Men’s Golf to Play in Final Pac-12 Championships

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men's golf team tees it up at the Pac-12 Championships this week at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Ariz. April 26-28.
 
The three-day, 6-count-5, 72-hole stroke play competition will play at par-71 and 7,203 yards. It will mark just the sixth Championships to be played at 7,200 yards or longer.
 
Split tee times will be utilized beginning at 6:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. (PT) for Friday's 36 holes, 9 a.m. for Saturday's third round, and 7:30 a.m. for Sunday's final round. Daily 30-minute highlight shows will air on Pac-12 Network at 10 a.m. (PT) the morning following each day of competition.
 
Fans can follow along the live scoring with this GolfStat link.
 
UCLA Lineup: Pablo Ereño, Omar Morales, Luke Powell, Mason Greene, Kyle An and Alex Papayoanou.
 
The Field: (3) Arizona State, (8) Arizona, (21) California, Colorado, (24) Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington and Washington State.
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Weather Report: Mostly sunny with temperature highs ranging between the mid 70s and low 80s.
 
2023-24 Season Statistics
 
Last Time Out
Juniors Pablo Ereño and Omar Morales led UCLA (-10, 842) to a runner-up finish in the Thunderbird Collegiate at Papago Golf Course April 13th. Ereño posted the best finish of his collegiate career, tying for third at 9-under (70-67-67). The Spaniard's back-to-back 67s in rounds two and three bolted him up 23 spots on the leaderboard over the final two days.
 
Morales (70-70-67) carded a 5-under 66 in his final round at the Thunderbird Collegiate to put himself in the top 10 (t-7th, -7). In round three, Morales birdied five times and, just like Ereño, holed an eagle on par-5 first hole.
 
History at the Pac-12 Championships
UCLA has won five Pac-10/12 Championships in program history: 2006, 2003, 1985, 1983 and 1982. This marks the first year Desert Forest Golf Club has hosted the event.
 
Six Bruins have medaled at the Pac-10/12 Championships. Daniel Im was the last to hoist the trophy in 2006 at The Canyons at Bighorn in Palm Desert, Calif.
 
Bruins at a Glance
UCLA's lineup is led by the trio of Ereño, Morales and Powell. Ereño is playing his best golf as a Bruin with four consecutive top-10 finishes entering this week's Pac-12 Championships. He has been UCLA's top golfer in its last four stroke play events which leads the team (Morales and Powell both led UCLA in two tournaments earlier this season). On the season, Ereño is averaging 70.8 strokes per round with 25 of his 27 stroke play rounds counting toward the team score.
 
Morales leads UCLA with six top 10s, a 69.8 scoring average and has shot under par in 21 of his 27 rounds played this season. He has finished under par in 19 of his last 21 rounds dating back to October with a 69.1 scoring average across that stretch. Morales claimed his second collegiate medal at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate on Oct. 15 with a score of 11-under 205.
 
Morales Selected to Arnold Palmer Cup International Team Roster
Morales was one of 48 collegians selected to rosters for the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup on April 23. The international collegiate event is set to take place at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland from July 5-7.
 
Morales, a native of Puebla, Mexico, was named to the International Team. He is the sixth UCLA men's golfer to compete at the event and first since Pedro Figueriedo (Portugal) and Pontus Widegren (Sweden) who both competed for the International Team in 2013. Widegren also played in the 2010-2012 renditions of the event. Patrick Cantlay (2011), Erik Flores (2009) and Kevin Chappell (2008) all competed for Team USA.
 
Morales, Powell Named to Ben Hogan Award Spring Watch List
Morales and Powell were named to the 40-player 2024 Ben Hogan Award Watch List on Feb. 9. The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award annually awards the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months.
 
UCLA is one of seven programs with multiple student-athletes selected to the Watch List. This marks UCLA's first Watch List selections since Jonathan Garrick who was honored his senior season in 2015-16. Morales and Powell look to become the second Bruin to win The Hogan Award after Patrick Cantlay earned the honor in 2012.
 
The selections are UCLA's first under head coach Armen Kirakossian, who is in just his second year with the program.