By Mike Travis
Editor in Chief
Once again, the Pepperdine men’s golf team has proven it can stand up to and beat some of the best nationally ranked teams in the country.
The Waves posted a strong third place finish on Tuesday at the three-day PING Arizona Intercollegiate tournament, placing ahead of teams from Wake Forest (No. 4), New Mexico (No. 14), USC (No. 18) and Fresno State (No. 20).
“We played really well on the first two days,” said junior Randy Creighton, who tied for 27th place overall. “On the last day of the tournament we were only one stroke back from the leaders. If we would have played well we would have won easily. Some days are your days, some aren’t.”
Before the tournament, Pep-perdine was ranked No. 21 nationally by Golfweek magazine.
Creighton said that ranking would most likely go up after the results of this tournament are added to the figures.
“We beat a lot of good quality teams out there,” Creighton said. “The rankings should reflect that soon.”
Sophomore Michael Putnam was the top finisher for the Waves, tying for 19th place at a one-under par score of 212.
Freshman Chris Elliott, Creighton and senior Brandon were among a group of seven players tied for 27th place with even-par scores of 213.
Sophomore Brian O’Flaherty finished tied for 38th with a two-over par score of 215.
Like any sports team, members of the Pepperdine men’s golf team are always seeking improvement.
“We need to keep being consistent,” Creighton said. “If we work on consistency from both an individual and a team aspect, then our scores will start improving overall.”
Creighton explained that golf, unlike many other sports, takes a different kind of toughness to win. It is more than physical — it is also mental.
“The toughest thing about golf is it takes us four and a half to five hours to play a game, but you only spend 10 minutes hitting the ball,” he said. “You have plenty of time to think about the game.”
Each shot is crucial, and can affect the outcome of an entire tournament.
“Confidence is a huge thing,” Creighton said. “If you can display confidence then you can win. You have to stay strong and never doubt yourself.”
The men’s golf team will leave this Sunday for Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Taylor Made Big Island Intercollegiate tournament at the Waikoloa Kings Golf Club against 16 other teams.
February 06, 2003