WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior Chris Nallen chips for the green on the ninth hole at Omni Tucson National Sunday morning during the NIT tournament.

The Arizona men's golf team is heading into the final round of the National Invitational Tournament in an unfamiliar position: trailing.

The Wildcats have tallied three wins in their four starts after a disappointing fall stint, and came into the NIT with high hopes. But a strong showing from rival Arizona State has put a damper on what the Wildcats hope will be four of five.

The weather in yesterday's second round didn't help the Wildcats make a run, as high winds at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort and Spa made any score around par seem impressive.

"It was windy out there today," senior Chris Nallen said after the round. "Any under-par round was pretty good, and par was a good score."

Arizona was five shots back of ASU after Sunday's first round, but dropped two more yesterday to place the UA seven back of the Sun Devils with 18 holes to play.

The Wildcats won this event last year, but then-freshman Alejandro Canizares of ASU grabbed medallist honors from former Wildcat Ricky Barnes after the final day.

Nallen said the prospect of letting the Sun Devils take the title on their own Tucson stomping ground is more incentive for the team to come out tomorrow and play its heart out.

"We want to beat them as much as we can," Nallen said. "I think our guys are going to come out and give it all they've got."

Henry Liaw is in a tie for sixth place after rounds of 69 and 71 and is the lone Wildcat in the top 10.

The freshman from Rowland Heights, Calif., is looking for the third top 10 finish of his young collegiate career.

"I know he wasn't too happy with the way he finished," Nallen said of Liaw. "He played solid (on Sunday)."

Nallen, the centerpiece of this year's team, carded a second-round 69, a score matched by just three others in the 60-player field.

"I played solid. It was just windy out there," Nallen said. "Sixty-nine is a really good score and I was happy with it."

Nallen's first-round 72 was solid as well, but too many loose shots kept him from going lower.

"I was really happy with the way I played (in the first round)," Nallen said. "I just didn't hit it very close."

The Wildcats head into today trailing ASU and Southern California, but Nallen said they can pull out any upset with the way they have been playing.

"We can definitely overcome this," he said. "Everyone on the team has the potential to shoot 4-under-par every time."