New team. Old rhythm.
 
Showing the same form that won them not one, but two national titles a year ago, the Grand Canyon University Men's Club Golf Team made quick work of the competition at the National Collegiate Club Golf Association's Desert Region 1 Tournament in Fred Enke Golf Course in Tucson, busting out to a 12-stroke lead after the first day, and ballooning that in the final round to win the event. As a team, the Lopes finished with a two-under-par final showing of 718, eighteen strokes better than 2^nd-place Arizona State's 'C' team. The Lopes' 'B' team was the 'A' team's nearest pursuers after the first day and finished just two strokes out of a top-3 finish overall with a final tally of 742 strokes. The win put the Lopes in the driver's seat to qualify for the NCCGA National Tournament, which will be held December 7 and 8 at the legendary Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
 
Lopes' Head Coach Ryan Woodworth knew the returning talent he had coming back from last year's title teams, but even he had a take a moment to marvel at what the Lopes accomplished over the weekend.
 
"Historically, we have always had some issues with this course," said Woodworth. "We haven't won the past two tournaments that were hosted at Fred Enke. Our best finish was 23-over-par, so it was a surprise to see how fast we came out of the gate and then hold on as a team to finish under par for the tournament."
 
After a blistering three-under-par Round 1 as a team Saturday, all the Lopes 'A' team had to do was stay out of trouble on Day 2. They did just that with a one-over-par finish on the second day, the second-best round on Sunday to ASU's 'C' team, who jumped over both GCU 'B' and ASU 'A' to claim the runnerup spot.
 
Individually, the Lopes owned four of the top six spots in the tournament, led by senior Dillyn Schmidke, whose four-under-par finish of 140 missed out on the individual title by a single stroke to University of Arizona's Sawyer Klein. Behind Schmidke from the Lopes' 'A' team were Angelo Luciani (143, 4^th) and Aaron Moore (145, tied for 6^th), while Matthew Reimers kept the Lopes' 'B' team in strong competition with a 5^th-place individually with an even-par 144.
 
"The core of the 'A' team has now been together for two or three years," said Woodworth. "They all have a national title or two under their belts, so they know what to do to get back in the winner's circle. Once you get a championship, it's contagious. You want it again. Most of them are already back at the course today practicing, and it's fun to see and be a part of."
 
The Lopes won't have to warm up the buses to travel to the second regional tournament, since for the first time in Woodworth's four-year tenure, GCU is hosting NCCGA Desert Regional 2 at the GCU Golf Course this Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22.