TIMNATH — Other than one more plaque in his growing hardware collection and a text from a PGA touring pro, Ryan Peterson said life hasn’t changed since May 8.
“It’s the same old ‘go to school’ . . . but it probably was one of the greatest weekends of my life,” the Colorado State junior golfer said of winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament’s individual title. “It’s the biggest golf tournament I ever won. I’ve got to go from there and win another one.”
Now the pressure mounts. Peterson and the Rams don’t have to win the Bremerton (Wash.) Regional, which begins Thursday. The top five teams from each of the six regionals advance to the NCAA championships, which start June 1 at the University of Tennessee.
“In the regional, we don’t care whether we’re first or fifth as long as we move on,” Rams coach Jamie Bermel said.
Peterson stood barely 3 feet away from the MWC individual title at Omni Tucson National. He could have two-putted and still claimed the crown, and CSU had already secured the team title.
“You don’t shoot 8-under by missing those,” Bermel said. “He was in a groove. Only time I talked to him on the course was the 54th hole. I said: ‘I haven’t been with you 54 holes. I assume you can manage this just like the previous 53.’ “
Becoming CSU’s first medalist at the MWC Tournament since Martin Laird in 2002 naturally warranted a text message from that touring pro.
“To be named in the same sentence with Martin is pretty special,” Peterson said. “It’s an honor to be put in same category.”
The Rams have momentum. Before the MWC Tournament, they were coming off a win at a BYU event and played in front from start to finish.
“Once you’re at a regional, it’s anybody’s game,” said senior Riley Arp, who tied for fifth at 1-under at the MWC. And he has absolutely no qualms about making the cut.
“You can’t say anything else. If you are saying something else, you’re not committed to it. You have to know what you want and go out and get it.”
Peterson, from Eagan, Minn., set up the MWC win shooting the round of his life on the second day, a 6-under 65.
“I don’t know what it was. When Ryan hits it straight, he hits green. If he starts making putts, watch out,” said Arp, who hopes to qualify for the pro circuit this summer.
Arp might be the only college golfer who played in the Little League World Series — for Saudi Arabia. His father was employed in the oil business, and Arp described his team as mostly American kids. They lost to Japan and Venezuela.
When he was old enough to start high school, his family returned to the United States, and he was a three-sport (golf, baseball, soccer) star for Poudre.
Bermel had to travel a little farther to land Peterson, having established a Minnesota pipeline with Bryce Hanstad, who finished fourth in the MWC six strokes back.
The rest of the title team included Dustin Morris, a senior from Crosby, Texas, who tied for seventh. Sophomore Zahkai Brown, last year’s MWC freshman of the year who played at Pomona, was 21st.
How does a team in a cold climate dominate schools in warmer climates?
The great equalizer is CSU’s indoor practice facility at the Harmony Club 2 miles east of Interstate 25. When the wind is 40 mph, the Rams head to the facility and hit from indoor bays. Weekend hackers might take months away from the game. The Rams have been able to hit four or five times a week in the winter when they can’t get outside. The entire surface behind the driving bays is a putting green to work on mechanics.
“It’s one of biggest reasons I came here,” Peterson said.
The facility was completed just before the Rams’ 2008 MWC title.
“In ’08 you had to win to get in. This year with ranking (26th), we were in,” Arp said. “I think we may have come out a little bit complacent in ’09. We didn’t really want it. We came out this year knowing we were humbled from ’09 — came out with a little fire.”
It was the second MWC trophy collected by the Rams this school year, joining women’s regular-season volleyball. It also lent some reward for all those 6 a.m. workouts when classmates were still sleeping.
“Most of them aren’t holding a conference championship,” Arp said.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
State’s entries
Three Front Range men’s golf teams will be represented today when the NCAA regionals begin Thursday at six sites:
Colorado State
The only school to qualify its entire team, the Rams are at the Gold Mountain Club in Bremerton, Wash. On the roster: Dustin Morris, Bryce Hanstad, Riley Arp, Zahkai Brown and Ryan Peterson.
Colorado
Senior Justin Bardgett earned one of the 45 individual regional spots. He will play in San Diego at the Carlton Oaks Golf Course.
Denver
Senior Espen Kofstad will go it alone at the Bremerton Regional.
At stake
The top five teams from each regional, plus the top individual, advance to the NCAA championships.
