9-5-06

Youth, depth seen in Poly golf squads

Men's and women's teams qualifying tourneys coming this week

When Cal Poly golf coach Scott Cartwright looks at this season's men's and women's squads, he sees youth and depth.
What still must be sorted out for Cartwright and the Mustang squads will be the leadership roles and traveling teams.
That sorting begins this week as the teams take to local golf courses for up to 90 holes of team qualifying -- and for women early next week, an opening-season tournament in Denton, Texas on Sept. 11 and 12.
The men swing into their 2006-07 season Sept. 14-15 at the '49er invitational, played at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. The golf course is a William Bell/A.W. Tillinghast design.
"The depths of our teams will be our strength," said Cartwright, a PGA member and former head professional at San Luis Obispo Country Club.
On the men's side, the Mustangs are coming off a banner season, winning the Big West tourney and finishing in the top-20 of the NCAA West Regional championship. Their biggest gun, Travis Bertoni, has now graduated and joined the professional ranks. He won the Big West championship in 2005, was second in 2006 in that tournament and was named to the PING All Pacific Region team by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
"Our first eight players are going to be pretty solid," said Cartwright this week.
That group includes incoming freshmen Daniel Miller from Righetti High and Geoff Gonzalez from Monte Vista High School in Diablo, a player Cartwright sees as "eventually filling Travis's shoes."
Back from a redshirt year after changing majors is junior Brycen Wagner; also juniors David Lewinski -- second in stroke average to Bertoni last year; Colin Peck -- who had five top-20 finishes last year; Kevin O'Brien, two top-10 finishes last year and J.J. Scurich, who played in 32 rounds last season and had three-top-20 finishes.
Peter Morse is a senior who posted 23 rounds in 2005-06 and averaged 77.1 stroke per round.
Qualifying rounds for an expected field of 24 men start Thursday at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande. Additional rounds will be played at The Links at Vista Del Hombre, Hunter Ranch, Monarch Dunes in Nipomo and Santa Maria Country Club. There will be a cut after 54 holes. Cartwright anticipates a cut line at about 222 for the three rounds.
The men will play five tournaments this fall, and Cartwright said the team's showing may go a long way in determining whether the Mustangs will make it back into the NCAA tournament next spring.
"We need to play well every week," said Cartwright, in order to earn the rankings that will earn an NCAA invite next spring. This past season, the Mustangs qualified for the NCAA by winning the Big West.
Among the stiffest competition is team will see this fall, Cartwright expects to see strong fields in both the '49er Invitational at Long beach and the MacKenzie Cal Invitational played Oct. 9 and 10 at The Meadows Club in Fairfax.
On the women's side, The Wolfpack Invitational at Reno (Oct. 3 and 4) along with The lady Aztec Invitational Oct. 16 and 17 played in Chula Vista will be the toughest tournaments of the fall, said Cartwright.
The Cal Poly women will host The Firestone Grill/Cal Poly Invitational at Cypress Ridge Golf Course Nov. 6 and 7.
"We need to certainly step up at Reno. That course beat us up last year," said Cartwright.
Returning for the Lady Mustangs this season are last year's co-MVPs, Allison Wing and Jessica Huss. Huss, of Atascadero High, is the only member of this year's squad to post collegiate victories. She has two.
"Her experience will certainly help," said Cartwright, who added this year's squad "needs to be more consistant."
Wing is coming off shoulder surgery that took place in January.
Last year's team best showings were two fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place tie at invitational tournaments.
The core of the team is likely also to include Hannah Brabb, Elsie Walker and three incoming freshmen -- Julia Heath, Stephanie Yocum and Maddy Fletcher, according to Cartwright.
"The three freshmen are going to get a lot of playing time this year," Cartwright said.
There are 14 women seeking 10 or 11 spots on the team, and their qualifying tournament begins Thursday afternoon at Rancho Maria, with two more rounds coming Friday -- Cypress Ridge in the morning and Monarch Dunes in the afternoon.
-- Larry Mauter