Believe it or not, the Pac-10 Championships are this week, from April 28-April 30. The Bears have a lot to prove-they finished in ninth place last year and, after having a look-see at the ol’ record books, it appears as though the Bears haven’t won the title, uh, ever.

On that note, this year’s as good a year as any to break that losing streak. Cal’s hosting at the familiar green of the lovely Meadow Club, its finished in the top eight in every tournament this spring, and the team’s optimism couldn’t be higher. I’ve been guaranteed by freshman Stephen Hale that I’ll be writing a recap of their stunning victory come Wednesday night.

It’s a good thing Stephen doesn’t believe in jinxes, because that’s a pretty hefty one right there.

Need some more reasons for their confidence? Last time out, the Bears shot some great golf in an absolutely loaded field at the U.S. Intercollegiate. They finished in third place behind two of the premiere teams in the country-No. 3 USC and No. 7 Stanford. With two players feeling quite ill. Now that Cal has proven that it can compete with the likes of the Trojans and the Cardinal and the squad is healthy (or at least healthier), it’s ready to get out there and make it happen.

The Bears tee off bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on Monday for the first round. If you want to keep up with the squad, check out Golfstat for “live” stats. I put live in quotation marks, because when the team’s been on the first three holes for about three hours, you begin to question if anyone is, in fact, alive at the tournament. However, it’s the best source available for fairly up-to-date information, and it’s got all the stats you could possibly want. Just bear with those slow updates.

I hope you’ll tune in for the Pac-10s. This may be one of the best fields in the country, and it’s going to be quite a tournament.

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