NCAA Men's Golf West Regional Quotes: Round 1
May 15, 2008 | Men's Golf
May 15, 2008
Recap | Notes Afternoon Session Quotes:
USC Head Coach Chris Zambri:
On the biggest challenges of the course:
"The wind for sure. The wind was definitely up. It was blowing more than what the forecast was so it was a little surprising. The course is a big, tough golf course, so if you throw some wind in there it becomes a real good challenge. We had a nice finish to what was looking like kind of a mediocre day. We're happy to get the first round behind us in tough conditions. I would say any teams out there still, it's a tough go out there."
On Lovemark's eagle to end the round:
"Just makes for a good dinner, that's for sure. We struggled on 17 for sure and even gave away a couple on 16. So it was great to come to the last and pretty much make up those strokes."
On the weather being to the team's advantage Friday morning:
"It should be unless some kind of freakish weather comes through. If it's anything like Southern California it will be calm winds in the morning and then pick up in the afternoon. So we certainly wouldn't want a do-over today, I'm happy with the way it went and it's a good course."
UCLA Head Coach Derek Freeman:
On the biggest challenges of the course:
"With the wind how it was this afternoon the course played difficult. We got off to kind of a shaky start and we just kind of held on all day long and towards the very end we finished well. We made some birdies on the last three holes. I'm really proud of the guys for hanging in there because it's one of those rounds that can go either way and you hope they make the right decisions at the right times, so I'm proud of them for doing that."
On who among his players stood out most today:
"I would say Kevin Chappell. He's just always a leader. He didn't start off well and he didn't hit the ball like he normally does. I challenged him and he rose to the occasion and shot 2-under on the back-nine."
On the keys to Friday's second round:
"Our guys are comfortable being close to the lead, so a lot's going to depend on the weather in the morning. If it's not windy then the golf course is more accessible and you have more opportunities. When it gets windy like this you have to be careful where you place the ball. Hopefully we get good morning weather and these guys can get after it right off the bat. We love being first off so we're looking forward to it."
Jamie Lovemark, Sophomore, USC:
On his eagle on the final hole and his overall round:
"I needed it. I wasn't struggling but things weren't going my way so it was good to finish up and get back to even. It was playing tough this afternoon, I'm not going to lie, the wind was up, the course was pretty mean."
On what made the course a challenge:
"The pins were tough, the greens are quick. They're not quite as firm as they could be yet. It's a long course first of all and the wind was up. It was supposed to blow 10 (mph) today but it blew 15 with gusts of 20."
On the final hole:
"I hit a very soft driver to hit it high and land it soft and it ended up on the upslope just past the pin so it worked out very well. The putt was about 25-feet, left to right, then back to left at the end.
On the team's performance:
"I think we did allright. We're hanging in there. I haven't seen the entire scores yet, but nobody's really under par yet so we're looking fine."
Kevin Chappell, Senior, UCLA:
On course conditions and what went right today:
"I knew it was going to be difficult starting the round. I didn't get off to the best start (bogey on No. 1). I struggled getting out of the mentality of being a grind, and started hitting it good on the 12th tee. I just relaxed and started making putts. All in all, I'll take it, for what it is."
On the weather conditions:
"I'd say it's comparable to the Pac-10 championships with the way the wind blew, the way the course played. For us, it's the fifth round in a row we've played in these conditions. It's becoming the standard."
Kyle Stanley, Sophomore, Clemson:
On his first round play:
"I felt like I had left a lot of opportunities on my front nine. I didn't birdie either of the par-5s, made double bogey from 100 yards (on No. 15, or his seventh hole). I was kind of rusty. I hung in there and grinded it out."
Eric Shriver, Senior, Pepperdine:
On if he saw his performance (-2) coming:
"I don't really know where it came from, I've shot a million the entire semester, or close to it. I've been going through some swing changes and it hasn't really been working. But I got a lot of practice in and stayed confident and positive."
On dealing with the windy conditions:
"We played the Husky Invitational (Oct. 1-2, 2007) here in the rain and then we played our conference tournament in Washington (Apr. 14-15, 2008 at Chambers Bay) so we were used to pretty much any weather Washington could throw at us."
On his assessment of his game:
"I was pretty happy. I missed a three-footer on 17 but other than that I was pretty confident all day. I putted really well. I think I made four or five 8-footers for par."
Morning Session Quotes
University of Washington Head Coach Matt Thurmond
Overall thoughts on his team's play:
"In my mind last night I was thinking two to four-under would be a pretty solid score for us today. I didn't expect to see the wind and the wind blew probably five or six shots, so we're about where I was hoping to be."
Are you surprised about the higher scores in the morning?:
"No, actually that's what you hope for. I'm not as worried about the teams ahead of us as the ones that kind of put themselves out of it. There's some teams that shot some high scores that will be in trouble now. It's just a matter of putting three good, solid rounds together and we've got one down and that is a good start."
Joey Benedetti, Senior, University of Oregon:
On his game today:
"I was just trying to take advantage really early. I got off to a really good start. I hit one of my best drives on No. 1 right down the middle, then hit a 9-iron to about a foot of the hole, which was obviously great and to start at 1-under and got me going. I made a couple of mistakes on seven and eight, and then just played the back nine really well. I got some putts to drop. I was really happy. On this course, you've just got to play it smart. If you short-side yourself all day, you're going to shoot a number. I felt my mental game was really good today and my course management was one of my best for the year so far."
On whether it was an advantage that Oregon had played here earlier this season:
"We came up here in the fall and had the same team as then, so we pretty much knew what to expect this week. Just seeing this course once, there are a bunch of things around the greens that you need to pay attention to, so it was an advantage."
Nick Taylor, Sophomore, University of Washington:
On course conditions and what went right today:
"The course is really firm right now. It wasn't too bad in the morning for the first few holes but it really firmed up. The pins were on some ridges kind of around some bunkers, so it was tough around there. I hit the ball really well, so I wasn't trying to get up-and-down I just had to two putt a lot of birdies. I hit it pretty close on a few holes and that helped me. I had a little mishap on the third hole and made a double, but other than that I played real solid."
On changes that need to be made for tomorrow's afternoon round:
"We just got to keep it in the fairway and keep on hitting greens. I don't think it is going to change too much. The pins will probably be really similar to where they are today, just behind areas and you've just got to miss in the right spots. If I keep doing that, I should be fine."
On the wind:
"On some of the higher elevation holes it swirls a lot and it's kind of tough to judge. You just have to pay attention to how it was at the previous hole. For the most part today, most of the holes weren't affected too badly, but once it starts picking up it affects it quite a bit and you have to pay attention to it."
