The word of the week, for the Oregon men's golf team, is "free."
The Ducks are in Stillwater, Okla., for the NCAA Championship tournament, beginning Friday at Karsten Creek Golf Club. Despite having made the last two tournament finals, and won the 2016 NCAA title, UO coach Casey Martin wants his team playing free of expectations. Despite taking on an unforgiving golf course cut into a dense forest, Martin wants his team playing free of fear. And despite knowing this is in all likelihood the last collegiate tournament of super sophomore Norman Xiong's sterling career, Martin wants him playing free of pressure to go out with a bang.