Golf begins new season

As the Cal State Long Beach golfers prepare to get their season und erway, each team will be trying to improve upon last year's performances.

The men's team finished eighth in the 9-team Big West Conference and the women finished last in its four-team conference.

Bob Livingstone, the new men-s team coach, will be trying to improve the 49ers team performance.

The men's team will hold tryouts to determine new golf squad members. Twenty-four players will compete for 15 or 16 roster spots.

Livingstone is dealing with many players that he has barely had a chance to meet, so he is still unsure of the talent at his disposal. The team should benefit from the return of some prominent players such as Brandon Cash, Tim Dunlap, Bill Hasselman, Fred Sutton and John Tamney. These five players played in the majority of the tournaments last year and are good bets to become key players on this year's team.

"Those five players played in a lot of the events last year, and I expect them to contend for most of the tournaments (this year)," Livingstone said.

Jason Drotter, a transfer student from Long Beach City College is expected to contend along with newcomers Steve Yanagisawa and Mike Hasselman.

Livingstone will be looking to build his team around key players. "I believe the most important thing in golf is your mental preparation," he said.

The women's team will be led by its captain and only senior, Cindy Rendon, who will be joined by returning players Stephanie Donihue, Barri Brown and Jennifer Reither. Tori Hughes, a freshman f rom Coolidge, Arizona, is a rare out-of-state addition to the team.

Women's team Head Coach Marty Walker has usually relied on local talent.

Sandra Shomura is the last member of the team, but health problems and a strained back will keep her o ut of competition for awhile.