Oct. 13, 2012
TOP-RANKED CAL HOSTS MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL
Top-ranked Cal will host its lone tournament of the season when the Golden Bears welcome a 16-team field to the par-71, 6,748-yard Meadow Club for the 2012 Alister MacKenzie Invitational this Monday-Tuesday, October 15-16. The teams will play 36 holes of the 54-hole stroke play event on Monday, before finishing with 18 holes Tuesday. A shotgun start is scheduled to begin Monday's action at 8:15 a.m. PT, while teams will tee off from the first and 10th holes on Tuesday beginning at 7:45 a.m. Follow the Alister Mackenzie live online by visiting CalBears.com, which will link to the live scoring provided by golfstat.com. A recap and complete results at the end of each day's action will also be available by visiting CalBears.com.
BIG START FOR THE BEARS
Cal is off to the best start in school history with three team victories to start the 2012-13 season, marking the first time Cal has ever opened a season with three straight wins. The Bears won the Gopher Invitational, before sharing the crown at the PING/Golfweek Preview with host Georgia Tech and then winning the inaugural Pac-12 Preview in dominating fashion seven strokes better than second-place and nationally third-ranked Washington after the Bears had trailed by 15 strokes on the front nine.
PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF LAST YEAR
With three victories to open the 2012-13 campaign, Cal has now won an astonishing nine of its last 17 events and finished in the top five in all of them dating back through the entire 2011-12 season when Cal tied for third at the 2012 NCAA Championship, its second-highest finish ever to the team's lone national title in 2004. The 2011-12 season was one of firsts for Cal, including its first trip to match play at the NCAA Championship as well as its first NCAA match play victory. Cal also captured its first NCAA Regional and Pac-12 titles, posted a school-record six wins to double its previous mark, and had top-five finishes in all 14 events for the first time in school history.
ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL FIELD
Arizona State, BYU, Cal, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawai'i, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Francisco, San Jose State, UC Davis, Wichita State
ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL HISTORY
Cal has won six of the first nine times the Alister MacKenzie Invitational has been played, including each of the past three seasons with the 2011 event ending in a tie between Cal and Pac-12 rival Oregon. Cal's previous win came in one of the most memorable events ever when the Golden Bears set a tournament record by shooting a 48-under par score at the 2010 event and still narrowly defeating second-place San Diego State (-46). Cal started its current victory string in the event in 2009 by taking an event that was shortened to 36 holes due to weather. No tournament was played in 2008 when the Bears hosted the Pac-12 Championship. Cal also won in 2003, 2004 and 2006, with the other winners Fresno State in the 2002 inaugural even, Oregon State in 2004, and last non-Cal winners San Diego State in 2007.
CAL NO. 1 IN ALL THREE NATIONAL POLLS
Cal is ranked No. 1 according to Golfstat, Golfweek and Golf World/Nike in their respective polls. The Bears were No. 1 in the first Golfweek poll that came out after the start of the regular season, while Golfweek and Golf World/Nike had Cal at No. 2 and No. 3 in their preseason polls, respectively.
CAL'S ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL LINEUP
Cal's projected lineup for the 2012 PING/Golfweek Preview is listed below along with 2012-13 number of stroke play events/rounds, stroke play averages for the 2012-13 season and Cal career, and current Golfweek and Golfstat and Golfweek national rankings.
No. Name - 2012 Stroke Play Events/Rounds - Season Avg. - Career Avg. - Golfweek Ranking - Golfstat
1. Brandon Hagy - 3/9 - 71.8 - 72.2 - 31 - 167
2. Michael Kim - 3/9 - 70.6 - 71.2 - 5 - 32
3. Joël Stalter - 1/3 - 70.3 - 72.6 - NA - NA
4. Michael Weaver - 3/9 - 71.8 - 72.4 - 20 - 102
5. Max Homa - 3/9 - 70.7 - 72.1 - 3 - 28
Full player bios can be found online at CalBears.com
THE BIG FOUR
Cal has four of the Golfweek's top 31 ranked players in the nation in Max Homa (No. 3), Michael Kim (No. 5), Michael Weaver (No. 20) and Brandon Hagy (No. 31). Kim leads the team with a 70.6 scoring average, with Homa just behind at 70.7. Only one stroke separates the two through three events and nine rounds, with Kim taking 635 shots and Homa 636. Hagy and Weaver both have a 71.8 stroke average on 646 strokes over the same three events and nine rounds. The fouresome has combined for eight of the team's nine top-10 individual finishes over the first three events. Kim has been in the top 10 in all three of Cal's events, tying for second at the Gopher Invitational, tying for sixth at the Pac-12 Preview and tying for 10th at the PING/Golfweek Preview. Homa and Weaver both have two top-10 finishes. Homa tied for second in each of the season's first two tournaments (Gopher Invitational, PING/Golfweek Preview), while Weaver tied for second at the PING/Golfweek Preview and tied for ninth at the Gopher Invitational. Hagy was fourth at the Gopher Invitational.
THE FIFTH MAN
Walker Huddy and Joël Stalter are the two players on the roster outsid of the "The Big Four" to have seen action in 2012-13. Huddy played in the first two tournaments, tying for 29 th at the Gopher Invitational and tying for 54th at the PING/Golfweek Preview. Stalter replaced him in the lineup for the Pac-12 Preview and tied for eighth in his first event of the season. Stalter is in the lineup again for the Alister MacKenzie Invitational.
2012-13 EVENT RECAPS
CAL WINS GOPHER INVITATIONAL TO OPEN SEASON (SEPT. 9-10) ... Full Recap
Cal (274-290-298 - 862, -2) started its 2012-13 season with a victory at the Gopher Invitational hosted by Minnesota. The Golden Bears maintained the 14-stroke advantage over second-place SMU (303-275-298 - 876, +12) the Golden Bears began the final round with by matching the Mustangs' 10-over par round of 298 that was tied for the second best team score on a windy day in which no teams broke par at the par-72, 7,020 Spring Hill Golf Club. Cal had three of the top four golfers on the final individual leader board, but a five-over par 77 by second-round leader Max Homa prevented him from picking up his second career collegiate victory. Homa (67-70-77 - 214, -2) was still able to finish in a tie for second place with teammate Michael Kim (71-72-71 - 214, -2), while Brandon Hagy (66-75-75 - 216, E) finished fourth two shots behind his teammates and three off the lead.
CAL RALLIES FOR CO-TITLE AT PING/GOLFWEEK PREVIEW (SEPT. 23-25) ... Full Recap
Cal (289-280-276 - 845, +5) ended up with a co-title at the PING/Golfweek Preview along with host Georgia Tech (287-282-276 - 845, +5). The Golden Bears had the best team round of the day in each of the final two rounds to storm back from a nine-shot deficit after the opening round. Michael Weaver (71-70-69 - 210, E) and Max Homa (71-70-69 - 210, E) were among a group of eight players that tied for second place on the final player leader board. Michael Kim (73-68-70 - 211, +1) tied for 10th one shot behind the group of eight, while Brandon Hagy (74-76-68 - 218, +8) carded his best round of the tournament in the final round to move up 27 spots into a tie for 39th in the final standings and Walker Huddy (76-72-73 - 221, +11) tied for 54th.
CAL WINS PAC-12 PREVIEW IN DOMINATING FASHION (OCT. 8-9) ... Full Recap
Cal (285-273-277 - 835, -29) fired the best team score of the day in the third and final round of action on its way to victory at the inaugural Pac-12 Preview on the par-72, 7,017-yard Witch Hollow Course at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The Golden Bears finished the 54-hole event hosted by Oregon State seven shots ahead of second-place Washington (277-281-284 - 842, -22). Cal had trailed by as many as 15 strokes at one point after a rough start on the front nine of the first round of action but rallied to play the final 27 holes in an astonishing 36-under par. All five Cal players were under par with Michael Kim (71-69-70 - 210, -6) the Bears' top finisher in a tie for sixth. Joël Stalter (72-72-67 - 211, -5) was one shot and two places behind Kim in a tie for eighth. Brandon Hagy (77-68-67 - 212, -4) rebounded from a five-over par opening round to play nine-under over his final 36 holes and finish in a tie for 14th along with Max Homa (72-67-73 - 212, -4). Michael Weaver (70-69-76 - 215, -1) had been tied for fifth along with Homa after the first day of action but ended up in a tie for 22nd following his four-over par final round.
NATIONAL STROKE-PLAY STATS AND RANKINGS
Below are all of Cal's stroke-play stats and rankings in the top 50 for team and top 100 for individuals according to Golfstat as of October 13, 2012.
Team
Average Score - 3rd, 71.64
Versus Par - 3rd, +0.31
Par 3 Scoring - 3rd, 3.08
Par 4 Scoring - 10th, 4.11
Par 5 Scoring - 6th, 4.70
Eagles - T16th, 5
Birdies - T9th, 159
Subpar Strokes/Round - 2nd, 3.76
Fairways% - 26th, 64.8
Greens in Regulation% - 10th, 69.0
Average Putts - 43rd, 31.14
Putts on Greens in Regulation - 14th, 1.839
Sand Saves% - T3rd, 57.1 %
Short Game% - 4th, 59.9
Individuals
Average Score - Joël Stalter (T19th, 70.33), Michael Kim (T27th, 70.56), Max Homa (T30th, 70.67)
Versus Par - Joël Stalter (T11th, -1.67), Michael Kim (T30th, -0.78), Max Homa (T33rd, -0.67)
Low Round - Brandon Hagy (T25th, 66), Joël Stalter (T3rd, 63), Max Homa (T63rd, 67), Michael Weaver (T63rd, 67)
Par 3 Scoring - Max Homa (35th, 2.92), Michael Kim (T53rd, 3.00)
Par 4 Scoring - Michael Kim (T78th, 4.04)
Par 5 Scoring - Joël Stalter (T2nd, 4.33)
Eagles - Michael Weaver (T22nd, 2), Brandon Hagy (T22nd, 2)
Birdies - Michael Weaver (T41st, 36), Max Homa (T55th, 35), Michael Kim (T68th, 34)
Subpar Strokes/Round - Joël Stalter (T7th, 5.00), Michael Weaver (T34th, 4.44)
Fairways% - Michael Kim (T60th, 76.2%)
Greens in Regulation% - Brandon Hagy (T9th, 77.8%), Michael Weaver (T72nd, 70.4%)
Average Putts - Max Homa (T54th, 29.17)
Putts on Greens in Regulation - Max Homa (38th, 1.761), Michael Weaver (T67th, 1.789), Michael Kim (T99th, 1.811)
Sand Saves% - Michael Kim (T7th, 80.0%)
Short Game% - Max Homa (T15th, 71.0%), Michael Kim (49th, 64.5%), Brandon Hagy (T50th, 64.3%)
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