April 18, 2002
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US Intercollegiate Final Tune Up
The 19th-ranked San Diego State men's golf team makes its final regular-season tour stop of the year this weekend when the Aztecs travel to the Bay Area for the 2002 US Intercollegiate. Hosted by Stanford, the two-day, 54-hole tournament will be played at the Stanford Golf Course (par 71, 6,835 yards) and will feature 36 holes on Saturday, April 20th, with the final 18-holes slated for Sunday, April 21st. Play will begin with 8 a.m. shotgun starts both days.
The Field: SDSU Among Six Top-50 Squads
The 19th-ranked Aztecs are one of six teams ranked in this week's Golfweek top-50 poll traveling to Stanford for the US Intercollegiate. No. 9 USC is the only other top-25 squad competing. However, No. 28 Washington State, No. 32 Oregon, No. 46 UCLA and No. 47 Texas Tech will also be gunning for this year's title. Despite not being ranked in the top 50, host school Stanford is 2-0 versus San Diego State this season and headlines the rest of the 16-team field that includes California, Long Beach State, Pacific, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara and UC Irvine.
For The Record: Aztecs Versus The Field
San Diego State has finished in the top five in 8-of-10 tournaments during the 2001-02 season and enters the week with a sparkling 133-21 (.864) overall record. SDSU has faced all of the other 15 teams in the 2002 US Intercollegiate field, posting a 24-8 record. The Aztecs are a combined 4-5 against the five other top 50-ranked teams, going 1-1 versus Oregon, Texas Tech, UCLA and Washington State. SDSU dropped its only meeting with USC, finishing behind the Trojans at the Tucker Intercollegiate.
Last Year's US Intercollegiate
San Diego State did not take part in last year's US Intercollegiate, instead closing out its regular season at BYU's Ben Hogan Cougar Classic. Led by individual medalist Chris Nallen's 7-under 206, Arizona captured the 2001 team title with a three-round total of 15-under 837. The Wildcats, however, will not be back to defend their crown.
Familiar Faces
San Diego native and Aztec senior Brandon Kearney will be making his first competitive return to the Bay Area since transferring to SDSU from San Jose State. Kearney, a three-year starter at SJSU from 1998-2000, should see plenty of familiar faces at Stanford as the Spartans will also be among this year's US Intercollegiate field. It is the fifth time Kearney has squared off with his old mates. So far he and the Aztecs are a perfect 4-0 versus SJSU.
Poll Watch: SDSU Stays the Course
San Diego State held steady in both polls this week and is ranked No. 19 by Golfweek and No. 20 by the GCAA Coaches.
Back Spin: Aztecs Get Silver At Olympics
Coming off its lowest finish of the season, a seventh at Oregon, San Diego State had a big bounce back in the Lone Star State as the Aztecs shot a combined 6-under 858 to place second at the Border Olympics in Laredo, Texas, April 5-6. Baylor held off SDSU to take the team title at 19-under 845. Four Aztecs finished in the top 25, paced by Lars Johansson, who shot 2-under 214 and tied for eighth. Brandon Kearney (217), John Lieber (218) and Scott Henderson (219) were SDSU's other top-25 finshers.
Whole Greater Than Sum Of Its Parts
The success San Diego State has enjoyed this season has been a result of a solid team effort by the Aztecs. Despite being ranked in the top 25 of both major polls, SDSU does not have a single player ranked among Golfweek's top-75 individuals. In fact, John Lieber is the only Aztec ranked in this week's top 100, checking in at No. 85 this week.
Aztec Chip Shots
* Eight of the nine players who have appeared in at least two tournaments this season own stroke averages under 74.0.
* Less than one stroke separates SDSU's starting five. John Lieber leads the way at 72.3 with Brandon Kearney and Scott Henderson posting the highest averages at 73.2.
* After not cracking the top 20 since the Aztecs' spring opener in Hawaii, No. 4 player Brandon Kearney has turned the trick twice in each of the last two tournaments, placing third at Oregon and 16th in Texas.
* John Lieber, SDSU's stroke average leader among players with at least nine competitive rounds this season, has placed in the top 25 in 8-of-10 events, including five top-5s. The junior has also carded 12 rounds of par or better in the last seven tournaments.
* Lars Johansson has been SDSU's top finisher in two of the last three tournaments, placing second at the USD Invitational and eighth at the Border Olympics.
Head Coach Dale Walker
Head coach Dale Walker is in his second season at the helm of th SDSU golf program. A standout performer for the Aztecs from 1975-79, he has guided the Aztecs to six tournament titles since taking over as head coach.