Thursday, April 18
Spokane, Wash.
All Day
Pepperdine University
at
WCC Championships
Kathrine Chan
Photo by: Owen Main
Women's Golf Heads to WCC Championships
4/16/2019 2:15:00 PM | Women's Golf
MALIBU, California — The #29 Pepperdine women's golf team heads to the Pacific Northwest looking to win West Coast Conference championship number 18 when the league tournament is contested later this week.
EVENT INFO — The WCC Championships will be held at the Manito Country Club in Spokane, Washington. The tournament will be held Thursday through Saturday (April 18-20) with a single round each day. Play will begin at 8 a.m. each day. On Thursday, the Waves are paired with BYU and San Francisco and will tee off beginning at 8:55 a.m. Live scoring will be available through Golfstat.
FIELD — There are five WCC schools that sponsor women's golf. In order of Golfstat ranking, they are #29 Pepperdine, #77 BYU, #102 Santa Clara, #114 San Francisco and #125 Gonzaga.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of senior Hira Naveed (Perth, Australia), junior Momoka Kobori (Rangiora, New Zealand), senior Hannah Haythorne (Honolulu, Hawai'i), senior Patricia Wong (Walnut, Calif.) and freshman Kathrine Chan (Richmond, B.C., Canada).
RANKINGS — The Waves are #29 by Golfstat and #30 by Golfweek/Sagarin ... Hira Naveed is #16 by Golfstat and #27 by Golfweek/Sagarin ... Momoka Kobori is #105 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #109 by Golfstat ... Hannah Haythorne is #179 by Golfstat and #187 by Golfweek/Sagarin.
EVENT HISTORY — Pepperdine has won 17 of the 22 WCC Championships ever contested, including 14 in a row between 2002 and 2015. No other WCC school has more than three, though it's been BYU that has won each of the last three titles, including a victory via playoff over the Waves last season. The Waves have had 15 medalists, but are also looking for their first since 2015.
Previous WCC individual finishes by the Waves in the lineup: Hira Naveed T-2nd in 2018, T-4th in 2017, T-9th in 2016; Momoka Kobori T-5th in 2018, T-9th in 2017; Patricia Wong T-13th in 2017, T-9th in 2016; Hannah Haythorne DQ in 2018, T-16th in 2016.
NCAAs — The NCAA Championships field is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, April 24, at 2:30 p.m. PT on the Golf Channel.
ROSTER — Pepperdine has four veterans (three seniors and one junior) joined by two freshmen. Hira Naveed (2016, 2017, 2018), Momoka Kobori (2018) and Patricia Wong (2016) have all earned All-WCC honors in their careers, and the trio was named to the preseason All-WCC team this year.
NAVEED — Hira Naveed is having a senior year to remember. She's the first Wave ever to win two fall tournaments. She captured the season-opening Dick McGuire Invitational for her first career victory, and then was co-medalist at the final fall tournament, the Stanford Intercollegiate. She will play in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup as a member of the international team. She's been named to the ANNIKA Award Watch List, and she was the WCC Player of the Month for September, October and March. In February, she returned home briefly after receiving an exemption to play in the LPGA's Women's Australian Open.Â
Naveed is averaging 72.09 strokes this season, on pace to finish second on the Waves' single-season scoring list. She's also fifth with 12 below-par rounds this season. On the career charts, she ranks fifth all-time in scoring average (73.71), tied for fourth in below-par rounds (28), tied for 10th in top 10 finishes (14) and tied for 10th in top 20 finishes (21).
GIBBS — Under the direction of Laurie Gibbs, who is now in her 26th season as head coach, Pepperdine has earned a place as one of the nation's top golf programs. Gibbs has been honored 12 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 50 tournaments in her career.
GOLF HISTORY — The Waves have appeared in the NCAA Championships 12 times in the last 20 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 17 of the last 22 years, including a streak of 14 titles that ran from 2002 to 2015. Twelve different players have earned All-American honors a total of 27 times. 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.Â
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 #46 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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EVENT INFO — The WCC Championships will be held at the Manito Country Club in Spokane, Washington. The tournament will be held Thursday through Saturday (April 18-20) with a single round each day. Play will begin at 8 a.m. each day. On Thursday, the Waves are paired with BYU and San Francisco and will tee off beginning at 8:55 a.m. Live scoring will be available through Golfstat.
FIELD — There are five WCC schools that sponsor women's golf. In order of Golfstat ranking, they are #29 Pepperdine, #77 BYU, #102 Santa Clara, #114 San Francisco and #125 Gonzaga.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of senior Hira Naveed (Perth, Australia), junior Momoka Kobori (Rangiora, New Zealand), senior Hannah Haythorne (Honolulu, Hawai'i), senior Patricia Wong (Walnut, Calif.) and freshman Kathrine Chan (Richmond, B.C., Canada).
RANKINGS — The Waves are #29 by Golfstat and #30 by Golfweek/Sagarin ... Hira Naveed is #16 by Golfstat and #27 by Golfweek/Sagarin ... Momoka Kobori is #105 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #109 by Golfstat ... Hannah Haythorne is #179 by Golfstat and #187 by Golfweek/Sagarin.
EVENT HISTORY — Pepperdine has won 17 of the 22 WCC Championships ever contested, including 14 in a row between 2002 and 2015. No other WCC school has more than three, though it's been BYU that has won each of the last three titles, including a victory via playoff over the Waves last season. The Waves have had 15 medalists, but are also looking for their first since 2015.
Previous WCC individual finishes by the Waves in the lineup: Hira Naveed T-2nd in 2018, T-4th in 2017, T-9th in 2016; Momoka Kobori T-5th in 2018, T-9th in 2017; Patricia Wong T-13th in 2017, T-9th in 2016; Hannah Haythorne DQ in 2018, T-16th in 2016.
NCAAs — The NCAA Championships field is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, April 24, at 2:30 p.m. PT on the Golf Channel.
ROSTER — Pepperdine has four veterans (three seniors and one junior) joined by two freshmen. Hira Naveed (2016, 2017, 2018), Momoka Kobori (2018) and Patricia Wong (2016) have all earned All-WCC honors in their careers, and the trio was named to the preseason All-WCC team this year.
NAVEED — Hira Naveed is having a senior year to remember. She's the first Wave ever to win two fall tournaments. She captured the season-opening Dick McGuire Invitational for her first career victory, and then was co-medalist at the final fall tournament, the Stanford Intercollegiate. She will play in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup as a member of the international team. She's been named to the ANNIKA Award Watch List, and she was the WCC Player of the Month for September, October and March. In February, she returned home briefly after receiving an exemption to play in the LPGA's Women's Australian Open.Â
Naveed is averaging 72.09 strokes this season, on pace to finish second on the Waves' single-season scoring list. She's also fifth with 12 below-par rounds this season. On the career charts, she ranks fifth all-time in scoring average (73.71), tied for fourth in below-par rounds (28), tied for 10th in top 10 finishes (14) and tied for 10th in top 20 finishes (21).
GIBBS — Under the direction of Laurie Gibbs, who is now in her 26th season as head coach, Pepperdine has earned a place as one of the nation's top golf programs. Gibbs has been honored 12 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 50 tournaments in her career.
GOLF HISTORY — The Waves have appeared in the NCAA Championships 12 times in the last 20 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 17 of the last 22 years, including a streak of 14 titles that ran from 2002 to 2015. Twelve different players have earned All-American honors a total of 27 times. 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.Â
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 #46 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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