Coming off a third-place finish at the Gopher Invitational, the men’s golf team looks to win the Husky Invitational for the first time since 2003. The tournament begins today and runs through tomorrow.

“I think we are playing better coming into the tournament this year than the last few years,” said coach Matt Thurmond. “The guys have really been working hard so far and hitting well.”

The team must continue to hit well if it hopes to outplay a San Diego State squad who finished 14th at the NCAA Championships last year. First-year Husky golfer Richard Lee will play a large role in doing that, as his team-leading effort at the Gopher Invitational earned him the lead spot on the starting roster.

“He’s a top player for us,” said Thurmond. “He’s a big-time player and a mature kid. He brings so much to our team. He gives us another guy that can go out there and win a golf tournament, and that’s exactly what we want.”

Hitting second will be captain and last year’s leading scorer for Washington, Nick Taylor. Thurmond’s remaining starters include freshman Jens Bracht and juniors Darren Wallace and Chris Killmer.

Aside from Washington and San Diego State, this year’s Husky Invitational hosts BYU, California, UC Davis, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, Portland and Washington State, a group that is hard to take lightly.

“The teams are pretty solid,” said Thurmond. “But it’s hard to know how good everyone will be because, for some of these teams, it will be their first tournament this year.”

Without really knowing the abilities of their opponents, the Husky men will focus on their own game throughout the two-day event. If they can control factors within their own ability, the Dawgs could return the first-place trophy back home.

Reach reporter Ben Foutz at sports@dailyuw.com.