PULLMAN, Wash. – The best finish in school history at the Pac-12 Championships, an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honoree and several school records highlight the 2017-18 men's golf season.
The season kicked off on a high note as the Cougars captured the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate team championship, held Sept. 11-12 at Palouse Ridge, WSU's home course. The Cougars had to come from behind to take the victory over Boise State, as they set a school record for three-round team score after shooting 819 (-33). It also marked the school's third-best three-round team score to par. With a third-round team score of 266 (-18), the team of AJ Armstrong, Brian Mogg, Derek Bayley, Daniel Kolar and Grant Cole, set the school record for single-round team score.
On the opening day of the tournament, sophomore Nicklaus Chiam set the WSU record for lowest round with a 62 (-9) in the second round, Sept. 11.
In the second outing of the spring, the Cougars finished eighth at the Southwestern Intercollegiate in a field that included Pac-12 foes UCLA and Oregon State, as well as Pepperdine, Tennessee and San Diego State, among others. In its next outing, WSU finished fourth at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate at Scottsdale, Ariz., led by Armstrong who tied for 15th, Anderson in 18th and Mogg, who tied for 19th. Bayley was also in the top-25 as he tied for 21st.
Bayley, a senior, tied his own WSU record for lowest three-round score after shooting 201 (-12) at the 2018 Bandon Dunes Championship held at Bandon, Ore., finishing in second place. The Cougars placed third in the tournament as Armstrong (T-15th) and Mogg (T-20th) each recorded top-20 finishes.
Anderson shot a third-round score of 65 (-6) at the Pac-12 Championships at Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., April 24, marking the second-lowest by a Cougar at the conference championships. The senior tied for eighth with a four-round score of 275 (-9), the fourth best finish in school history and the best four-round score at the championships.
As a team the Cougars finished seventh (1412, -8), 10 strokes ahead of eight-place finisher, No. 37 Arizona. Bayley, Armstrong and Cole all notched top-25 finishes as each tied for 23rd at 283 (-1). The seventh-place team finish tied its best finish at the conference championships and best since the league became the Pac-12 in 2011-12.
At the conclusion of the season, Anderson became just the 11th Cougar to pick up all-conference honors, as he was named Pac-12 honorable mention, the first WSU golfer since 2014.
Armstrong, a junior, was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first team for the second-straight season, while his classmate, Grant Cole, earned his first all-conference honors being named honorable mention.
Cole (72.63) and Bayley (72.65) recorded the eighth and ninth best season scoring averages in school history, respectively, while Bayley left his name on the career record books following his final season. Bayley finished his career as the school record holder with a 73.04 scoring average, as well as ranked ninth with nine career top-10 finishes and sixth with 23 career top-25 finishes. Senior Brian Mogg concluded his career with a school eighth-best 73.82 career scoring average.
Washington State will return seven golfers next season with the departures of seniors Anderson, Bayley and Mogg.
The season kicked off on a high note as the Cougars captured the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate team championship, held Sept. 11-12 at Palouse Ridge, WSU's home course. The Cougars had to come from behind to take the victory over Boise State, as they set a school record for three-round team score after shooting 819 (-33). It also marked the school's third-best three-round team score to par. With a third-round team score of 266 (-18), the team of AJ Armstrong, Brian Mogg, Derek Bayley, Daniel Kolar and Grant Cole, set the school record for single-round team score.
On the opening day of the tournament, sophomore Nicklaus Chiam set the WSU record for lowest round with a 62 (-9) in the second round, Sept. 11.
In the second outing of the spring, the Cougars finished eighth at the Southwestern Intercollegiate in a field that included Pac-12 foes UCLA and Oregon State, as well as Pepperdine, Tennessee and San Diego State, among others. In its next outing, WSU finished fourth at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate at Scottsdale, Ariz., led by Armstrong who tied for 15th, Anderson in 18th and Mogg, who tied for 19th. Bayley was also in the top-25 as he tied for 21st.
Bayley, a senior, tied his own WSU record for lowest three-round score after shooting 201 (-12) at the 2018 Bandon Dunes Championship held at Bandon, Ore., finishing in second place. The Cougars placed third in the tournament as Armstrong (T-15th) and Mogg (T-20th) each recorded top-20 finishes.
Anderson shot a third-round score of 65 (-6) at the Pac-12 Championships at Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., April 24, marking the second-lowest by a Cougar at the conference championships. The senior tied for eighth with a four-round score of 275 (-9), the fourth best finish in school history and the best four-round score at the championships.
As a team the Cougars finished seventh (1412, -8), 10 strokes ahead of eight-place finisher, No. 37 Arizona. Bayley, Armstrong and Cole all notched top-25 finishes as each tied for 23rd at 283 (-1). The seventh-place team finish tied its best finish at the conference championships and best since the league became the Pac-12 in 2011-12.
At the conclusion of the season, Anderson became just the 11th Cougar to pick up all-conference honors, as he was named Pac-12 honorable mention, the first WSU golfer since 2014.
Armstrong, a junior, was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first team for the second-straight season, while his classmate, Grant Cole, earned his first all-conference honors being named honorable mention.
Cole (72.63) and Bayley (72.65) recorded the eighth and ninth best season scoring averages in school history, respectively, while Bayley left his name on the career record books following his final season. Bayley finished his career as the school record holder with a 73.04 scoring average, as well as ranked ninth with nine career top-10 finishes and sixth with 23 career top-25 finishes. Senior Brian Mogg concluded his career with a school eighth-best 73.82 career scoring average.
Washington State will return seven golfers next season with the departures of seniors Anderson, Bayley and Mogg.