Monday, May 17
Cle Elum, Wash.
Pepperdine University
at
NCAA Cle Elum Regional
Joey Vrzich
Photo by: Ricky Davis
Waves Set for NCAA Regional in Washington
5/14/2021 9:26:00 AM | Men's Golf
MALIBU, California — The fifth-ranked Pepperdine men's golf team heads to the NCAA Cle Elum Regional with its best seeding in school history at #2. The Waves are seeking to make the NCAA Championships for the 11th time. Pepperdine has posted a program-record five wins this season, including each of the last two tournaments.
EVENT INFO — The NCAA Cle Elum Regional will be held at the par-71, 7,069-yard Tumble Creek Golf Club in Cle Elum, Washington. There will be 18 holes each day between Monday and Wednesday (May 17-19). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
For Monday's first round, the Waves will be paired with Wake Forest and Florida and they'll start on the first tee at 8 a.m.
FIELD — In order of seeding, the 14 teams at this regional are Wake Forest, Pepperdine, Florida, Arizona, San Francisco, Iowa, Washington, East Tennessee State, Utah, Oregon, Mississippi State, Long Beach State, Denver and Sacramento State.
NCAA FINALS — To reach the NCAA Championships (May 28-June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona), teams must finish in the top five to advance. The top individual on a non-qualifying team will also make it.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of sophomore Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), junior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School), senior Clay Feagler (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills HS), sophomore William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) and senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada). Additionally, senior RJ Manke (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School) will travel as a potential alternate.
Highsmith (4th in 2019), Feagler (T-20th in 2017, T-29th in 2018, T-38th in 2019) and Manke (T-59th in 2018, T-25th in 2019) have previous NCAA Regional experience with the Waves. Vrizch played in two regionals while at Nevada (T-26th in 2018, T-42nd in 2019). Menante and Mouw will make their NCAA postseason debuts due to the 2020 season being canceled.
RANKINGS — The Waves are ranked #5 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #6 (tied) in the Bushnell Golfweek coaches poll and #7 by Golfstat.
Of the Waves traveling to the regional, Dylan Menante is #16 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #20 by Golfstat, Joey Vrzich is #22 by Golfweek and #30 by Golfweek/Sagarin, Joe Highsmith is #38 by Golfstat and #43 by Golfweek/Sagarin, RJ Manke is #41 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #61 by Golfstat, Clay Feagler is #103 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #146 by Golfstat and William Mouw is #114 by Golfstat and #122 by Golfweek/Sagarin.
NCAA HISTORY — Pepperdine is making its sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and its 25th all-time. The Waves' previous-best regional seeding was #3 in 2019, when Pepperdine advanced and eventually finished 11th at the NCAA Championships. The Waves have made it to the NCAA finals 10 times.
Most notably, the Waves won the 1997 NCAA Championships, held at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, Illinois. That's one of three top-10 finishes in program history.
Pepperdine's best-ever NCAA Regional finish was third in 2017 at Stanford. Waves have won medalist honors at NCAA Regionals twice: current head coach Michael Beard in 2000 and Josh Anderson in 2012.
This is the fourth time that Pepperdine has been sent to the state of Washington for an NCAA Regional (2003, 2008, 2015).
HONORS — Dylan Menante was named WCC Player of the Year and he, Clay Feagler, Joe Highsmith and Joey Vrzich made the All-WCC first team. Feagler, medalist at the WCC Championships, became the seventh Wave to earn four-time All-WCC first team honors.
Michael Beard won an unprecedented fifth consecutive WCC Coach of the Year award. No other WCC men's golf coach has ever won it more than twice in a row.
William Mouw was on the first Haskins Award watch list of the season, and Menante made the updated list in November and March ... Highsmith was the WCC Player of the Month for April ... RJ Manke received Pepperdine Athletics' Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for 2020-21.
EAST LAKE — The exclusive East Lake Cup, held in Atlanta, Ga. (Oct. 26-28) brought together the four highest-ranked teams in the nation from when the season ended in mid-March. After a round of stroke play, the Waves brought home the trophy by beating Texas Tech 3-2 in the semfinals and Oklahoma 4-1 in the championship. Joe Highsmith, Derek Hitchner and Dylan Menante each went 2-0 in match play.
WESTERN — Joe Highsmith and the Waves swept the titles at the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club (April 12-14). Pepperdine beat Stanford by 11 shots. Highsmith had a 5-under 205 and won a playoff for his first college title.
WCC CHAMPIONSHIPS — Clay Feagler became the first-ever Wave to become the WCC Championships medalist twice, while Pepperdine won its 21st WCC title in record-setting fashion at Reflection Bay Golf Club (April 28-May 1). Pepperdine won by 24 shots with a score of 49-under, nearly doubling the WCC record of 26-under that the Waves set in 2018. Feagler and Dylan Menante tied atop the leaderboard with 11-under 205s, and Feagler earned the win on the second playoff hole. Joe Highsmith tied for third.
MORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS — Pepperdine had never won more than three tournaments as a team in a season before and the Waves are now up to five ...  With four individual wins, the Waves have tied the school record (they also had four medalists in 1991-92) ... Joshua McCarthy won two WCC-only fall events, the Pasadera Collegiate Invitational and the Rustic Collegiate Classic. It's the eighth time in program history (and the fourth year in a row) that a Wave has won twice in one season ... Dylan Menante has four second-place finishes among six top-10 results and went 2-0 in match play at the East Lake Cup ... Pepperdine's own Southwestern Invitational was televised by the Golf Channel for the first time.
RECORDS WATCH — Six current Waves rank among Pepperdine's top 10 on the all-time scoring list — William Mouw at #2 (70.90), Joe Highsmith at #3 (71.33), Clay Feagler at #5 (71.73), Joshua McCarthy at #6 (71.91), Derek Hitchner at #7 (72.08) and RJ Manke at #9 (72.63) ... Feagler has four career wins, tying the school record ... McCarthy and Feagler have played in 160 and 157 career rounds, respectively, and are approaching Michael Beard's school record of 162 ... Feagler is third in below-par rounds (66), tied for sixth in top-10 finishes (19) and eighth in top-20 finishes (28) ... McCarthy is fourth in below-par rounds (64), fourth in top-20 finishes (33) and tied for sixth in top-10 finishes (19) ... Highsmith is tied for ninth in below-par rounds (43).
NON-PEPPERDINE HIGHLIGHTS — Clay Feagler won a MacKenzie Tour Q-School tournament in April, giving him full playing status for the 2021 season ... William Mouw represented the U.S. in the Walker Cup in May. He won twice as the U.S. defeated the team from Great Britain and Ireland 14-12. Mouw was also part of the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team that competed in December but he had to withdraw from the event ... Dylan Menante has been named to the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team that will play in June.
Pepperdine had seven golfers at the 2020 U.S. Amateur and three of them made it to match play (both figures tied the most by any school). Mouw went the farthest, reaching the round of 16. Joey Vrzich won the 2020 California Amateur. Joshua McCarthy won the AGC Winter Invitational in December 2020.
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 #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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EVENT INFO — The NCAA Cle Elum Regional will be held at the par-71, 7,069-yard Tumble Creek Golf Club in Cle Elum, Washington. There will be 18 holes each day between Monday and Wednesday (May 17-19). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
For Monday's first round, the Waves will be paired with Wake Forest and Florida and they'll start on the first tee at 8 a.m.
FIELD — In order of seeding, the 14 teams at this regional are Wake Forest, Pepperdine, Florida, Arizona, San Francisco, Iowa, Washington, East Tennessee State, Utah, Oregon, Mississippi State, Long Beach State, Denver and Sacramento State.
NCAA FINALS — To reach the NCAA Championships (May 28-June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona), teams must finish in the top five to advance. The top individual on a non-qualifying team will also make it.
PEPPERDINE LINEUP — The Waves' lineup consists of sophomore Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), junior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School), senior Clay Feagler (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills HS), sophomore William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) and senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada). Additionally, senior RJ Manke (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School) will travel as a potential alternate.
Highsmith (4th in 2019), Feagler (T-20th in 2017, T-29th in 2018, T-38th in 2019) and Manke (T-59th in 2018, T-25th in 2019) have previous NCAA Regional experience with the Waves. Vrizch played in two regionals while at Nevada (T-26th in 2018, T-42nd in 2019). Menante and Mouw will make their NCAA postseason debuts due to the 2020 season being canceled.
RANKINGS — The Waves are ranked #5 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #6 (tied) in the Bushnell Golfweek coaches poll and #7 by Golfstat.
Of the Waves traveling to the regional, Dylan Menante is #16 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #20 by Golfstat, Joey Vrzich is #22 by Golfweek and #30 by Golfweek/Sagarin, Joe Highsmith is #38 by Golfstat and #43 by Golfweek/Sagarin, RJ Manke is #41 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #61 by Golfstat, Clay Feagler is #103 by Golfweek/Sagarin and #146 by Golfstat and William Mouw is #114 by Golfstat and #122 by Golfweek/Sagarin.
NCAA HISTORY — Pepperdine is making its sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and its 25th all-time. The Waves' previous-best regional seeding was #3 in 2019, when Pepperdine advanced and eventually finished 11th at the NCAA Championships. The Waves have made it to the NCAA finals 10 times.
Most notably, the Waves won the 1997 NCAA Championships, held at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, Illinois. That's one of three top-10 finishes in program history.
Pepperdine's best-ever NCAA Regional finish was third in 2017 at Stanford. Waves have won medalist honors at NCAA Regionals twice: current head coach Michael Beard in 2000 and Josh Anderson in 2012.
This is the fourth time that Pepperdine has been sent to the state of Washington for an NCAA Regional (2003, 2008, 2015).
HONORS — Dylan Menante was named WCC Player of the Year and he, Clay Feagler, Joe Highsmith and Joey Vrzich made the All-WCC first team. Feagler, medalist at the WCC Championships, became the seventh Wave to earn four-time All-WCC first team honors.
Michael Beard won an unprecedented fifth consecutive WCC Coach of the Year award. No other WCC men's golf coach has ever won it more than twice in a row.
William Mouw was on the first Haskins Award watch list of the season, and Menante made the updated list in November and March ... Highsmith was the WCC Player of the Month for April ... RJ Manke received Pepperdine Athletics' Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for 2020-21.
EAST LAKE — The exclusive East Lake Cup, held in Atlanta, Ga. (Oct. 26-28) brought together the four highest-ranked teams in the nation from when the season ended in mid-March. After a round of stroke play, the Waves brought home the trophy by beating Texas Tech 3-2 in the semfinals and Oklahoma 4-1 in the championship. Joe Highsmith, Derek Hitchner and Dylan Menante each went 2-0 in match play.
WESTERN — Joe Highsmith and the Waves swept the titles at the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club (April 12-14). Pepperdine beat Stanford by 11 shots. Highsmith had a 5-under 205 and won a playoff for his first college title.
WCC CHAMPIONSHIPS — Clay Feagler became the first-ever Wave to become the WCC Championships medalist twice, while Pepperdine won its 21st WCC title in record-setting fashion at Reflection Bay Golf Club (April 28-May 1). Pepperdine won by 24 shots with a score of 49-under, nearly doubling the WCC record of 26-under that the Waves set in 2018. Feagler and Dylan Menante tied atop the leaderboard with 11-under 205s, and Feagler earned the win on the second playoff hole. Joe Highsmith tied for third.
MORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS — Pepperdine had never won more than three tournaments as a team in a season before and the Waves are now up to five ...  With four individual wins, the Waves have tied the school record (they also had four medalists in 1991-92) ... Joshua McCarthy won two WCC-only fall events, the Pasadera Collegiate Invitational and the Rustic Collegiate Classic. It's the eighth time in program history (and the fourth year in a row) that a Wave has won twice in one season ... Dylan Menante has four second-place finishes among six top-10 results and went 2-0 in match play at the East Lake Cup ... Pepperdine's own Southwestern Invitational was televised by the Golf Channel for the first time.
RECORDS WATCH — Six current Waves rank among Pepperdine's top 10 on the all-time scoring list — William Mouw at #2 (70.90), Joe Highsmith at #3 (71.33), Clay Feagler at #5 (71.73), Joshua McCarthy at #6 (71.91), Derek Hitchner at #7 (72.08) and RJ Manke at #9 (72.63) ... Feagler has four career wins, tying the school record ... McCarthy and Feagler have played in 160 and 157 career rounds, respectively, and are approaching Michael Beard's school record of 162 ... Feagler is third in below-par rounds (66), tied for sixth in top-10 finishes (19) and eighth in top-20 finishes (28) ... McCarthy is fourth in below-par rounds (64), fourth in top-20 finishes (33) and tied for sixth in top-10 finishes (19) ... Highsmith is tied for ninth in below-par rounds (43).
NON-PEPPERDINE HIGHLIGHTS — Clay Feagler won a MacKenzie Tour Q-School tournament in April, giving him full playing status for the 2021 season ... William Mouw represented the U.S. in the Walker Cup in May. He won twice as the U.S. defeated the team from Great Britain and Ireland 14-12. Mouw was also part of the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team that competed in December but he had to withdraw from the event ... Dylan Menante has been named to the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team that will play in June.
Pepperdine had seven golfers at the 2020 U.S. Amateur and three of them made it to match play (both figures tied the most by any school). Mouw went the farthest, reaching the round of 16. Joey Vrzich won the 2020 California Amateur. Joshua McCarthy won the AGC Winter Invitational in December 2020.
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 #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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