Warian Shoots 69, But He's Now Tied for 7th at 134 in Stanford Regional

Every year, as the NCAA regional golf tournaments unfold (men's and women's), it becomes painfully obvious once again that the qualifying process for the NCAA Championships is woefully inadequate.

This year, for example, Ben Warian, the University of Minnesota senior from Stillwater (Hill-Murray High School), has shot a 5-under-par 65 and a 69 in the first two rounds of the Stanford Regional (men's) at Stanford Golf Course. But if the tournament had ended Tuesday after 36 holes, his two-round total of 134 wouldn't have been good enough get him directly into the NCAA Championships, which will be played May 24-29 at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. He would have had to play off with Pabol Ereno of UCLA for the one spot available at Stanford for an individual who's not attached to one of the five teams that qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Ereno and Warian are tied for seventh individually. Ereno arrived at 134 by virtue of a 68 and a 66. But his UCLA team is in seventh place; so the Bruins need to move up two spots on Wednesday if they're going to qualify for Carlsbad as a team.

What's more, if the tournament had ended after Tuesday's second round, Stanford's Michael Thorbjoronsen, the No 4 player in the country, out of the more that 2,000 that are listed in the Clippd national college rankings, would also not be heading for Carlsbad -- even though he's played pretty well so far, with a two-day tab of 65-71--136. But he's tied for 14th in the individual standings, and Stanford is sixth as a team. He would have missed by two as an individual, and Stanford would have missed by three as a team.

The basic problem is that the coaches who created the format for the NCAA Championships have no interest in the individual competition. John Means, the former University of Minnesota coach who was primarily responsible for building the Gopher team that won the 2002 NCAA team championship, summed it up pretty accurately when he noted more than a decade ago that if the coaches had their way, "there wouldn't be any individuals in the NCAA tournament."

There are six regional tournaments. Five teams qualify for the national tournament from each of them -- and only one individual. Which results in an NCAA tournament that has 150 players from 30 teams -- and a measly six players who are there as individuals only.

So Warian, who has been the Gophers' No. 1 player for two years, is bucking the odds as he tries to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Basically, he has to finish first in a field of 41 players, 35 of whom are on the seven teams that won't be in the top five when Wednesday's final round at Stanford is done, plus the other five of the six players at Stanford who are there as "individuals only."

After two rounds at Stanford, there is a three-way tie for first at 131. Max Herendeen of Illinois, the team in first place, led after a first-round 63, and he attached a 68 to that on Tuesday. So he's tied with Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton, a prodigy who's been talked about a lot in golf circles since he was in high school, and Texas A&M's Phichaksn Maichon, a junior who could use another vowel in his first name, but he was an All-American as a sophomore. Clanton went 65-66 on his way to 131. Maichon went 66-65.

Like Herendeen, Clanton and Maichon are both on teams that look as though they'll advance. Florida State was second after Tuesday's round, at 534, one behind Illinois (533), and Texas A&M was another five back at 539, reasonably secure in third place.

As for the individual standings, there's a three-way tie for fourth going into Wednesday's final round at 132, and the five-way tie that Warian is in, for seventh place at 134.

The situation is complicated by the team competition. Ole Miss is fourth at 547, and SMU moved up into fifth with a second-day 265 (15 under), bumping Stanford into sixth. But Stanford, seventh-place UCLA and Augusta and UNLV, the two teams tied for eighth, are all withiin eight strokes of SMU. So there could be some major changes.



NCAA Regionals

Stanford Regional

At Stanford Golf Course

Par 70, 6,727 yards

Second-round results (the top five teams from each regional advances, plus the top individual not on an advancing team)

T1. Max Herendeen, Illinois 63-68--131 (-9)

T1. Luke Clanton, Florida State 65-66--131

T1. Phichaksn Maichon, Texas A&M 66-65--131

T4. Frederik Kjettrup, Florida State 67-65--132

T4. Tyler Goecke, Illinois 65-67--132

6. Cole Anderson, Florida State 66-67--133

T7. Ben Warian, Minnesota 65-69--134

T7. Pablo Ereno, UCLA 68-66--134

T7. Daniel Rodrigues, Texas A&M 67-67--134

T7. Tom Fischer, Ole Miss 66-68--134

T7. Michael Heidelbaugh, Texas A&M 67-67--134


Team results

1. Illinois 263-270--533 (-27)

2. Flordia State 267-267--534

3. Texas A&M 271-268--539

4. Ole Miss 271-276--547

5. SMU 285-265--550


Austin Regional

At University of Texas Golf Club

Par 71, 7,399 yards

Second-round results

1. Michael Brennan, Wake Forest 67-68--135 (-7)

T2. Tommy Morrison, Texas 67-69--136

T2. Nathan Petronzio, Texas 67-69--136

T2. Brian Stark, Texas 68-68--136

T37. Nate Stevens, Notre Dame 73-71--144

Team results

1. Texas 273-273--546

2. Tennessee 276-280--556

3. Notre Dame 275-283--558

4. Brigham Young 279-283--562

5. Utah 285-283--568


West Lafayette Regional

At Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex

Kampen Course

Par 72, 7,461 yards

Second-round results

1. Kent Hsiao, Purdue 71-65--136

T2. Gordeon Sargent, Vanderbilt 67-72--139

T2. William Moll, Vanderbilt 70-69--139

T2. Garrett Endicott, Mississiippi St. 74-65--139

T28. Caleb VanArragon, Valpo 74-71--145

T53. Carson Herron, New Mexico 79-71--150

Team results

1. Vanderbilt 277-283--560

2. Purdue 284-277--561

3. Arizona 283-284--567

4. New Mexico 290-283--573

5. Florida 289-285--574


Racho Santa Fe Regional

At The Farms Club

Par 70, 6,962 yards

Second-round results

1. Sampson Zheng, California 66-69--135 (-5)

2. Neil Gabrelck North Florida 68-69--137

T3. Andi Xu, San Diego 71-67--138

T3. Andrew Riley, North Florida 70-68--138

T3. Jonas Baumgartner, Oklahoma 69-69--138

T3. Ben Lorenz, Oklahoma 69-69--138

T39. Cecil Belisle, Kansas 75-72--147

T53. Gunnar Broin, Kansas 77-74--151



Team results

1. North Florida 277-286--563

2. California 280-284--564

3. West Virginia 285-280--565

4. Oklahoma State 278-288--566

5. Oklahoma 284-284--568

11. Kansas 297-298--595