Huskies counted among Pac-10's best

Low scores were the order of the day during round four of the Pac-10 men's golf championships Sunday as the drama escalated on the par-71 Stanford Golf Course.

When all was settled, a streak had ended and the Huskies could be counted with the top half of the conference. Washington shot a nine-under-par 1,411 to grab the fourth spot in the Pac-10 for the second time during coach O.D. Vincent's tenure.

The 1,411 marked the lowest score posted by the Huskies under Vincent at the Pac-10s, shattering the 1,440 posted at Seattle's Broadmoor Country Club in 1999.

But the story on the fairways in the team competition was the play of USC, which led from start to finish. The Trojans posted three rounds under 350, and held off a charging Arizona State for the team title at 20-under-par 1,400.

The Sun Devils started the final day tied with the UW at third. ASU methodically played its way to a 346, surpassing Arizona and threatening USC. However, ASU fell four strokes short of the Men of Troy, and its streak of six straight Pac-10 titles came to an end.

It was a record-setting tournament for UW freshman Corey Prugh. His nine-under-par 275 set the Huskies' four-round record, surpassing Vincent's score (279) on the very same Stanford course. His 67s during rounds two and three were personal bests and tied the third lowest single-round in UW history. Prugh finished the tournament with a 69 Sunday to finish fourth, the highest placement by a Husky since Troy Kelly in 1999.

Freshman Brock Mackenzie was also phenomenal with a three-under-par 281, including a 68 in round one and 69 in round four. John Robertson finished with five players tied in 12th, including U.S. Amateur champ and ASU senior Jeff Quinney at 283. Rounding out the Huskies scoring for the team total were sophomore Derek Berg and freshman Joey Ramos, who shot 286 and 289, respectively.

The individual race was just as superb as the team event. The top two individuals fired four consecutive rounds under 70.

The UA's Ricky Barnes finished at 16-under-par 268, including a 65 during the opening round, followed by a 66, 69, and 68. USC's Hunter Mahan nipped at his heels all week, firing back-to-back 67s for a 13-under-par 271.

Ever since Tiger Woods set the Pac-10 record with a 270 in 1996, the mark has been broken in a fury the past three years.

The Huskies head to Corvallis, Ore., for the three-round NCAA West Regionals May 17-19.