HENDERSON, Nevada – The Pepperdine men's golf team continued its dominance en route to the program's 21st West Coast Conference title on Saturday, while
Clay Feagler became the Waves' first-ever two-time WCC medalist via a playoff.
The Waves won by 24 shots and shot a 49-under 815 (269-272-274) over three days at the par-72 Reflection Bay Golf Club. The Waves nearly doubled the previous WCC record that they set in 2018 at 26-under.
Pepperdine finished 24 shots better than BYU atop the leaderboard. The Waves led from wire-to-wire, increasing their advantage each day from eight to 15 to 24.
The 49-under is the second-best 54-hole score in program history. It's Pepperdine's third consecutive WCC title. The Waves' 21 WCC championships are 10 more than any other school. This was Pepperdine's fifth team win of the season, extending the program record.
Feagler, who won the 2018 WCC title, and teammate
Dylan Menante both finished with 11-under 205s, forcing a playoff. Feagler earned the victory on the second playoff hole.
PLAYER SCORES
- Senior Clay Feagler (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Dana Hills HS) tied a Pepperdine career record with his fourth career victory. He is the Waves' first-ever two-time WCC medalist. The last player to do it twice was LMU's Brian Locke in 2006 and 2007. Feagler shot 68-65-72 over the three days. He had five birdies during his even-par round today, including one on 17 that got him into the playoff. He had a tournament-best 20 birdies overall.
- Sophomore Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek HS) posted his fourth second-place finish of the season, three of which have come after playoffs. He shot 67-67-71. His 1-under round today included three birdies.
- Junior Joe Highsmith (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) tied for third place with a 10-under 206 (67-73-66). His 6-under today tied the best score of the round. He had zero miscues and six birdies.
- Senior Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS/Nevada) tied for seventh place with an 8-under 208 (73-67-68). His 4-under today featured five birdies, four of them coming on the front nine.
- Sophomore William Mouw (Chino, Calif./Ontario Christian HS) tied for 13th with a 5-under 211 (67-75-69). His 3-under included five birdies.
QUOTABLE
Pepperdine Coach
Michael Beard said: "Our conference gets better every year, so to pull it out like this, it means more and more to the program and our players. We didn't know exactly what to expect from the course. We knew that if the wind was down it was scoreable. It was a great course. It was a great experience for us. It's a weird feeling when you have two players you want to win in the playoff, but they can't. I'm really happy for Clay. Dylan's a great player, he's had such a great year, and I feel for him. But we're happy to win as a team and to have the individual winner is special."
Clay Feagler said: "It's kind of crazy, winning it back in 2018 and I didn't know how big it was back then. But now being a two-time winner, it hits home more. You never want to face your teammate in a playoff, it's the worst thing possible, but I was glad to come out on top today ... The last four events we've been trending the right direction. We've been playing well. Going to Regionals, we need to keep playing consistent golf and keep our composure and try to get top five."
UP NEXT
The NCAA Regional selection show is Wednesday (May 5) at 11 a.m. on the Golf Channel. NCAA Regional dates are May 17-19.
THE NUMBERS
Team Scores: 1. Pepperdine 815; 2. BYU 839; 3. San Francisco 842; 4. Saint Mary's 843; 5. San Diego 845; 6. Loyola Marymount 853; 7. Santa Clara 860; 8. Pacific 864; 9. Gonzaga WD.
Top Individuals: 1.** Clay Feagler (Pepperdine) 205;
2. Dylan Menante (Pepperdine) 205; T3. Joe Highsmith (Pepperdine) 206; T3. Ethan Ashbrook (Saint Mary's) 206; T3. Carson Lundell (BYU) 206.
** won a playoff