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Golf: Devils shoot for first win

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Coming off a win in the U.S. Intercollegiate, senior Pat Moore leads the ASU men's golf team into the Pac-10 Championships, which start today in Walla Walla, Wash. Moore has posted a 72.24 stroke average in 10 tournaments.

ASU men's golf coach Randy Lein hopes his Magnificent Six can crack the winning code today at the Pac-10 Championships in Walla Walla, Wash.

This spring has been unique for Lein, who has coached ASU to 38 tournament victories, six Pac-10 titles and a national championship since coming to Tempe from USC in 1992.

In previous seasons, Lein carried as many as 12 golfers. This year, Title IX requirements handicapped his squad at nine.

Lein said he never has seen a team struggle to find its groove this late in the season.

The Pac-10 Championships call for six players, with the five lowest scores counting toward the team total. There will be 36 holes today, 18 holes on Tuesday and 18 holes on Wednesday.

Senior Kendall Critchfield will see his first action since the Southern Highlands Collegiate held in Las Vegas in mid-March. Sophomore Niklas Lemke and junior Charly Simon also will make the trip.

Senior Pat Moore, who enters the postseason coming off a win in the U.S. Intercollegiate, has played the best golf of his career down the stretch.

Most of Moore's teammates have struggled to get the ball up and down.

Senior Jesse Mueller carded a 6-under 66 to finish fourth in the National Invitational Tournament, held last month in Tucson. Since then, Mueller hasn't caught many breaks.

FYI

WHAT: Men's golf, Pac-10 Championships.

WHEN: Today through Wednesday.

WHERE: Walla Walla Country Club, Walla Walla, Wash.

FORMAT: Each team fields six golfers. The lowest five scores for each 18-hole round are counted toward the team total. There will be 36 holes today, 18 holes on Tuesday and 18 holes on Wednesday.

ASU'S LINEUP: Alejandro Canizares, Kendall Critchfield, Niklas Lemke, Pat Moore, Jesse Mueller and Charly Simon.

Mueller finished tied for 49th place in the U.S. Intercollegiate and tied for 27th with junior Alejandro Canizares in the Thunderbird Invitational, held earlier this month at Karsten Golf Course.

Lein said Canizares, the 2003 national champion, has battled putting problems since February.

"For someone like him, it really is a mental thing," Lein said. "I think he has gotten it under control."

Lein said his golfers spent extra time practicing wedge shots to prepare for Walla Walla Country Club. He figures they'll be able to handle the par-71, 6,606-yard course.

"Your longer players tend to hit it straighter anyway," Lein said.

Lein likes the fact that his team's three seniors will be competing in the Pac-10 Championships. He wants the three-day tournament to serve as a steppingstone for the NCAA Regionals, scheduled for May 19-21 at Stanford.

Last week, USC won the U.S. Intercollegiate in a landslide over a stacked field that included every Pac-10 school. ASU finished sixth, 26 strokes off the pace.

Maybe ASU's turn finally has come. Lein is crossing his fingers.

Reach the reporter at mark.saxon@asu.edu.


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