SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Led by
William Mouw's 2-under 68, the Pepperdine men's golf team is in third place after Friday's opening round of the NCAA Championships.
The Waves were one of only three schools to break par at the par-70 Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club, as they shot a 1-under 279. They're three shots back of Texas Tech and one behind Sam Houston State. Pepperdine had the best score of the afternoon wave.
The tournament will be reduced to 15 teams after Sunday's third round (Pepperdine is currently nine shots better than 16th) and to eight teams after Monday's fourth and final round of stroke play (the Waves are currently seven shots better than ninth).
Pepperdine, the 1997 national champion, is competing at the NCAA finals for the 11th time in program history, and for the third time in the last four tournaments. This is Pepperdine's best-ever standing after the first round (the Waves began in sixth place when they won the NCAA title).
PLAYER SCORES
- Sophomore William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) is tied for fifth place after his 2-under 68. He's two shots behind the leader. After a birdie on his first hole, he ran into some trouble and was 2-over after six holes. But he was flawless over his final 12 holes, including birdies on 1, 4, 6 and 8.
- Senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada) is tied for 17th after a 1-under 69. Vrzich had a total of five birdies on the day, including a run of three in four holes just after he made the turn, and a round-ending birdie on 9.
- Sophomore Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS) is tied for 28th place after an even-par 70. He had 16 pars to go with one birdie and one bogey.
- Senior Clay Feagler (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills HS) is tied for 55th after a 72. He had one birdie on his first hole.
- Senior RJ Manke (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) is tied for 105th after a 75. He had a total of three birdies on Friday.
QUOTABLE
Pepperdine Coach
Michael Beard said: "We played solid. Our front nine, which was the back nine, it took a little bit getting used to. It was a little bit different than the practice round. But when we made the turn, it seemed like the guys turned it on. I think we just have to keep pushing, keep the ball in the fairway, and try to make birdies. We like the warm weather. The course isn't easy. It's easy to make doubles. That's why you haven't seen a ton of low numbers. You've got to keep it in front of you. And the greens are tricky."
UP NEXT
Pepperdine will again be paired with Illinois and Wake Forest for Saturday's second round. It's a quick turnaround, as they'll start on the first tee beginning at 7:05 a.m.
THE NUMBERS
Team Scores: 1. Texas Tech 276; 2. Sam Houston 278;
3. Pepperdine 279; T4. Oklahoma State 280; T4. Oklahoma 280; 6. Florida State 281; 7. Arizona State 284; T8. Oregon State 286; T8. San Diego State 286; T10. Wake Forest 287; T10. Arkansas 287; T10. Clemson 287; T10. SMU 287; T10. Illinois 287; T15. North Carolina 288; T15. Florida 288; T17. Georgia Tech 289; T17. Louisville 289; T19. San Diego 292; T19. Tennessee 292; T19. Georgia 292; T19. TCU 292; 23. Vanderbilt 293; T24. Little Rock 294; T24. Texas 294; T26. UAB 295; T26. Liberty 295; 28. East Tennessee State 300; T29. San Francisco 301; T29. North Carolina State 301.
Top Individuals: 1. Cole Bradley (Purdue) 66; T2. William Holcomb (Sam Houston) 67; T2. Bo Jin (Oklahoma State) 67; T2. Ting-Wei Hsieh (Sam Houston) 67; T5. 12 players tied at 68, including
William Mouw (Pepperdine).
