Sophomore RJ Manke had a record performance at the recent Alister MacKenzie Invitational, winning the tournament with a Pepperdine men's golf record score of 21-under, and he also became the first player in program history to shoot a round of 10-under. A week after his accomplishment, we discussed how he's taking it all in and some goals for the rest of the season:
 
Q: You had a record performance at the MacKenzie, including becoming the first player in Pepperdine history to shoot a round of 10-under. After a week, has your accomplishment sunk in?
 
A: It's been pretty surreal this past week. It still kind of feels like, "I can't believe I did that." I never even thought about playing a round like that, so it still hasn't fully set in yet. It feels pretty good.
 
Q: What was the best or most memorable hole from the tournament?
 
A: The most memorable hole was on 18. I had about a 12-footer for birdie, and it was a really fast putt straight downhill. It would have been a really easy put to hit five feet by or maybe three-putt. I had a good putt that started on line and it went in. Making a birdie on the last hole is a pretty cool thing to do.
 
Q: How does it feel to know that you're now Pepperdine's all-time record holder in a couple of categories?
 
A: It's pretty amazing. There have been some really good players come through Pepperdine. I know Michael and Andrew Putnam. They're both great players and come from my hometown. To be a leader in any category is amazing.
 
Q: What does your record-breaking performance do for your confidence going forward?
 
A: It definitely adds to my confidence a lot. Just in the last week during practice with the guys, it feels a little bit different. It feels like I can shoot some lower numbers. Going forward in other tournaments, it gives me the confidence to beat whomever I'm playing against and contribute to my team.
 
Q: When it comes to all these accomplishments, did you know you had it in you?
 
A: I don't know if I necessarily didn't know I had it in me. It's just that I never had the thought about it. I never really thought about the lowest round in Pepperdine history, and I had no idea that putt on the 18th hole would be a record-breaking score.
 
Q: What are some goals you have for the team and yourself this season?
 
A: Looking forward, we want to build on the strong start that we've had. In the past, fall hasn't been our strongest. We're off to a good start and want to move forward with it by finishing with three good tournaments this fall.
 
Q: You mentioned that you're originally from the same area as two former Pepperdine All-Americans and current professionals, Michael and Andrew Putnam. How did they influence you growing up, both as a golfer and with following their steps to Pepperdine?
 
A: There have been a lot of great professionals from my home course, who have really influenced me a lot for the better. They're all really nice guys. To be a good person and turn out to be a golfer like them someday just shows me that Pepperdine is a great place to build yourself as a person and as a golfer.
 
Q: What has been the highlight of your time at Pepperdine so far?
 
A: I think just the people that I've met. Since Pepperdine is such a small school, you see the same people over and over. The Christian values also flow into the people that go here. Having people that want to get to know you and me wanting to get to know them is a good mix.