USC finishes sixth at Gifford Collegiate
Playing in its final tournament before a three-month break, the USC men’s golf team completed an up-and-down three days on Wednesday to tie for sixth at the Gifford Collegiate at the CordeValle resort in San Martin, Calif.
The Trojans started strong, with help from junior Daniel Park, sophomore Steve Lim and freshman Sam Smith, who all carded rounds of two-under par on the first day, boosting the Trojans all the way to fourth overall after the first day of action.
Carrying the load · Sophomore Steve Lim was USC’s top individual scorer. Lim finished 13th overall and helped the Trojans finish sixth. - Photo courtesy of USC Sports Information
Smith and Lim both shot for an eagle during their respective rounds; Lim at the par five 15th hole and Smith at the par five sixth hole. Smith, who started on the back nine, used his eagle and another birdie to finish the back nine at three-under par, negating a one-over par start to his day.
The tournament featured two of the best programs in the nation — Oklahoma State and Stanford, good measuring sticks for an ambitious USC squad.
“We had one of the toughest schedules in the nation,” Lim said. “It shows us where we are and what we need to improve in order to win a championship next year.”
Lim, who struggled earlier in the season, has seen a marked improvement in many facets of his game.
“Driving has been the key. Right now I’m hitting much straighter and I have a lot more confidence in my game,” Lim said.
Lim’s recent success has also convinced USC coach Chris Zambri that Lim is someone he can trust. This was especially important during the Gifford, as the team was without its best player junior Matthew Giles, who was at a pro event in Australia.
“He’s someone we can really rely on this year,” Zambri said of Lim. “He’s just a great player all around, good ball striker, good chipper and good putter.”
After the Trojans finished day two with a combined two-over par, 362, they were looking to use the final round to make a move on the leaderboard and climb back towards the top, but different course conditions stymied any comeback attempt, as the Trojans carded another 362 on the final day, ending the tournament tied for sixth.
Lim struggled on the final day as well, but was able to finish tied for 13th after a round of 73. Lim had struggled early in the round, and was looking at a round of three-over par, but was able to salvage a top-15 finish by birdying two of his final three holes.
“It’s disappointing to finish how I did today, but there were tough conditions,” Lim said after the tournament.
The team now has a nearly three-month break during which to improve, and although the team is forbidden by NCAA rules to hold full team practice, the interim time is something Lim and the rest of the team hope to take full advantage of.
“We have to use this time wisely, we just have to follow coach Zambri’s direction and work wherever we are lacking,” Lim said.