Thursday, February 3
Waimea, Hawai'i
Pepperdine University
at
Amer Ari Invitational
Ian Maspat
Photo by: Jeff Golden
#2 Men's Golf Travels to Hawai'i for Amer Ari Invitational
2/1/2022 12:47:00 PM | Men's Golf
MALIBU, California — The defending NCAA champion and #2-ranked Pepperdine men's golf team heads to Hawai'i for the Amer Ari Invitational, a tournament the Waves won the last time they were there in 2020.
EVENT INFO — The Amer Ari Invitational will be held at the par-72, 6,875-yard Hapuna Golf Course in Waimea, Hawai'i. There will be 18 holes of golf each day between Thursday and Saturday (Feb. 3-5). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
FIELD — In addition to Pepperdine, the 19-team field includes host Hawai'i-Hilo, Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Hawai'i, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, San Jose State, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, UC Davis, UCLA and Washington.
EVENT HISTORY — Pepperdine won the Amer Ari Invitational in 2020, and William Mouw was the individual champion. The Waves were 12 shots back entering the final round but edged Texas by two shots. Mouw was eight shots back starting the third round but won in a playoff. COVID-19 protocols kept the Waves from defending their title in 2021. Pepperdine also played in the event 14 times between 1993 and 2006 when it was known as the Taylor Made Intercollegiate.
LINEUP — Pepperdine's lineup consists of senior Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School), junior Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), senior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School), senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada) and junior William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS). Freshman Ian Maspat (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) will play as an individual.
RANKINGS — The Waves were picked as the nation's #1 team in the preseason in the Bushnell Golfweek coaches poll, and in Golf Channel's season preview. The Waves are currently #2 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #5 in the coaches poll and #6 by Golfstat.
Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (as of 1/27): Highsmith #4, Hitchner #25, Vrzich #31, Menante #62.
Golfstat rankings (as of 11/30): Highsmith #35, Vrzich #46, Hitchner #72.
PGA Tour University rankings (as of 1/26): Highsmith #10, Vrzich #15, Hitchner #34.
World Amateur Golf Ranking (as of 1/26): Highsmith #11, Menante #17, Vrzich #30, Mouw #64, Hitchner #78.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS — The Waves won the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate in October by four shots with a score of 42-under, the fifth-best score in team history. Joe Highsmith won his second college title with a 19-under 197, good for the third-best score in program history ... The Waves competed at the prestigious East Lake Cup for the second straight year. They won the single round of stroke play, lost to Oklahoma in the opening round of match play (a rematch of the 2020 East Lake Cup final and the 2021 national championship, both won by the Waves), but defeated Arizona State for third place ... Pepperdine began the spring by shooting 17-under at its own Southwestern Invitational, a score that would be good enough to win in almost any year, but Arizona State had a record 30-under and the Waves finished second.
2021-22 HONORS — Dylan Menante and William Mouw were named to the Haskins Award preseason watch list ... The Waves took up five of the 10 spots on the preseason All-WCC team with Menante, Mouw, Joe Highsmith, Derek Hitchner and Joey Vrzich ... The Waves are the unanimous favorite to win the WCC title again in the preseason vote of the coaches.
RECORDS WATCH — Five current Waves rank among Pepperdine's top eight on the all-time scoring list — Joey Vrzich at #1 (70.56), Dylan Menante at #3 (71.00), William Mouw at #4 (71.19), Joe Highsmith at #5 (71.27) and Derek Hitchner at #8 (71.89) ... Highsmith is tied for sixth in career below-par rounds (52).
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 10 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 26 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 Amer Ari Invitational will be held at the par-72, 6,875-yard Hapuna Golf Course in Waimea, Hawai'i. There will be 18 holes of golf each day between Thursday and Saturday (Feb. 3-5). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
FIELD — In addition to Pepperdine, the 19-team field includes host Hawai'i-Hilo, Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Hawai'i, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, San Jose State, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, UC Davis, UCLA and Washington.
EVENT HISTORY — Pepperdine won the Amer Ari Invitational in 2020, and William Mouw was the individual champion. The Waves were 12 shots back entering the final round but edged Texas by two shots. Mouw was eight shots back starting the third round but won in a playoff. COVID-19 protocols kept the Waves from defending their title in 2021. Pepperdine also played in the event 14 times between 1993 and 2006 when it was known as the Taylor Made Intercollegiate.
LINEUP — Pepperdine's lineup consists of senior Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School), junior Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), senior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School), senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada) and junior William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS). Freshman Ian Maspat (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) will play as an individual.
RANKINGS — The Waves were picked as the nation's #1 team in the preseason in the Bushnell Golfweek coaches poll, and in Golf Channel's season preview. The Waves are currently #2 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #5 in the coaches poll and #6 by Golfstat.
Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (as of 1/27): Highsmith #4, Hitchner #25, Vrzich #31, Menante #62.
Golfstat rankings (as of 11/30): Highsmith #35, Vrzich #46, Hitchner #72.
PGA Tour University rankings (as of 1/26): Highsmith #10, Vrzich #15, Hitchner #34.
World Amateur Golf Ranking (as of 1/26): Highsmith #11, Menante #17, Vrzich #30, Mouw #64, Hitchner #78.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS — The Waves won the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate in October by four shots with a score of 42-under, the fifth-best score in team history. Joe Highsmith won his second college title with a 19-under 197, good for the third-best score in program history ... The Waves competed at the prestigious East Lake Cup for the second straight year. They won the single round of stroke play, lost to Oklahoma in the opening round of match play (a rematch of the 2020 East Lake Cup final and the 2021 national championship, both won by the Waves), but defeated Arizona State for third place ... Pepperdine began the spring by shooting 17-under at its own Southwestern Invitational, a score that would be good enough to win in almost any year, but Arizona State had a record 30-under and the Waves finished second.
2021-22 HONORS — Dylan Menante and William Mouw were named to the Haskins Award preseason watch list ... The Waves took up five of the 10 spots on the preseason All-WCC team with Menante, Mouw, Joe Highsmith, Derek Hitchner and Joey Vrzich ... The Waves are the unanimous favorite to win the WCC title again in the preseason vote of the coaches.
RECORDS WATCH — Five current Waves rank among Pepperdine's top eight on the all-time scoring list — Joey Vrzich at #1 (70.56), Dylan Menante at #3 (71.00), William Mouw at #4 (71.19), Joe Highsmith at #5 (71.27) and Derek Hitchner at #8 (71.89) ... Highsmith is tied for sixth in career below-par rounds (52).
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 10 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 26 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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