Sunny Malibu, Calif. provided no rays of hope for the UNM men's golf team Monday or Tuesday.
A dark cloud seemed to hang over the Lobos despite what head coach Glen Millican called windless, idyllic conditions at Pepperdine University's Club Glove Intercollegiate. UNM posted rounds of 312-298-301-911 at the 6,883, par-72 Saticoy Country Club to finish ninth in the 12-team tournament.
"It was just a really bad week for us," Millican said. "We just had a poor performance top to bottom."
The Pepperdine Waves dominated the event, firing a tournament record, 8-under-par 280 in the first round. They finished with a three-round total of 871, good for an 11-shot victory over Arizona State University.
Millican couldn't put his finger on the teams' dismal showing - easily its worst of the fall season.
"I'm very surprised actually," by the weak finish, he said. "Scores were OK in qualifying last week."
Junior Jay Reynolds had the Lobos' best finish for the second time in as many weeks: a 28th-place result after rounds of 75-78-74-227. He was 12 shots behind individual Michael Putnam of Pepperdine.
Reynolds, though, was less than impressed with his play this week.
"This was an inexcusably pathetic performance," he said after Monday afternoon's second round.
He said the Lobos played too conservatively from the tee, leaving themselves longer shots into the greens, where keeping the ball below the hole was imperative.
"It's the kind of course where you have to be very precise with your direction and distance, and we just didn't do that," Reynolds said.
He also said he was frustrated by the absence of junior stalwart Madalitso Muthiya, who did not qualify for the tournament.
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Muthiya is "one of those guys we really count on," Reynolds said. "We've got to have our five guys or we just don't have a chance."
Ian Medlock, the team's lone senior, finished two strokes behind Reynolds, in a tie for 35th place. Medlock improved with each round, 80-75-74-229, at the Club Glove.
Freshman Charlie Beljan followed up an opening round 79 with a pair of 4-over 76s and settled with a 42nd-place finish.
Sophomore Jae Choi couldn't muster the magic that led him to a tie for first place at last year's Club Glove. He tied with Beljan this year.
Seeing his first varsity action as a Lobo, sophomore Tyler Symons fired UNM's only sub-par score in Malibu - a second-round 71.
"I basically just kept it under the hole and two-putted everything," Symons said. "I only made two birdies and one bogey. It could've been a lot lower."
First and third round scores in the 80s, however, left Symons tied for 48th.
Millican said this week should serve as a wake up call for his team.
"I don't think anybody should feel too good about their spot on the team right now," he said.
And though the championship season is still four months away, Millican said the Lobos are a long way from where they need to be.
"You get a little concerned when you finish (almost) dead last in a tournament like this," he said. "It wasn't a very strong field. It'll make us go back and re-evaluate some things."
The Lobos will look for redemption Oct. 20 and 21 at the Barona Cup in San Diego, Calif.
