The ISU men’s golf team said the focus of Monday’s opening rounds of the Roadrunner Intercollegiate in San Antonio will be taking care of business on the easier holes.

After a rough outing at the University of Central Florida/Rio Pinar Intercollegiate two weeks ago, coach Jay Horton said the Cyclones must take advantage of easier opportunities during the event.

The Cyclones are scheduled to play 36 holes Monday and finish with 18 on Tuesday.

Despite birdies on several of the course’s tougher holes, it was the easy holes that gave the Cyclones fits in Florida.

“We did OK last tournament and played some of the more difficult holes well, but we really played poorly on some of the easier holes,” Horton said. “But they’re on the right track when you can do the hard stuff well. It’s just a matter of taking advantage of some of the easier opportunities.”

Freshman Chris Baker led the Cyclones in Florida, and although last place in the standings was not where the Cyclones would have liked to be as a team, Baker said he felt his play was decent for the first time out.

“I was pretty pleased with how I hit the ball for the first time of the season,” Baker said. “We hadn’t hit outside since Thanksgiving, but I would like to get a little more consistency with my driver, and my putting was pretty awful.”

Although the Cyclones need to seize the opportunities that present themselves, they said they will also try to move forward now that they have shaken off some of the winter rust.

“Hitting balls is like riding a bike; you don’t forget how to do it,” Horton said. “We were playing up here into December. It’s more mental than anything. We showed some signs of rust, but we’ll be better this time out and even better the next time.”

Baker, who has led the team in three out of six tournaments during the 2004-05 campaign, said he feels no pressure being saddled with the label of “leader.”

“Every time I just go out there and play my game,” Baker said. “If I lead the team, then I lead the team.

“I’d like it if I went out there, played my best, and finished last on the team. As long as I’m doing my best and helping the team, I’m happy.”

Horton was quick to praise Baker’s play and said that it does not surprise him that he has emerged as a team leader.

“Chris has been great,” Horton said. “Both Chris and Joe [Cermak], I thought, were two guys who could step in and play right away.

“[Baker] will get better throughout the year, and he still has some stuff he needs to work on, but he’ll get even better throughout his career here. He’s been playing fine so far, and I expect some big things out of him the rest of the year.”