2010 Fall Preview....Pacific Tigers Golf

What's that?...a Tiger on the golf course?...no no no...put away the paparazzi cameras and groupies need not apply!   I'm not talking about the Tiger we all think of when it comes to golf...I'm talking about the Pacific Tiger's Golf Team.  Not only are they snazzy dressers (seriously, who doesn't love the sweater vest action!) but they're pretty good on the links too!  So without further adieu...here is your Fall 2010 Pacific Tigers Golf Preview....

With Head Coach Brandon Goethals’ first recruiting class at Pacific all seniors, the Tigers should be favorite to win the Big West Conference for the first time in more than a decade. The Tigers finished runner-up last year in the Big West Conference and return their entire team, while perennial powerhouse UC Irvine lost Conference POY John Chin. The Tigers play one of the strongest West Coast schedules, including trips to Washington’s Husky Invitational, Stanford’s Palm Springs’ Prestige, and the Callaway Match-Play in Georgia featuring the Top 16 teams in the nation this spring. 

The Tigers are lead for the fourth year in a row by TJ Bordeaux, who starts off the year by playing in his second US Amateur in his home state of Washington. Local product Patrick Kucich (St. Mary’s) is also a team leader for the third year in a row and expect huge contribution from senior Alex Johnson (team and indiviudal win last year) and 2010 US Amatuer qualifier Alex Edort (sophomore). A good recruiting class for the Tigers in 2010 adds freshman Matt Ogden of Salinas and San Diego native Alex Wagner.

The year is also highlighted by the Pacific Invitational in November at Brookside Country Club. The invitational is regarded as one of the top five collegiate tournaments in the country thanks in no small part to incredible amenites, the 3-day format and the hype surrounding the popular event. 

This is the make it or break it year for the Tigers as they have steadily improved over the past five years since Goethals took over, but have yet to taste postseason play as a team or indiviudally. Two victories in two years, plus two more individual wins in the past three years give the Tigers plently of experience as the core of the team has been together for the past four years. The Tigers have crossed numerous hurdles as a program but are still looking to establish themselves as the West Coast force that head coach Brandon Goethals envisoned when he took over in 2005.