Friday, March 18
Tucson, Ariz.
Pepperdine University
at
NIT
Joey Vrzich
Photo by: Jeff Golden
Men's Golf Next Plays at Arizona's NIT
3/16/2022 4:16:00 PM | Men's Golf
MALIBU, California — The defending NCAA champion and #3-ranked Pepperdine men's golf team continues its spring season at Arizona's NIT this weekend. The Waves are coming off an impressive second-place effort at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.
EVENT INFO — The NIT will be held at the Omni Tucson National Resort's Catalina Course in Tucson, Arizona. There will be 36 holes of golf on Friday followed by the final 18 on Saturday (March 18-19). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
FIELD — In addition to Pepperdine, the 15-team field includes host Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado State, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Diego, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas, UNLV, USC and Wyoming. There are four top-10 teams and seven top-25 squads in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings participating.
LINEUP — Pepperdine's lineup consists of junior Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), senior Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School), senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada), senior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School) and freshman Ian Maspat (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS). Additionally, junior William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) will compete as an individual.
EVENT HISTORY — This is Pepperdine's first appearance in the NIT, although the Waves did take part in another one of Arizona's tournaments, the Arizona Intercollegiate, 18 times between 1994 and 2017.
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 #3 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #7 in the coaches poll and #9 by Golfstat.
Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (as of 3/14): Highsmith #34, Hitchner #53, Vrzich #55, Menante #68.
Golfstat rankings (as of 3/15): Menante #78, Vrzich #82, Hitchner #95, Highsmith #130.
PGA Tour University rankings (as of 3/16): Highsmith #10, Vrzich #18, Hitchner #27.
World Amateur Golf Ranking (as of 3/16): Highsmith #13, Menante #19, Vrzich #41, Hitchner #67, Mouw #94.
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 ... Ian Maspat became the Waves' second winner of the season, as he captured the individual tournament title at The Prestige with a 6-under 210, good for a five-shot victory ... The most recently finished second, while Highsmith tied for second, at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.
2021-22 HONORS — Joe Highsmith was named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list in early February ... 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 Highsmith, Menante, Mouw, 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 nine on the all-time scoring list — Joey Vrzich at #2 (70.76), Dylan Menante at #3 (71.05), William Mouw at #4 (71.35), Joe Highsmith at #5 (71.38) and Derek Hitchner at #9 (71.91) ... Highsmith is fifth in career below-par rounds (56).
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 NIT will be held at the Omni Tucson National Resort's Catalina Course in Tucson, Arizona. There will be 36 holes of golf on Friday followed by the final 18 on Saturday (March 18-19). Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
FIELD — In addition to Pepperdine, the 15-team field includes host Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado State, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Diego, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas, UNLV, USC and Wyoming. There are four top-10 teams and seven top-25 squads in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings participating.
LINEUP — Pepperdine's lineup consists of junior Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS), senior Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School), senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada), senior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School) and freshman Ian Maspat (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS). Additionally, junior William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) will compete as an individual.
EVENT HISTORY — This is Pepperdine's first appearance in the NIT, although the Waves did take part in another one of Arizona's tournaments, the Arizona Intercollegiate, 18 times between 1994 and 2017.
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 #3 by Golfweek/Sagarin, #7 in the coaches poll and #9 by Golfstat.
Golfweek/Sagarin rankings (as of 3/14): Highsmith #34, Hitchner #53, Vrzich #55, Menante #68.
Golfstat rankings (as of 3/15): Menante #78, Vrzich #82, Hitchner #95, Highsmith #130.
PGA Tour University rankings (as of 3/16): Highsmith #10, Vrzich #18, Hitchner #27.
World Amateur Golf Ranking (as of 3/16): Highsmith #13, Menante #19, Vrzich #41, Hitchner #67, Mouw #94.
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 ... Ian Maspat became the Waves' second winner of the season, as he captured the individual tournament title at The Prestige with a 6-under 210, good for a five-shot victory ... The most recently finished second, while Highsmith tied for second, at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.
2021-22 HONORS — Joe Highsmith was named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list in early February ... 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 Highsmith, Menante, Mouw, 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 nine on the all-time scoring list — Joey Vrzich at #2 (70.76), Dylan Menante at #3 (71.05), William Mouw at #4 (71.35), Joe Highsmith at #5 (71.38) and Derek Hitchner at #9 (71.91) ... Highsmith is fifth in career below-par rounds (56).
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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