The UA men’s golf team's return to action over the weekend was one filled with anxiety and uncertainty — a theme not unfamiliar to those whose daily routines have been interrupted by the pandemic.
The Wildcats went 10 months without competing in a team event. That layoff ended with the inaugural Copper Cup event against top-ranked Arizona State at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club.
Though Arizona came up short, losing 12.5-11.5, the two-day duel provided the team with a lot to look forward to in the spring season.
Heading in, UA coach Jim Anderson had wondered if his club could handle pressure situations. The answer was a resounding yes.
“It was awesome to be back out there. They were prepared, our guys were executing very well,” Anderson said. “We did a really good job of dealing with the nervousness that comes with competing.”
Maybe no point illustrates that more so than the head-turning play of Sam Sommerhauser. The freshman was paired with ASU sophomore David Puig in Day 1 and beat him.
Sommerhauser’s superb debut on the collegiate stage helped Arizona hold a 4-3-1 advantage over the No. 1 ranked Sun Devils after the first day of the tournament.
“Sammy was unflappable,” Anderson said.
Freshman Sam Sommerhauser continues to have 🧊 in his veins with the putter in his collegiate debut. Sinks this one for 🐤 and halve the hole. #BearDown pic.twitter.com/aD9XBkeP1N
— Arizona Men's Golf (@ArizonaMGolf) January 18, 2021
Needing to win five of the eight matches on Monday to beat the Cats, ASU countered by pairing their best golfer, Chun An Yu — who had been ranked as the No. 1 golfer in the World Amateur Rankings as recently as November — against Sommerhauser.
Yu, the third place finisher in the 2019 NCAA Golf Championships, used his experience to fend off the UA freshman and lead ASU to a Day 2 advantage in the singles matches to win the tournament. Still, Anderson couldn’t have been more pleased with the way Sommerhauser handled the pressure.
“I told him after the round, that the player he played had an exceptional day and that’s a tough match,” Anderson said. “But (Sam) was not shying away from the moment in any shape or form.”
The Wildcats also had commendable season-debuts from sophomore Chase Sienkiewicz and graduate student Christian Banke, both of whom won their matches.
Christian Banke with an absolute beauty out of the 🏖 sand! #BearDown pic.twitter.com/EkXTBKW2IK
— Arizona Men's Golf (@ArizonaMGolf) January 18, 2021
Arizona will take this week off before hosting the Arizona Intercollegiate from Jan. 25-27. As many as 18 college teams are expected to travel to Tucson for the three-day tournament.
Anderson sensed more than enough poise from his group against the Sun Devils and hopes that can carry over as more tests are thrown Arizona’s way.
“They just need to show up with a calm competence about the preparation that they've done and hopefully they’ll perform well,” Anderson said.
