Friday, October 11
Palo Alto, Calif.
Pepperdine University
at
Stanford Intercollegiate
Sifan He
Photo by: Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos
Women's Golf Concludes Fall at Stanford
10/9/2019 11:11:00 AM | Women's Golf
MALIBU, California — The Pepperdine women's golf team concludes a successful fall season this weekend at the Stanford Intercollegiate.
The Waves played three times in three weeks in September in a good start to the season. A pair of second-place finishes have helped them to a #27 national ranking. Pepperdine's now had a couple of weeks off to get ready for Stanford.
EVENT INFO — The Stanford Intercollegiate will be held at the par-71, 6,171-yard Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, California. There will be a single round played each day between Friday and Sunday (Oct. 11-13). Live scoring will be provided via Golfstat.
FIELD — The 17-team field includes Pepperdine, host Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa State, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, UC Davis, UCLA, USC and Washington State.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of freshman Alexa Melton (Covina, Calif./South Hills HS), senior Momoka Kobori (Rangiora, New Zealand), freshman Reese Guzman (Kahului, Hawai'i/Maui HS), sophomore Sifan He (Shanghai, China) and junior Megan Dennis (Bedfordshire, United Kingdom/Florida Tech).
EVENT HISTORY — This is the 17th time that Pepperdine has traveled to the Stanford Intercollegiate since 1998, and the eighth consecutive year. The Waves came in seventh place last year, and Hira Naveed was co-medalist. The Waves' best finish was second in 1999 and 2004.
RANKINGS — The Waves are #27 by Golfweek/Sagarin and are receiving votes in the WGCA coaches poll ... Momoka Kobori is ranked #21 by Golfweek/Sagarin and Alexa Melton is #99.
PRESEASON HYPE — The Waves came in at #25 on Golfweek's preseason rankings ... Golfweek also listed freshman Alexa Melton as a preseason All-American second team selection, and as one of the top 10 freshmen in the country. Kathrine Chan and Momoka Kobori made the preseason All-WCC team and the Waves were voted the league's favorite by the WCC's coaches.
ROSTER — The Waves, who won their 18th West Coast Conference title last season, look quite a bit different this year. Three seniors off a six-person roster have graduated, and three talented newcomers have taken their place. Senior Momoka Kobori is the only Wave that had already been with the program for multiple seasons. A pair of sophomores, Kathrine Chan and Sifan He, are the other returners. The Waves added junior transfer Megan Dennis, who won the NCAA Division II championship with Florida Tech in 2019 (but had to find a new home after the department dropped women's golf). Pepperdine also signed a pair of freshmen in Alexa Melton (a 2018 AJGA All-American second team selection) and Reese Guzman (who won four AJGA titles).
Kobori, a two-time All-WCC first team pick, ranks seventh all-time on Pepperdine's career scoring list (74.31) and has played 93 career rounds.
DICK McGUIRE INVITATIONAL — Momoka Kobori won her first college title in the season's first event, shooting a 9-under 207 to win by two shots. She began the final round tied for 10th place and six shots back but posted an 8-under 64 (eight birdies, zero bogeys), tying the third-best single round in program history. Her 54-hole score of 9-under puts her a tie for sixth on the Waves' all-time list.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS — The Waves have two second-place finishes among their first three tournaments ... Momoka Kobori has placed in the top-10 at all three tournaments ... Six of Alexa Melton's first nine college rounds have been below-par.
GIBBS — Under the direction of Laurie Gibbs, who is now in her 27th season as head coach, Pepperdine has earned a place as one of the nation's top golf programs. Gibbs has been honored 13 times as the WCC's Coach of the Year, was tabbed the West Region Coach of the Year on two occasions and was selected the 2004-05 National Coach of the Year by Golfweek magazine. Gibbs was inducted into the WGCA Coaches Hall of Fame in December 2015. The Waves have won 51 tournaments in her career.
GOLF HISTORY — The Waves have appeared in the NCAA Championships 12 times in the last 21 years, and have recorded eight top-10 finishes and four top-five showings, including a program-best second-place result in 2003. The Waves have won West Coast Conference championships in 18 of the last 23 years, including a streak of 14 titles that ran from 2002 to 2015. Thirteen different players have earned All-American honors a total of 29 times, including Hira Naveed last season. LPGA Tour players have included Katherine (Hull) Kirk, Lindsey Wright, Tamie Durdin, Nadina (Taylor) Light, Misun Cho, Carolina Llano, Danielle Kang, Taylore Karle and Grace Na. Hull was the 2003 National Player of the Year and was inducted into the WGCA Hall of Fame in 2012. Kang won back-to-back U.S. Amateur Championships in 2010 and 2011.
ONLINE — Follow the Pepperdine women's golf team on Twitter (@WavesGolf), Facebook (/WavesGolf) and Instagram (pepperdinewomensgolf).
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 18 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, California, 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 #50 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
The Waves played three times in three weeks in September in a good start to the season. A pair of second-place finishes have helped them to a #27 national ranking. Pepperdine's now had a couple of weeks off to get ready for Stanford.
EVENT INFO — The Stanford Intercollegiate will be held at the par-71, 6,171-yard Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, California. There will be a single round played each day between Friday and Sunday (Oct. 11-13). Live scoring will be provided via Golfstat.
FIELD — The 17-team field includes Pepperdine, host Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa State, Northwestern, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, UC Davis, UCLA, USC and Washington State.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of freshman Alexa Melton (Covina, Calif./South Hills HS), senior Momoka Kobori (Rangiora, New Zealand), freshman Reese Guzman (Kahului, Hawai'i/Maui HS), sophomore Sifan He (Shanghai, China) and junior Megan Dennis (Bedfordshire, United Kingdom/Florida Tech).
EVENT HISTORY — This is the 17th time that Pepperdine has traveled to the Stanford Intercollegiate since 1998, and the eighth consecutive year. The Waves came in seventh place last year, and Hira Naveed was co-medalist. The Waves' best finish was second in 1999 and 2004.
RANKINGS — The Waves are #27 by Golfweek/Sagarin and are receiving votes in the WGCA coaches poll ... Momoka Kobori is ranked #21 by Golfweek/Sagarin and Alexa Melton is #99.
PRESEASON HYPE — The Waves came in at #25 on Golfweek's preseason rankings ... Golfweek also listed freshman Alexa Melton as a preseason All-American second team selection, and as one of the top 10 freshmen in the country. Kathrine Chan and Momoka Kobori made the preseason All-WCC team and the Waves were voted the league's favorite by the WCC's coaches.
ROSTER — The Waves, who won their 18th West Coast Conference title last season, look quite a bit different this year. Three seniors off a six-person roster have graduated, and three talented newcomers have taken their place. Senior Momoka Kobori is the only Wave that had already been with the program for multiple seasons. A pair of sophomores, Kathrine Chan and Sifan He, are the other returners. The Waves added junior transfer Megan Dennis, who won the NCAA Division II championship with Florida Tech in 2019 (but had to find a new home after the department dropped women's golf). Pepperdine also signed a pair of freshmen in Alexa Melton (a 2018 AJGA All-American second team selection) and Reese Guzman (who won four AJGA titles).
Kobori, a two-time All-WCC first team pick, ranks seventh all-time on Pepperdine's career scoring list (74.31) and has played 93 career rounds.
DICK McGUIRE INVITATIONAL — Momoka Kobori won her first college title in the season's first event, shooting a 9-under 207 to win by two shots. She began the final round tied for 10th place and six shots back but posted an 8-under 64 (eight birdies, zero bogeys), tying the third-best single round in program history. Her 54-hole score of 9-under puts her a tie for sixth on the Waves' all-time list.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS — The Waves have two second-place finishes among their first three tournaments ... Momoka Kobori has placed in the top-10 at all three tournaments ... Six of Alexa Melton's first nine college rounds have been below-par.
GIBBS — Under the direction of Laurie Gibbs, who is now in her 27th season as head coach, Pepperdine has earned a place as one of the nation's top golf programs. Gibbs has been honored 13 times as the WCC's Coach of the Year, was tabbed the West Region Coach of the Year on two occasions and was selected the 2004-05 National Coach of the Year by Golfweek magazine. Gibbs was inducted into the WGCA Coaches Hall of Fame in December 2015. The Waves have won 51 tournaments in her career.
GOLF HISTORY — The Waves have appeared in the NCAA Championships 12 times in the last 21 years, and have recorded eight top-10 finishes and four top-five showings, including a program-best second-place result in 2003. The Waves have won West Coast Conference championships in 18 of the last 23 years, including a streak of 14 titles that ran from 2002 to 2015. Thirteen different players have earned All-American honors a total of 29 times, including Hira Naveed last season. LPGA Tour players have included Katherine (Hull) Kirk, Lindsey Wright, Tamie Durdin, Nadina (Taylor) Light, Misun Cho, Carolina Llano, Danielle Kang, Taylore Karle and Grace Na. Hull was the 2003 National Player of the Year and was inducted into the WGCA Hall of Fame in 2012. Kang won back-to-back U.S. Amateur Championships in 2010 and 2011.
ONLINE — Follow the Pepperdine women's golf team on Twitter (@WavesGolf), Facebook (/WavesGolf) and Instagram (pepperdinewomensgolf).
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 18 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, California, 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 #50 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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