UCI Golfers Travel on Their Stomachs

What caught UC Irvine’s freshmen golfers off guard wasn’t that they beat the upperclassmen in the team’s qualifying rounds.

After a summer working on their skills in American Junior Youth tournaments, they had an edge and took the five travel spots for last week’s Northwest Collegiate Tournament in Monroe, Ore. The real shocker came when they got out on the road.

Per diem. Translated: free grub.

“We couldn’t believe it, everything was free,” said freshman Mike Lavery, who played at Irvine High School. “We were really excited about getting the food. We kept eating because it was free.”

A two-course meal--on the greens, then at the table. The price a coach pays for taking a trip with the kids.

Still, while the Anteaters finished 10th out of 12 teams, there were some moments that made Coach Paul Smolinski hunger for more.

Ryan Armstrong finished sixth in the individual competition, just two shots off the lead. “There is great potential in this group,” Smolinski said.

As long as they don’t overeat.

“They would come off the greens and say, ‘Coach, do we get free food now?’ ” Smolinski said. “When the veterans travel, they expect that stuff. It was fun to watch these guys going, ‘Wow, we get another free meal.’ What seems like a privilege becomes expected and it doesn’t take them long to figure that out.”

Of course, privileges weren’t honored last week. Smolinski didn’t consider rank in getting ready for the team’s first tournament. Instead, he put his 11 golfers through two qualifying rounds.

Armstrong, Lavery, Brandon Murray, Nick Asbrock and Jeff Coburn were the top five finishers. Coburn, a redshirt freshman, was the only one to experience collegiate life last year. Dusty Schmidt, another freshman, finished sixth.

“It was reverse hazing,” said Jeff Johnston, Irvine’s director of golf.

And served a purpose.

“It does send a message,” Smolinski said. “Guys know it isn’t going to be as easy to qualify for the travel squad as it was last year.”

Still, it was a bit of a stacked deck. The freshmen were coming off a busy summer on the American Junior Youth circuit. In fact, Lavery won the 12 Ridges Tournament in Sacramento in July. He also shot a course-record 63 at Mission Viejo Country Club.

“Their games are pretty hot right now,” Smolinski said. “It was easy for the other guys to rest during the summer after a long year.”

Rest is over.

“I think we opened their eyes that they better start practicing,” Armstrong said.

CHAPMAN STADIUM NAMED

Chapman’s athletic stadium will be named for trustee Irvin C. “Ernie” Chapman, son of the university’s namesake, Charles C. Chapman.

The ceremony will take place at halftime of the Panthers’ game Saturday against Howard Payne College.

Chapman, 88, has served on the university’s board of trustees since 1936. He was a three-year football letterman when the school was named California Christian College.

Staff writer Lon Eubanks contributed to this story.