By Joann Groff
Staff Writer
Although we can never really be sure what Tom Petty was thinking when he wrote the words, “into the great wide open,” one thing is certain. He sang of new beginnings where “the sky was the limit.”
A remarkable number of golfers from Pepperdine have already taken, or are preparing to take, a step into the great wide open that they hope will culminate in a successful stint on the PGA Tour.
Pepperdine’s golf team, which this year has three seniors on its roster, is enjoying its recent second place finish at the Morris-Williams Intercollegiate Tournament last weekend in Austin, Texas. The Waves are ranked No. 13 in the nation in Golf World’s weekly poll.
Jason Allred, a senior golfer who will graduate in April, is pleased with his team and his own experience at Pepperdine. But he recognizes the differences between college and professional golf. He is planning on pursuing professional career in golf after graduation.
“The difference will be having golf be my job,” Allred said. “I look forward to having more time to focus on golf, but it’s important for me to have a balance.”
Allred will spend the summer competing in amateur tournaments and practicing, and then plans to attend qualifying school in the early fall. Qualifying school consists of a rigorous series of tournaments that span two weeks, at which players are judged and then accepted into certain tours depending on their finishes.
“It is not like being drafted like in baseball or basketball,” Allred said. “You aren’t watched and chosen all during college, but it all depends on how you play during those couple weeks. I am confident that I could at least give myself a good try at it.”
Having the chance to play golf as a professional career is a goal Allred has carried with him for quite some time.
“I’ve dreamed about being a professional golfer since I was a little kid. Even to give it a shot.” Allred said. “I’ve loved every minute of playing at Pepperdine. College golf has been a blast with the guys on the team, the travel, and competition,”
Allred will soon join the ranks of Pepperdine grads who have gone on to play golf professionally. He is determined to make his mark professionally by “playing on the PGA Tour, and my biggest goal, to win the Masters.”
He also looks forward to using his career for a good cause. “The thing I’m most excited about is that I view this as my ministry, as far as my Christian faith,” Allred said. “I’ll get to work with kids and people. I can’t wait for that.”
Also on the list of Pepperdine golfers trying their hand in the pros is Allred’s former teammate, Bobby Rodger, who joined the professional Golden State Tour based in California. He is also playing in some tournaments in Asia. This summer he plans to qualify for the Gateway Tour in Phoenix, Ariz.
His twin brother, Alex Rodger, has also made golf a career. Those who are green to professional golf must work their way up to the PGA Tour by playing in smaller events.
“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing,” said Bobby Rodger, who graduated from Pepperdine in 2001. “It is fun because it’s something that I really want to do well. Not a lot of people can say that, because with most jobs, people aren’t really concerned with their performance.” The 23 year old hopes to continue to improve and his goal is to try to qualify for the PGA Tour in the fall.
Although he looks back fondly on his years at Pepperdine, he enjoys the professional scene. “There are two main differences,” Bobby Rodger said. “First, you don’t have all the hassles of school. You can work harder, and you get a lot better. Secondly, there are a lot more good players who are very consistent. People show up every week and play well.”
Rodger remembers the inconsistency of collegiate golf. In college, players can have off and on weeks.
“You don’t have a lot of guys like that who play professionally,” he said.
Jeff Gove is yet another Pepperdine professional golfer. Gove lives in Seattle with his wife Heather. He went professional in 1994, and joined the PGA Tour in 2000. Gove has had much success after placing ninth on the 2001 BUY.COM Tour money list. He has finished in the top 15 on the BUY.COM Tour in two out of the last three of his appearances.
Jason Gore, another Pepperdine alumnus, has also made the PGA Tour. Gore has an incredible resume including playing on the BUY.COM Tour from 1998-2000, where he pulled in a victory.
He posted a Top-15 finish in the PGA Qualifying Tournament, and competed in the PGA Tour last year.
This year Gore has shown that he is ready to come back to the PGA. He made the cut at both qualifying courses so far, placing sixth at the Jacob’s Creek Open Championship. Gore went professional in 1997 after receiving a B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine.
Others on the long list of successful golfers from over 10 years ago include professionals such as Jim Johnson, who plays in Asia, and Michael Walton, who competed in the Gateway and PGA tours last year.
April 04, 2002