April 8, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -

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The UC Santa Barbara golf team, led by sophomore Brian Hollenbeck, completed its last Big West Tournament Championship warm-up with a 10th-place finish at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic at the Walking Stick Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Hollenbeck shot a 1-over par 211, to finish in a tie for 25th-place. He shot 1-under par 69 in each of the first two rounds, but was 3-over par in the final round to finish with his 211. Freshman Michael Casca, on the other hand, was 5-over par entering the final round, and shot a 1-under par 69 on Tuesday to finish with a 4-over par 214, tied for 38th-place.

The Gauchos entered the final round of the tournament in sixth-place with a 5-over par 565, but shot a 9-over par 289 to finish at 14-over par and in 10th-place. League opponent UC Davis, led by Austin Graham and Nate Pistacchio, who each shot 4-under par 206 to finish tied for ninth, won the tournament. Grand Canyon, an NAIA school, finished at 7-under par to finish second. Idaho and Oregon tied for third, and Utah was fifth.

Boise State's Troy Merritt, who won last week's OGIO-Pacific Coast Invitational, hosted by UCSB at Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, won the individual title by shooting an 8-under par 202, one shot better than a duo of golfers playing as individuals.

In addition to Hollenbeck and Casca, the Gaucho effort included Darren Schwartz, who finished tied for 47th at 5-over par 215, freshman Scott Lewis, who finished tied for 56th at 7-over par 217, and freshman Tyler Weir, who was 8-over par 218 to finish tied for 66th.

UCSB will now take several days off before it returns to action at the 2008 Big West Golf Championships on April 21-22, in Mission Viejo, Calif.