pride for our team and something we're excited to share with our community back here at home." 

Arizona is set to host the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) at Omni Tucson National on Monday and Tuesday. The last time the Wildcats won the NIT was in 2023; the Wildcats finished their home event in second place the last two seasons.

The NIT will be one of three NCAA golf events in Tucson this year. The Wildcats are also hosting the Arizona Thunderbirds Collegiate at its home course, Tucson Country Club, and The Gallery Golf Club is hosting an NCAA Regional in May. 

The Wildcats are one of 13 teams competing in the NIT, along with BYU, Cal, Texas, Howard, New Mexico State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Grand Canyon, Fresno State, Santa Clara, UTEP and St. Mary's. 

Monday will have two rounds and Tuesday will be one round for a total of 54 holes in two days — both days starting at 8:30 a.m. 

"I'm expecting our team to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity," said Anderson. "We know the hole locations, we know what the course is going to play like, we're sharp, we played and competed. Hopefully that yields a good result. We've been fortunate and successful the last two years we've hosted this tournaments. I think that recipe can work again this year, so we're excited to do it."

With former track coach Fred Harvey retiring in May, Anderson, who was hired in 2012, is now the longest-tenured head coach at the UA. After punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament last season, the Wildcats are geared up for another postseason in Anderson's 14th season at the helm.

Leading up to the NIT, Anderson joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to talk about a few players who will be the key cogs to Arizona potentially having a banner season. Here's that conversation:  

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One of your standout players at the Copper Cup was Taishi Moto, a sophomore from Tokyo, Japan. What was his path to Arizona and how can he impact the Wildcats this season and beyond?

A: "Taishi has been awesome on our team. He comes from Japan and is the first player from the Japanese national team to have elected to pursue a college golf path and academics in the United States. Traditionally, most of the top Japanese players have chosen to stay closer to home and they have a university program back there that works well and you've seen some players out on (the PGA) Tour.

"Taishi is kind of a pioneer in that regard. He chose Arizona about 24 months ago and our assistant coach Matt Walton built a great relationship with him. I got to know (Moto) over time and knew he'd be a great fit for our program. He signed with us and enrolled in the spring in 2025. The way the transcripts come over and the NCAA's interpretations on grades — he's a great student and did some great work in the fall and he's carrying a great GPA — there's challenges to get players eligible right away.

"To his credit, he stuck it out and used a let's call it a redshirt year and acclimated to the community, got acclimated to the golf courses, got to know his teammates better and then got to make his debut in the Copper Cup. We couldn't have been more impressed. ... He carried himself like a champ and won three points for us and did a terrific job.

"I know he's a player we're excited to have. He's eligible and finally ready to help our team. The coaches, the players and our athletic department know a lot about Taishi. He's got an infectious smile and personality and is such a nice young man. Everyone is rooting for him and we're excited about him." 

In a one-year span, Arizona senior Zach Pollo competed in the U.S. Open as an amateur, won the St. Andrews Intercollegiate Collegiate in Scotland and had a Top 10 finish at the Amherst Regional in Virginia. How has his game evolved and how does his recent success set him up for this season? 

A: "Zach has matured so much. He's always had a mature demeanor. His mental approach has matured a lot and he's much more composed internally than he's ever been. I think that comes with aging and experience. It's impressive. ... He knows how to score, even when his best stuff isn't showing up.

"When his best stuff is on, he's really difficult to beat and he knows it and is very humble and works very hard. He's matured internally and he has grown to understand to be patient in all situations. Ultimately, it's about getting into the right mind space with his putter. He's an outstanding putter, but as it goes with guys who strike the ball as well as he does, he gets a lot of looks.

"When the first putt doesn't go in or the second one doesn't go in or the third one doesn't go in, you're getting great looks and when they're not going in, it can be deflating. We just gotta keep him positive — and he is — and watch him take advantage of his last semester of college."

Arizona senior Filip Jakubcik has been a mainstay every year he's been at the UA and was a first-team all-conference selection the last two seasons. How has it been having him as a leader the last three years?

A: "Filip is a rockstar. He's as cool as they come when he's competing. He couldn't be more prepared for the next level. His ball striking is A-plus, his putting has improved so much in the last two years and he's definitely a guy that we can count on in any situation. The exciting thing for him is to take advantage of the last six or seven tournaments that we have. ... Seeing him compete is a real treat.

"I would urge any avid golfer in the area to come out and watch us play in our upcoming home tournaments because we have nine guys who are impressive, but Filip and Zach have legitimate chances to play high-level golf at the professional level. ... It's been fun to see those two enjoy the successes they've had thus far, and we're looking forward to seeing what it looks like as they cap off their senior season at the U of A."