On one of the toughest courses and in one of the most competitive fields in the NCAA golf circuit, the Cal men's golf team finished fifth among 18 teams at the Western Intercollegiate on Tuesday.

By the end of the event, three Bears golfers were ranked in the top 20 at the Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Oregon emerged victorious at the end of Tuesday's final round, tallying 865 over the span of the three-day event. Colorado and Fresno State fought over second place throughout the event, but eventually tied for second with an overall total of 873.

Cal sophomore Eric Mina showed signs of brilliance in his final 3-under par round of 67, cementing a sixth-place overall finish. Mina sank an eagle on the par 5,555-yard sixth hole, which paved the way for three more birdies to finish the event with a 5-over mark of 215.

"Eric had a great round," coach Steve Desimone said. "And even though he got into a couple tough situations, he fought through them very well, which were round-savers."

Sophomore Steven Hale didn't fare as well. His 20th-place finish was definitely warranted, but not quite expected. Hale seemed to be spooked with the occasional slump, struggling with his swing after posting a second-round score of 77--seven strokes over par.

"Stephen worked out some swing issues late (Monday) after the second round and early (Tuesday) morning and ended up playing much better," Desimone said after Hale's final round of 3-over. "After a day of such solid ball striking, I think he has earned back his confidence and swagger."

Senior Micheal Jensen also made highlights with a final round of 71, finishing 13th overall at 11-over in the event. Junior John Murphy battled through a triple-bogey 12th hole to end his final round at 77 and finish tied for 36th. Senior Kent Yamane's final-day 83 did not count toward the team's combined score for Tuesday, and his 29-over left him in a tie for 73rd.

The Bears improved significantly after the second day, performing 16 shots better in the third round than they did in the second.

"We competed better (Tuesday)," Desimone said. "We were definitely wounded last night, and should've been. (Monday) was probably the worst round of the year and we were certainly capable of playing better. I expected the guys to have motivation and they showed it."

The tournament saw its second and third holes-in-one Tuesday, as Mercer's Ryan Blackburn hit a knockdown 8-iron six feet beyond the pin on the par 3, 141-yard 15th hole and watched the ball spin back to the cup.

The feat was repeated on the same hole by host San Jose State's Nick Brown, who lofted a high pitching wedge 10 feet beyond the pin and spun the ball back into hole. Michigan State's Graham Baillargeon had a hole-in-one on the eighth hole in round two.

Next up for Cal is the Thunderbird Invitational, which begins April 10 in Tempe, Ariz. Seemingly, the first priority for the Bears in the days leading up to the event is consistency in ball-striking, putting and decision-making.

Desimone's team has played with an ebb-and-flow style throughout the season.

Last week in Tucson, Ariz., Cal had two solid rounds out of the three, the one poor round eventually costing them a higher finish in the National Invitational. Similarly, in the last three days, the Bears only seemed to play to their potential on Tuesday.

"I'm a little concerned that we haven't put three solid rounds together," he said.

Tags: CAL MEN'S GOLF, STEVE DESIMONE