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Owls' Head Coach Jim Casteñeda believes that the team will improve its play as the season moves along.

"This was our first tournament, while for some of the teams we were up against, it was their second or third," he said. "We were not pleased, but it's important to have [a tournament] under our belts. We should get better as the year progresses."

Casteñeda cited the competitiveness of the field as another limiting factor.

"The field we played in was very difficult. Expectations were [that] we would finish near the bottom, but there were some teams there, namely Missouri, Air Force and Colorado, that we should have beat," Casteñeda said.

Despite the poor performance of the team, one bright spot was the play of junior C.W. Mallon. For Mallon, who tied for 23rd overall, finishing with a seven-over-par 220, the Missouri Intercollegiate was his first tournament.

"It was joy and trepidation watching C.W. play," Casteñda said. "I was extremely delighted with his performance, especially considering this was his first tournament and he was our fifth qualifier."

The other tournament qualifing golfers were freshman Frederik Dejaeghere and sophomores Chris Connolly, Andy Rapp and Drew Conrad, who finished in ties for 51st, 54th, 61st and 69th, respectively.

Casteñeda said that the team features a variety of experienced players.

Dejaeghere is considered the outstanding junior golfer in his home nation of Belgium, and junior Kalani Kiaaina is a two-time Hawaii state champion.

The future of the men's golf looks strong as well. Dejaeghere and fellow freshman Corey Henegar will undoubtedly gain experience as the year continues.

"Playing everyday is new for me," Dejaeghere said. "In high school, in Europe, I could only play on weekends. I think, I hope, that this will improve my play."

Junior transfer student Drew Scott will become eligible to compete for Rice this spring. Scott led the team in the qualifying rounds leading up to the Missouri Intercollegiate. However, because of NCAA rules regarding transfer students, he is ineligible to play until next semester.

The Owls go back into action Oct. 20-21 at Texas Tech University's Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock. Before then, the golfers will go through five qualifying rounds to determine the makeup of the five-man team that will go to Lubbock. Mallon qualifies automatically due to his performance this past weekend.

"We don't know what personnel we're taking [to the Red Raider Invitational] yet, but I think we'll play a lot better," Casteñeda said.

This item appeared in the Sports section of the October 3, 1997 issue.