Hall of Fame
From the 2016 Hall of Fame program:
However one measures it — accomplishments, statistics, records — all the evidence points toward Michael Putnam as having been the most successful men’s golfer in Pepperdine history.
A native of Tacoma, Washington, and a product of Life Christian Academy, Putnam arrived at Pepperdine in the fall of 2001 after an outstanding junior golf career. He left four years later as the 2005 Byron Nelson Award winner and as the program’s first three-time All-American.
More than a decade later, Putnam still holds every notable career record, including scoring average (71.61) and most below-par rounds (68). He shares the school records for top-10 finishes (22) and top-20 results (36).
He had the two best single-season scoring averages in program history, shooting 70.58 as a senior and 71.00 as a junior. On the single-season lists, he also holds the records for below-par rounds (25), top-10 finishes (10) and top-20 results (13).
Putnam took first place at three college tournaments, and nearly earned what would have been his biggest win at the 2005 NCAA Championships, where he shared medalist honors but lost in a three-hole playoff.
In addition to becoming the first Wave ever to earn All-American first team status in 2005, Putnam collected second team notice in 2004 and was honorable mention in 2003. He picked up All-WCC first team acclaim three times, and was medalist at the 2003 WCC Championships, leading to WCC Player of the Year honors.
The Waves won WCC titles all four years while Putnam was there and advanced to the NCAA Championships twice, including an eighth-place finish in 2002 and a 10th-place result in 2004 (Putnam finished fourth in the individual race).
He became Pepperdine’s second recipient of the Byron Nelson Award, which goes to a graduating senior who exemplifies academic and athletic excellence, while maintaining high character and integrity. He was also a semi-finalist for the 2005 Ben Hogan Award, given to the nation’s top college golfer.
Away from the links, Putnam also excelled in the classroom and that led to the WCC recognizing him with its Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2005. He earned GCAA All-American Scholar status in both 2004 and 2005, and was a three-time WCC All-Academic honoree.
After graduating from Pepperdine, Putnam joined the United States’ winning squads for both the Palmer Cup and Walker Cup. He turned professional later in the year and in his first PGA Tour event he finished fourth at the Travelers Championship. He has held PGA Tour cards in 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was named the 2013 Web.com Player of the Year after finishing first on the money list and winning two tournaments, the Mexico Open and the Mid-Atlantic Championship.
Putnam is married (to Kristina) and they have three children: Jantzen, Hallie and Lacey. They reside in University Park, Washington. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in business administration. His younger brother Andrew followed Michael to Pepperdine and also became a three-time All-American. In 2015, they became the first brothers on the PGA Tour in the same season since 2004.
