Bruin 18

2010-2011 Bruins ready to get started!

2010-09-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ranked 4th in the pre-season polls...

Two juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman...

How far can they go?

How good can they be?

It will be awesome!

Strong Season Comes to an End

2010-06-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

The young Bruins finished the 2009-2010 campaign at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, TN with a 16th place finish. Although we did not make the match play portion of the championship, we had a shot going into the final 9 holes of our 3rd round...we just came up short and the season ended their in the darkness of the Tennessee night.

The season had many highlights including two victories in the spring, the first coming at the Innagural "Battle at the Beach" and the second coming at what proved to be the strongest field of year in Las Vegas.

We also had 2 players earn Honorable Mention All-American status. Alex Shi Yup Kim and Gregor Main both earned the honor after leading the young Bruins with consistent play and strong leadership all year. Alex's season included four top-10 finishes and a 71.6 scoring average. Gregor led the Bruins with a 71.0 scoring average and five top-10 finishes.

In the classroom, we continued our success with Pedro Figueiredo, Bobby Lange, Connor Driscoll and Pontus Widegren all earning academic honors. Connor Driscoll was honored by the Pac-10 earning All-Academic status for his consistent work through his junior year.

Freshman Pontus Widegren was honored by the GCAA for his outstanding play this year, earning one of five spots on the All-Freshman team.

We are looking for big things to come over the next few years with this group. Although the season did not end like we would of liked, we will continue to build on the positives...Keep in mind, this year's Bruin team was the youngest team of all the 30 squads competing at the National Championship. Good things ahead!

Pac-10's and beyond...

2010-04-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Safe to say that our Pac-10 Championship did not go according to plan. It was once said that in golf, you are never as good as your best day...or never as bad as your worst day. The final round of our Pac-10 tourney was probably our worst day of the season. Not to dwell on the poor finish, we quickly regrouped yesterday with some individual meetings focusing on preparing for the NCAA Regional.

Not knowing where we will be shipped is fine by us...the 6 sites are all fantastic and each offer different tests for the teams in the field. Our guys are eager to find out where we will play next and are all excited about the upcoming event. Regionals is typically the toughest event of the year and our guys are excited for this opportunity to compete.

For now, it's back to the classroom for work on our academics. It was a crazy month of April and we have a little catching up to do on the books. Our last quarter was very successful as we placed 5 out of 8 guys on the honor roll (3.0 or higher) and 3 of those guys were presidential honor students (3.5 or higher). We are proud of the work that is being done by our team both in the classroom and on the golf course. Our goal here at UCLA is to have the most balanced group of student athletes in the country. Competing in everything we do.

Happy Easter! Bruins finish 2nd @ ASU

2010-04-04T06:27:00.001-07:00

From the start it seemed to be a three horse race between the Wildcats, Trojans, and Bruins...but a final round charge by the Huskies upstaged that three team dual. The Huskies fired a 16 under par final round that gave them the 2 shot victory when it was all said and done.

We started the day just like we wanted, coming out hot and jumping up into the hunt after 4 holes...the middle stretch of this course is where you have to make your run...8-14 is the stretch that will be the difference come Pac-10's in three weeks..we didn't take advantage of these holes and it cost us in the end. 10 and 14 are par 5's you have to birdie and we didn't capitalize there.

The guys fought hard coming down the stretch but it just wasn't enough...and the last 3 holes are not where you can make many birdies. 16 is a typical Pete Dye par 3, 215 with agua all the way up the right side...pretty intimidating at that point in the round, not a hole you can get greedy on. 18 is another beast...475 cape hole with H20 all the way down the left. A par on these two is all you can ask for...no doubt the Pac-10 title will be decided here.

We have a lot of work to do this coming week to prepare for Stanford next week. Our putting needs to improve along with the wedges...we will get better. This is still a very young team...

Great week for Mario and Figgy...3 freshman and 2 soph's competing with the best in the country. This final 6 weeks of the season is going to be exciting.

Thanks for following...twitter is my new thing btw, check us out @ucla_bruin18. I apologize for typo's...posting this one from my rental car @6am instead of watching the range on a recruiting trip. Memo to all jr's, I am not very concerned with your golf swing...be tough, be strong, be a good putter.

Out.

Happy Easter! Bruins finish 2nd @ ASU

2010-04-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Gregor Main competes at Bay Hill

2010-03-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

It was an exciting week for the Bruins as one of our own got to tee it up in a PGA Tour event. Sophomore Gregor Main played in his second career Tour event this week at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invite. Gregor opened with 76 in round one, then fought hard in round 2 to get back into the hunt for his second made cut. He had it four deep with 3 to play but couldn't quite get it in the house...He bogied 2 of his final 3 to miss the cut by 1 shot. He finished with a 2-under par 70 in round 2.

It was definitely a great experience for Gregor. We were all very proud of his accomplishment. He represented Bruin nation proudly...Onto ASU!

First Victory!!!

2010-02-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

The Bruins are back on top! We just wrapped up our first victory of the 2010 season in dramatic fashion. This one came right down to the wire as four teams had a shot to win the inaugural Battle at the Beach. We outlasted Washington, Oregon State and Arkansas to claim the victory by one shot.

The final round had many highlights. Freshman Pontus Widegren led our charge with a fantastic final round of 7-under 64. He played flawless golf out there on the North Ocean course at Pelican Hill...his round included a eagle on the par-4 13th, where he holed out a gap wedge from 115 to vault us into the lead.

Alex Kim carded a final round 1-under par 70 that included a clutch uphill 10-footer on the final hole for birdie that helped seal the deal. Alex had 17 straight pars and then closed with the clinching birdie. Patience paid off for Alex and the rest of the Bruins today.

Gregor Main and Connor Driscoll played solid all week and their consistency really helped us keep momentum and eventually claim the title...both the veteran's chipped in with 1-under par 70's in the final round. Gregor is playing some of the best golf of his career right now and is poised for a big spring season.

Special thanks to Pelican Hill and Long Beach State for taking great care of everyone this week. The Battle is a special event and we look forward to competing each and every year!

Next up for the Bruins is the USC Invitational at North Ranch in sunny So Cal...we hope to see you all out there!

~212

And we are back!!!

2010-02-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hello again...Sorry for the delay. Just wrapped up our team dinner following the completion of Round 2 down here in Newport Beach. We had a great sushi dinner just up the street and are ready for a final round charge.

The Battle of the Beach is in it's first year hosted by Long Beach State and UCLA. The golf course is fantastic, the views are incredible and the weather in perfect. We look forward to competing in this event year in and year out. For us, it's nice to have one more local event that more Bruins can get out to see our squad compete.

Heading into the final round tomorrow, we find ourselves 4 shots back of the leaders Oregon State. We will see what this young Bruin team has in store for the final round of the inaugural Battle at the Beach!

Gifford Collegiate @ CordeValle

2009-11-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well the blogging has been dragging, all apologies...Back in tow with a recap from our final fall event up in Northern California. We have been hosting this event up in Nor Cal for 5 years and I must say I love the venue. This year's Gifford Collegiate was a tremendous success. Although we came up short, finishing 4th behind Stanford, Ok. State, and Augusta State...there were many bright spots for the young team.

Our team was made up of four freshman and two sophomores. A very young squad to say the least. We got off to a slow start in round one, gained some momentum in round 2 and made our final charge midway through the back 9 in the final round. After the par-5 15th in round 3, we had closed to within 2 shots of Stanford. With 2 par-5's left to play in our finishing stretch, we believed we could make one final surge. That thought was derailed with 3 bogey's on the par-5 18th. We were in contention coming down the stretch and in golf, that is all you can ask for in the final round. Our guys played solid all week and had a shot.

This young team will continue to grow with each round we play. Derek and I are both very excited about the future of this team. We hope to break through in the spring and bring tournament and individual titles back to Westwood. For now, our hats go off to Stanford...they played well at CordeValle and deserved the title. We look forward to competing with the Cardinal in the years to come.

Individually we had many bright spots...Pontus and Pedro continue to impress each carding top-10 finishes. Pontus fired 8-under to finish T-3 and Figgy finished at 5-under for a T-8. Gregor Main fired a solid 5-under 67 in round 2 to help the Bruin charge. Alex Kim continued his consistent play finishing 1-under for the week in a T-23...Freshman Bobby Lange came up clutch with an even par 72 in the final round to help the squad. It was a great step for Bob as he played with great confidence and finished the round strong birdieing his final hole...

A special thanks goes out to all the people who helped make CordeValle a tremendous success. Helen Mendel the tournament director and her staff, The golf staff at CordeValle, Tom Gray the super, and especially Mrs. Rhodine Gifford for her tremendous support of the event and our team. It was truly an honor to have you there for the week. We love having you around the team and appreciate all you do for us! See you in Hawaii!

We begin off-season workouts next week...focusing on strengthening our weaknesses and finishing strong in the classroom.

The Prestige @ PGA West

2009-10-14T17:45:00.001-07:00

The season got off to a solid start this past week out in the California desert. We got off to the opening round lead with a solid performance top to bottom. Led by Freshman, Pedro Figueiredo, we shot an opening round 8-under par to grab the first round lead.

The second round brought tougher conditions and exposed a few weaknesses in our games. The young squad showed some inexperience battling the tough pin positions and winds. We backed up a bit in round 2 but still had a look going into round 3 trailing TCU by 5 shots with one round to play.

In round 3 we never seemed to get any momentum on the tough Pete Dye layout. Birdies were tough to come by for us and TCU played exceptional golf to blow the field out. We had too many unforced errors to contend this week. The good news for the young squad is that out of this 4th place finish came many positives. We know that we will continue to improve each and every day. This event will serve as a great learning experience for all of us as we prepare for our spring season.

Figgy played phenomenal all 3 round shooting 6-under for the event and finishing in second place in his first college tourney. Gregor posted solid bookend rounds although he was under the weather all week to finish T-18.

We get back to action November 9-11 at the Gifford Collegiate Championship at CordeValle. In the meantime, its back to class and working on the short game!

Bruin Lineup Set for Season Debut

2009-10-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Gregor Main, Pontus Widegren, Pedro Figueiredo, Alex Shi Yup Kim, and Mario Clemens will be starting this week as we make our 2009 season debut out in the desert. The Prestige at PGA West will be held on the Stadium course for the first time in the event's history.

Freshman Bobby Lange and Sophomore Beau Schoolcraft will also be competing for the Bruins as Individual competitors.

The event begins Sunday and concluded with the final round on Tuesday morning.

Retreat Recap...

2009-10-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to start the year with a little something different. In years past we have taken the team away from campus, playing golf everyday. This season Derek decided we would head north to the central California coast for something new.

Following our trip to Carlsbad and our first game as a team at the Rose Bowl (where we dismantled K-State), we loaded the vans and set out for San Luis Obispo. We arrived late Saturday night and got a quick 6-hours of sleep before prepping for our 1st day of activities. Derek had set up a Ropes Challenge course run by a few instructors from Cal-Poly.

The day started with introductions and a few problem solving games that challenged our guys to work together as a group to achieve the quickest times. After a few problem solving exercises, the guys set out on a blind nature walk. The guys partnered up for this walk through the trees, where one partner was blindfolded and the other had to lead him through the maze of trees, streams, rocks and hills. The first time through, the partner guiding couldn't speak directions, he could only advise by tapping the blind man in different ways. When the guys switched, the guide was allowed only to speak directions to the blind. This was a great exercise to observe as a coach...

We broke for lunch, then set out for some Ropes course action...We started with walking on a wire with a partner, having to switch in the middle of the wire...all while trusting your team below in case you fell (which I did, very quickly). After that challenge, we teamed up to climb the ladder of wooden beams. All team's made it to the top, thanks to Alex and I showing everyone how it was done! Finally we ended the day with a free jump off the 30 ft. beam...what a great way to end the day.

The day taught us a great deal about our young team. They all really enjoyed the opportunity to challenge themselves in ways they had never imagined before. It was a great team building exercise that would set the tone for the rest of the week.

The next day we set out on an ocean kayaking trip through Morro Bay. We all had individual kayak's which allowed us to explore the bay at our own pace...they highlight of the day was getting up close with sea lions, different species of birds, and a close run in with a sting ray. We had a great picnic lunch and then headed out for Bishops peak. Climbing this hike was a great way to wind down the day, it was hot out there but the guy's did a great job challenging themselves up the peak...Free and I were dragging a little bit as we approached the top.

Once on top of the peak we posed for a few pictures and talked about what this team means to us. We went around the group and each guy gave a promise as to what we could expect from them this season. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had with a team...aside from being kind of scared of heights. We hiked back down, grabbed a nice tri-tip sandwich and passed out early.

We woke early the next morning and heading back for Westwood...along the way we stopped at one of my favorite tracks in southern California...La Purisima. The guys teed it up for the first time as a group and had a blast. What a great 3 days to start the season!

Bruins Back At It In Carlsbad

2009-09-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

The 2009 season began yesterday with a trip down to Carlsbad. We met up with our boys from Taylormade and had a great day of practice. Tim, Eddie, and the rest of the Kingdom staff were phenomenal in helping dial in our guys with all of there equipment needs.

We got a sneak peek at many of the hot products coming out in the next couple months. Of note to me (a self described equipment junkie) were the new R9 tp irons, the new Penta golf ball, and some other new secret clubs...which we were sworn to secrecy on.

More importantly, this was our first day of practice and really the first time our guys had spent a day together. I can't tell you how excited Derek and I are with this group of guys. This could be the youngest team I have ever been a part of, yet they seem to have the chemistry that we look for in successful teams. Our group of upperclassmen along with the four new freshman seem to blend together in a very unique way. For me as a new coach, it was refreshing to see the guys come away from the day with energy and a positive approach heading into the new season.

The trip had many highlights...from Dinner at the Driscoll's the night before (fresh caught mahi-mahi and tuna along with some killer tri tip), to watching all of our guys in a round robin tennis tourney, a great day of hard work at the Kingdom, to helping Mario celebrate his 19th Birthday in style...I even talked a freshman out of playing his "blades/cool clubs". I usually save that conversation for month 2, but I just couldn't resist. Having Mr. Huet's help on that subject is always nice.

Day 2 was a slow one for the guys. Filled with meetings from 8 am to 2 pm, they hung tough and got through it. Day 3 will include our first major team meeting and for many of us, our first UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl! Should be a blast, can't wait to see what Pedro thinks of American football.

That's all for now-Go Bruins!

Chappell Continues Solid Play In Utah

2009-09-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Kevin Chappell extended his streak of top-15 finishes on the Nationwide Tour with a solo 9th place finish this past weekend. He fired rounds of 70-67-65-69 to finish off the week at 13-under par. The finish moved Kevin up 20 spots on the money list and into the top 100.

The Nationwide Tour continues this week in Boise, Idaho at Hillcrest Country Club.

Kevin's solid play this past month should earn him exemptions into the remainder of the Nationwide events this year based on an upcoming "re-shuffle" of the fields.

Keep up the good play out there Chappy...We are watching and cheering for you every week out here in Westwood.

Go Bruins!

Chappell Stays Hot In Mexico

2009-09-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Former Bruin golfer Kevin Chappell, aka Chappy, continued his great play this past weekend at the Mexico Open presented by Corona Light on the Nationwide Tour. Chappy fired rounds of 71-65-73-70 for a 9-under par total to finish alone in 11th. The event was played on the El Bosque Golf Club in Mexico.

Kevin took home $16,250 for the week and continued to rise up the Nationwide Tour Money List. This weeks check moved Kevin up 40 spots on the Money List from 151 up to 111. In his 5 Nationwide Starts, Kevin has earned $32,295. Look for the Fresno native to continue to play well this week.

His play in Mexico has earned him an exemption into this week's event in Sandy, Utah. You can track Kevin's progress live on www.pgatour.com/h/

Best of Luck this week Chappy.

Connor Driscoll advances to round of 32 at US Am

2009-08-26T17:00:00.002-07:00

The Bruin with the longest tenure in Westwood, Connor Driscoll is still alive on his quest forthe US Amateur title in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Connor knocked of Jonathan Randolph today in his first round match winning 3 and 1. Connor is set to square off with Oklahoma State Sophomore Peter Uhlein tommorow morning at Southern Hills.

Connor was one of two current Bruins to make it to this year's US Amateur at Southern Hills. Sophomore, Gregor Main also qualified to play in this years Am but failed to advance through the 36 hole stroke play qualifier. In total there were 312 players battling it out for 64 spots in match play.

Click here to follow the Match Play tree at the US Am.

Welcome to Bruin 18, the Blog...

2009-08-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome Bruin golf fans to the newest addition to the Bruin 18 family...the blog. I know we are only about 7-8 years behind the times as far as blogs go, but Derek and I figured it was worth a shot.

I thought I would briefly introduce myself to all our supporters/fans out there before we get rolling with the season and things get busy. My name is Ryan Ressa and I come to UCLA from Duke where I spent the past two seasons as the assistant coach. Prior to Duke I spent two seasons working at the University of San Diego in the same capacity.

Coaching has been a passion of mine since I was very young. I was always very involved in athletics growing up, but as I got older and failed to grow...I found my self on the bench more and more, probably thinking like a coach more so than a player because I wanted to help constuct the "winning" plan or play. When I went to school in the California Desert, I was lucky enough to meet and work with one of the best golf coaches in the history of the sport. He inspired me quickly to get into golf coaching. After graduating from Washington State University in 2003, I began my coaching career...which led me around the country and back to the west coast.

It has always been a dream of mine to be a part of UCLA athletics. Since I was a young kid, I can remember watching Pac-10 sports in my hometown of Pullman, Washington and thinking how dominant this UCLA program was. Not just in hoops or football, but they seemed to be great in everything. I learned from my older brother about the legendary John Wooden while watching the 95 hoops team make a run (through Seattle) to the title. UCLA has the "complete package", that term that is often overused in college athletics, but it's true. I have been a part of some tremendous institutions and the values on which this university stand are truly impressive. I am proud to be here as the assistant golf coach for Derek Freeman, who I believe is one of the best in the profession.

On and on and on...sorry for the lengthy entry, but isnt that what a blog is for???

I am happy to be here in Westwood. We still have a lot of work to do to continue to build on the fantastic traditions of UCLA golf. Derek and I have been out recruiting all summer and are excited about the possibilites of the future...that's what the summer does, you see the next 4-6 years of the program immediately in front of you everyday and you day dream about how great this guy or that guy is going to be in UCLA blue...(baby blue or air force blue, calm down Duke fan its not Carolina Blue)...but we are ready to get the season started.

The guys roll back in to town in a couple weeks and we are excited. Excited about a young team with 4 newcomers, 4 sophomores and 1 lone jr...which leads me to my next blog post...

Peace-2 (Deuce is my nickname, the story will come at another time)