2004-05 Pepperdine Men's Golf Outlook
10/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Oct. 27, 2004
With four of five players who competed at last year's NCAA Championships returning to the line-up for the 2004-05 season, the Pepperdine men's golf team is in solid position to once again advance to the NCAA Championships and compete for a national title.
The 2004-05 Pepperdine roster is highlighted by senior Michael Putnam, who was a second team All-American, named All-Pacific Region and earned All-West Coast Conference (WCC) honors in 2004.
Putnam captured individual medalist honors at The Club Glove Intercollegiate, registered nine Top 10 finishes in 16 events and established a Pepperdine single-season school record with a 71.00 stroke average. After tying for ninth at the NCAA West Regional Championships, Putnam finished fourth at the NCAA Championships at The Cascades Golf Course in Hot Springs, Virginia.
Putnam, who finished No. 22 in the final Golfstat rankings, carded rounds of 74-65-67-70 for a 276 total to help Pepperdine to a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Waves concluded the year with a No. 25 national ranking.
For the 12th time in school history, Pepperdine advanced to NCAA Regional Championship play in 2004. The Waves traveled to the Sunriver Resort-Crosswater Course in Sunriver, Oregon, where they placed ninth with a 54-hole score of 884.
Pepperdine continued its dominance of the WCC as it claimed its sixth straight conference title, posting a two-shot victory over Saint Mary's at the Riverbend Golf Course in Madera, California. The Waves shot rounds of 288-281-299 for an 868 total.
The victory marked Pepperdine's 14th WCC title in the last 18 years.
In addition to winning the WCC Championships, Pepperdine posted six Top 5 finishes, including first place showings at The Club Glove Intercollegiate at Saticoy Country Club in nearby Somis, California, and the General Jim Hackler Invitational at TPC of Myrtle Beach in Conway, South Carolina.
The Waves finished fourth at The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, California; fifth at the Adams Cup of Newport at the Newport National Golf Club in Newport, Rhode Island; Coca Cola Tournament of Champions at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Arizona.
Pepperdine had a total of 14 Top 10 finishes in 15 events.
In addition to Putnam, ninth-year head John Geiberger welcomes back senior Brian O'Flaherty, juniors Chris Elliott and Alex Coe, redshirt sophomore J.J. Wood and redshirt freshman Michael Baird.
O'Flaherty placed third on the team with a 74.02 stroke average and received honorable mention All-American recognition after tying for 36th place at the NCAA Championships. O'Flaherty carded rounds of 73-69-71-78 for a 291 total.
Elliott was a significant contributor for the Waves as a sophomore as he registered a 74.90 stroke average and had one Top 20 finish. His best showing came at West Coast Conference Championships where he tied teammate O'Flaherty for 12th place.
Coe also contributed to Pepperdine's success a year ago as he competed in 13 events and registered a 74.39 stroke average and had five Top 20 finishes, including three Top 10s. Coe's best finish came at the General Jim Hackler Invitational where he claimed individual medalist honors with a 54-hole score of 213. He shot a career-best 68 in the second round.
Wood, a redshirt sophomore, hopes to contribute during the 2004-05 campaign after appearing in one tournament a year ago. Wood made his collegiate debut at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate and tied for 75th.
Additionally, Baird, who redshirted a year ago, will look to crack the line-up this season.
Geiberger welcomes three freshmen to the program in Jesse Barnsley (Albuquerque, New Mexico / Albuquerque Academy), Jason Cook (Windermere, Florida / Lake Highland Prep) and Colin Wilcox (Camarillo, California / Camarillo HS).
Barnsley was named a Rolex Junior All-American by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) after winning the 2004 Transamerica Junior at Hiwan in Evergreen, Colorado, with scores of 73-73-72-218. He also placed eighth at the AJGA Southwestern Junior held at Albuquerque's Isleta Eagle Golf Course with a 73-69-72--214 total.
Cook attended Lake Highland Prep in Windemere, Florida where he placed fourth at the state championships and earned second-team all-state honors.
Wilcox enjoyed an outstanding high school and junior career, culminating with a No. 30 junior ranking by Golfweek. He was also named to Golfweek's 2004 Preseason Collegiate "Freshmen to Watch" list.
Additionally, Wilcox established an AJGA single-round record with a 62 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in June of 2004 and earned All-American honors while playing on the Future Collegians World Tour in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Once again, Geiberger has assembled a strong 2004-05 tournament schedule that regularly sees Pepperdine competing against many of the top teams in the country.
The Waves open their fall schedule at the UCLA Gold Rush Intercollegiate slated for September 17-18 at the PGA of Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont, California. Pepperdine's fall schedule also includes The PING Preview in Baltimore, Maryland; The Club Glove Intercollegiate in Somis, California; Coca-Cola Tournament of Champions in Knoxville, Tennessee; The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, California and The Hooters Match Play Championships in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.
The Waves begin their spring schedule on February 9 when they travel to Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Taylor Made Big Island Intercollegiate. Pepperdine will also play in the USC Southwestern Invitational in nearby Westlake Village, California; General Jim Hackler Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Oregon Duck Invitational in Eugene, Oregon; N.I.T. Invitational in Tucson, Arizona; the Arizona State / Savane Invitational in Tempe, Arizona; and the West Coast Conference Championships in Copperopolis, California.
The NCAA West Regional Championships are scheduled for May 19-21 at the Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, California. The NCAA Championships will be contested June 1-4 in the Caves Valley Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland.
