UA men’s golf coach Jim Anderson woke up Friday morning and did something he hadn’t been able to do in 10 months.
“I had to put my competing hat on again,” he said.
For the first time since last March, the Wildcats will compete in a golf tournament. Their two-day, Ryder Cup-style Copper Cup showdown with rival ASU starts Sunday at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa.
The match features two of the top programs in the country: Golf Channel ranks ASU as the No. 1 team in the NCAA, with the Wildcats slotted in at No. 18.
When it was announced in August that the Pac-12 had postponed the fall season — which typically begins in the month of September — Anderson began to brainstorm ways to kick off the conference season.
He and Sun Devils coach Matt Thurmond found a solution — the first-ever Copper Cup.
“It just makes perfect sense to have this competition,” Anderson said.
Anderson, now in his ninth season with the program, mentioned ease of travel, familiarity with the opponent and a desirable format as reasons why scheduling the match was a no-brainer.
The tournament will be played with head-to-head pairings — exactly how match play is set up for the NCAA chapionships. Arizona and ASU teams will play four four-ball matches in the morning, followed by eight single matches in the afternoon on both days.
The format allows each team to bring eight members to compete instead of the usual five or six. That’s a benefit for Anderson, who labels UA as a “very, very deep team.”
Leading the way is Trevor Werbylo. The senior and former Salpointe Catholic High School star was in the midst of a near-record-breaking campaign when the pandemic hit.
His average score of 70.04 in 2019-20 ranks as the second-lowest scoring average in program history. Following the season, he was the 57th Wildcat to be named a PING All-American.
“We were feeling pretty confident and excited to make a run (last year),” Werbylo said. “I think we’re all hungry now.”
The Wildcats found ways to compete during their year without matches. Anderson and Werbylo both described individual events players took part in over summer and head-to-head duels on the course with teammates once the Cats were allowed back at their facilities.
“They want to beat each other when they’re out there,” Anderson said .
With his competitive hat back on, Anderson is eager to see how his team wears the adrenaline and pressure of being back on the course.
“I really like the mindset, energy and attitude of these players,” Anderson said. “They have a clear vision of what we can do together this semester.”
