Men's Golf Begins Season at Gopher Invitational
9/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
MALIBU, Calif. " The defending West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine men's golf team gets the 2015-16 season underway this weekend when the Waves compete in the Gopher Invitational. A veteran group with six returning letterwinners has added four talented newcomers to the mix, and that's reflected in the season-opening lineup.
EVENT INFO " The tournament will be held at the par-71, 7,152-yard Windsong Farm Golf Club, located in Independence, Minn. Teams will play 36 holes on Sunday and the final 18 on Monday (Sept. 13-14). Live scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com.
FIELD " In addition to Pepperdine, the 15-team field includes host Minnesota, Baylor, California, Charlotte, East Tennessee State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kent State, Michigan, Michigan State, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Southern Methodist and St. John's (MN).
PEPPERDINE LINEUP " Pepperdine's lineup will consist of senior Frederick Wedel (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS), junior Robbie Geibel (Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS/Louisville), sophomore Anthony Cecere (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./St. Margaret's Episcopal School), freshman Roy Cootes (Rolling Hills, Calif./Palos Verdes HS) and junior Cody McManus (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS).
NOTABLES " Four of the five Waves in the lineup for the 2015 WCC Championships are back, led by McManus (who was medalist at the WCC Championships) and Wedel (who tied for seventh). Both have earned two All-WCC awards (both were first team in 2015, Wedel was honorable mention in 2014 and McManus was honorable mention in 2013) … Wedel is sixth all-time at Pepperdine in career scoring average (73.32) … Both Wedel and McManus made the preseason All-WCC team and the Waves were picked to finish second in the coaches' poll … Three returners are in the initial lineup and are joined by Geibel (a transfer from Louisville who was the 2014 AAC Freshman of the Year) and Cootes (a three-time Daily Breeze Player of the Year).
TOURNAMENT HISTORY " The Waves have played in the Gopher Invitational just once before, tying for sixth place in fall 2008.
PEPPERDINE GOLF HISTORY — Thanks to its victory at the 1997 NCAA Championships, Pepperdine will always be known on a national level for its outstanding men's golf program. The Waves have made eight appearances at the NCAA Championships since 1993 and have achieved NCAA Regional berths in 20 of the last 24 years. In the West Coast Conference, they've won a league-best 18 championships since 1987 (and are the defending champions) and have finished either first or second in 22 of the last 29 years. Michael Beard, a former Pepperdine All-American, is in his fourth year as head coach. A record four alums were on the PGA Tour in 2015: Jason Gore, Andrew Putnam, Michael Putnam and Byron Smith.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 17 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 25 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #52 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
