The new-look UA men’s golf team will try to defend its Pac-12 championship this spring with almost a completely new rotation.
Arizona lost Pac-12 Golfer of the Year Brad Reeves, Tucson native Trevor Werbylo, Briggs Duce and David Laskin to graduation. Fortunately, the UA returns juniors Chase Sienkiewicz and Chaz Aurilia and graduate transfer Christian Banke for 2022.
“We have a mixture of guys who are developing young, but also guys with some experience who I think are ready for collective success as a team,” coach Jim Anderson said.
After losing the Copper Cup — a Ryder Cup-style tournament against in-state rival Arizona State — last week for the second straight season, the Wildcats open the spring season with the Arizona Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday. The event will be played at the Wildcats’ new home course, the Tucson Country Club. For nearly a decade, Arizona played at Sewailo Golf Course.
Anderson joined the Star’s Justin Spears on ESPN Tucson to discuss takeaways from the Copper Cup and playing at Tucson Country Club for the first time since leaving Sewailo.
What did you take away from the team’s performance against ASU at the Copper Cup event?
“The final outcome is something we didn’t sign up for. However, the competition and the format is unique and it gives us the opportunity to have eight players playing at one time, and we played great golf during the week at times and it gave us a ton of encouragement. We were winning through the first two sessions and had five matches go to the 18th hole. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of five of them, that’s why the score looked the way it did. So, a lot of the rust and competitive anxiety that comes with opening the season, some of that should be gone this week when we open at Tucson Country Club.
“I know we have an appetite to win and our guys are going to be even more focused, because they hit meaningful shots. … It’s so fun and it’s so intense. When you put two rivals together, there’s no shortage of meaningful shots. I think that’s what we really set out to do with the concept of the Copper Cup, and we found out it was a great way for both teams to open the season and play for something that means something to us, but also really point us in a positive direction in getting ready for the semester and the spring season.”
What do you think about playing home tournaments at Tucson Country Club?
“The Tucson Country Club is going to do a great job of hosting great teams and of course our team is excited to get things going at home and welcome in spectators, welcome in visitors and volunteers. … Speaking for our team, we just want to play great. We can’t control how other teams shoot, but we believe our best golf is better than everybody else’s best, especially at home.
“Going into the week, we’re going to have to do a good job of messaging patience, composure, because I think it’s easy to overdo it, especially when the expectation rises. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think we couldn’t win our home tournament — we know we can. We have so many guys coming back from last year’s team that know about what our expectations are, what our culture is.
“Overall, I feel pretty good about this year’s team and our ability to compete the way our past teams have.”
What’s different about Tucson Country Club compared to Sewailo?
“Tucson Country Club brings a new set of challenges for us and all teams. Sewailo has been an amazing home for our tournament and our team for almost a decade, so there’s a lot of home-course advantage built in at Sewailo. It’s in a desert, so it’s quite open and there’s some nuances to the greens where you certainly know certain angles to take in. Tucson Country Club is a little more Parkland style, so it’s a very easy walk. Spectators can walk in, take in the course and get in on the action on the 13th green and then turn around to see the green on (hole) 15.
“It’s easier to take in the excitement. Our team is going to have to get used to fast greens. … (TCC) is doing everything they can to put on this tournament and they’ve been first class — not just for the Wildcats but the 14 other teams coming in. We’re very happy and very lucky to be having this event at the Tucson Country Club.”
