Long Beach State University Athletics
Men's Golf hosts Del Walker Match Play Championship
2/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Feb. 24, 2012
2011-12 LONG BEACH STATE MEN'S GOLF
Tournament No. 5
Del Walker Match Play Championship
Hosted by Long Beach State
Virginia Country Club - Par-70, 6,633 yards
Long Beach, Calif.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Feb. 27 - First & Second Rounds, 7:30 a.m. (golfstat.com)
Tuesday, Feb. 28 - Final Round, 7:30 a.m. (golfstat.com)
FIRST TEE
The Long Beach State men's golf team hosts the Del Walker Match Play Championship, Feb. 27-28, at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. Two rounds will be played on Monday, Feb. 27 and final round play concluding on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The course at VCC will play to a par-70 at 6,633 yards. All three rounds will be live at Golfstat.com. This is the first time in the 15-year history of the Del Walker, the tournament has been changed to a match play format. The tournament has been known as the Del Walker Intercollegiate Golf Classic until its format was changed after last year's tournament.
DEL WALKER FIELD
LBSU will be among an eight-team field for the Del Walker Match Play Championship as the 49ers will go up against No. 10 California, No. 5 Oregon, Oregon State, No. 3 Southern California, UC Davis, No. 4 UCLA and No. 8 Washington.
ABOUT DEL WALKER
During the City of Long Beach's Centennial Celebration in 1988, the Long Beach Press-Telegram named Del Walker the city's "Golfer of the Century", and Long Beach State and Virginia Country Club are pleased to recognize his accomplishments by naming this annual tournament after him.
Delbert Walker or "Coach" as everyone simply called him, was born in North Dakota in 1913 and moved to Long Beach at the age of 14. He took up golf at 18, teaching himself the game after reading a book by Harry Vardon. Within three years he was good enough to play for UCLA, where he never lost a match and won the Southern California Collegiate Championship as a rookie. He joined Virginia CC in 1940, and was a fixture there until his death in 2007. Coach won the Long Beach City Championship four times, the VCC Club Championship nine times (the first in 1940, the last in 1977). He also eagled every hole at Virginia at least once!
Walker had a rich tradition in athletic endeavors of the golf course as well. In addition to golf, he coached basketball, football, track, tennis and baseball. As an athletic administrator, he was the athletic director at Long Beach Poly High School and Long Beach City College, where incidentally, he gave Lute Olsen his first job as a head basketball coach. Walker came out of retirement in 1982 to coach the 49er men's golf team "for one year" and ended up doing it for 12 years. His wife Marty came out of retirement in 1986 to coach the 49er women's team, making the Walkers what they called "a unique Division I coaching combination". Walker was named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 1982, 1986 and 1994, and along with some key boosters from Virginia led the "Save Golf Campaign" that kept the program from being eliminated in 1991.
LBSU WINS FOLINO INVITATIONAL TEAM TITLE
Long Beach State recorded a 15-over-par 879 to capture the second annual Folino Invitatioanl team title at Industry Hills Golf Club in the City of Industry. The 49ers won by two-strokes over Pepperdine (+17) and three shots over tournament host Cal State Fullerton (+18). Senior Kevin Lim led the way for the 49ers, finishing in third at even-216. This was the second team title for LBSU this year as the 49ers shared the Bill Cullum Invitational championship with Arizona State. The win also gave new 49ers head coach Mickey Yokoihis first victory at LBSU and his first career win as a Division-I men's golf coach.
LIM RECORDS BEST CAREER FINISH AT FOLINO
Senior Kevin Limrecorded his best career finish placing third at the Folino Invitational at Industry Hills Golf Club. Lim carded a career-low 68 in the second round, completing the 54-hole tournament at even-216. Lim finished just one-stroke back of first-place.
49ERS IN THE RANKINGS
In the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, LBSU is ranked 76th, while in Golfstat the 49ers comes in at No. 78. LBSU is the highest ranked team in the Big West Conference in both polls. Cal State Fullerton comes in at No. 102 in Golfweek and UC Santa Barbara is 120th in Golfstat.
Mickey Yokoi NAMED 49ERS' NEW HEAD COACH
On December 5, Mickey Yokoi became the 10th head coach in the 61-year history of the LBSU men's golf program, replacing Ryan Ressa. Yokoi comes to LBSU after serving the past 14 years with the Arizona State men's and women's golf teams. Since 2002-03, Yokoi served as associate head men's golf coach as the Sun Devils appeared in the NCAA Finals all nine years. Yokoi served one year as the head women's golf coach at ASU, taking the Sun Devils to the 2003 NCAA Finals.
49ERS CLOSES OUT FALL SEASON AT GIFFORD COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
LBSU finished in eighth-place at the 11-team Gifford Collegiate Championship in San Martin, Calif., to close out the fall season to the 2011-12 campaign. The 49ers completed the three-day tournament at the par-71, 7,360-yard CordeValle Resort at 57-over-par 1122. Freshman JJ Holen was the top player for LBSU as he tied for 25th with a 9-over 222.
LBSU SHARES BILL CULLUM INVITATIONAL TEAM TITLE
The 49ers shared the team title with Arizona State at the Bill Cullum Invitational in Simi Valley. LBSU completed the 54-hole tournament at 11-under 853 at the par-72, 6,801 yard Wood Ranch Golf Club. Two 49ers finished in the top-10 as freshman Xander Schauffele placed third with a 7-under 209 and senior Kevin Roytied for 10th at 1-under 215.
LBSU OPENS SEASON AT THE PRESTIGE
The 49ers opened the 2011-12 season at The Prestige at PGA WEST, finishing in 16th place. LBSU recorded rounds of 301, 292 and 286 for a 54-hole score of 15-over 879. Senior Kevin Roy was the top player for the 49ers as he tied for 26th with a 2-under 214. Junior Philip Chian tied for 39th (+1), while freshman Xander Schauffele finished with a 4-over tying for 55th. Senior Kevin Limtied for 77th (+13) and freshman JJ Holen finished in 82nd (+16).
LA QUINTA RESORT TO HOST 2012 BIG WEST MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Big West Conference Commissioner Dennis Farrell announced that the La Quinta Resort will play host to the 2012 Big West Men's Golf Championship. The championship will begin on Sunday, April 29 and conclude on Tuesday, May 1. The Pete Dye designed Mountain Course is located right in the heart of the La Quinta Resort and is the former home of the PGA Senior Skins Game. The tournament will feature all nine Big West men's golf teams which will play 18 holes each day of the tournament. The champion will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
FOUR 49ERS PLAY AT CAL POLY INVITATIONAL
Four 49ers played as individuals in the Firestone Grill Cal Poly Invitational at the par-71, 6,810 yard Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo. Freshman Kevin Teckakanoboon was the top player for LBSU, tying for 12th place at 7-over 220, followed by classmate Ben Heisey tied for 27th (+11) and junior Raymond Ho tied for 29th (+12). Freshman Matt Flissfinished at 23-over, tying for 56th.
MOTHER NATURE WASHES OUT HUSKY INVITATIONAL
Heavy rains forced the cancellation of the first and second rounds of the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational in Bremerton, Wash. Over an inch of rain had accumulated at the Gold Mountain Golf Course as the 49ers and the 15 other teams waited all day to see if there would be a break in the weather. But tournament officials had decided by the afternoon to cancel the first day of the Husky Invitational due to the inclement weather and course conditions.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
The 49ers will hit the road for their third tournament of the spring season, traveling up the San Joaquin Valley for the Fresno State Golf Classic, Mar. 5-6, at Fort Washington Country Club in Fresno.
Players Mentioned
