Individual achievement is leading to team success for the No. 17San Diego State men’s golf team.
TheAztecs posted three of the top five individual scores en route totheir second straight team victory at the windblown, 54-holeBite/Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Tournament in Lompoc, Calif.,March 7-8.
“We went out there and fought,” junior John Lieber said. “Youcan’t waste any energy on the conditions. We just focused on playingone shot at a time and everyone went out there and battled.”
Lieber (72-69-73 — 214) and sophomore Mark Warman (71-70-73 –214) tied for second place, while senior Scott Henderson (71-72-74 –217) finished fifth. The three top-five finishers led the Aztecs totheir second win of the season.
Lieber said while the consecutive wins have helped to boostconfidence on the team, the Aztecs are staying focused on the bigpicture.
“These tournament wins are great,” Lieber said. “But regionals iswhat we are really getting ready for. We want to be 100 percent readywhen we get to Albuquerque.”
The upside for Aztec fans is that this team hasn’t even played itsbest golf yet, according to head coach Dale Walker.
“The good news is I’m not satisfied with our play,” Walker said.”We are not where we need to and there is still plenty of room forimprovement.”
Henderson, who is in his final semester, agrees with Walker’sassessment.
“Idon’t think that this team has peaked yet,” Henderson said. “I thinkit’s the beginning of a trend.
“We believe we can win every tournament we’re in.”
Aztec men’s Player of the Week
Scott Henderson’s consistent play is a big reason the Aztecs havewon back-to-back tournaments. Henderson has gone from part-timequalifier to full-time starter for the team.
“His performance has been very solid,” Walker said. “He has earnedevery bit of his success.”
Aztec women’s update
The San Diego State women’s golf team got off to a solid startMonday (307-302 — 609), putting itself within two shots of NewMexico.
The Aztecs stood in seventh place going into Tuesday’s final roundof the Pioneer Electronic Classic, at the Menifee Lakes Country Club,in Menifee Lakes, Calif.
Interim assistant coach Felicia Brown said she is pleased with theteam’s play.
“I am really happy because we are beating the
teams that we need to beat,” Brown said. “We are taking care ofbusiness against the teams that are ahead of us in our district.That’s what we need to do to make it to regionals.”
The Lady Aztecs are No. 20 in the West District. Twenty-one teamsfrom the district will be invited to the NCAA West Regionals atStanford in May.
