Oklahoma State University Athletics
Men's Golf Heads to the Big 12 Championship
April 15, 2003 | Cowboy Golf
The Cowboy Lineup
Name/ Yr./ Hometown/ Stroke/ Avg. */ Dist./Nat'l Rank/ Notes
Brian Guetz Sr. Littleton, Colo. 73.10 (6) 7th/54th Finished third at 1996 Big Eight Championship
Edward Loar Fr. Rockwall, Texas 71.88 (1) 2nd/8th First OSU true frosh in 12 years to win a tourney
Landry Mahan Fr. Richardson, Texas 73.97 (12) ---/--- Two top-20 finishes as a freshman
Bo Van Pelt Jr. Richmond, Ind. 72.25 (2) 1st/6th Seventh in the nation with 84 birdies
Leif Westerberg Sr. Upplands Vasby, Sweden 72.79 (5) 5th/38th Three-time All-American * - Number in parentheses reflects Big 12 stroke average rank.
OSU Looks to Continue League Tourney Success The second-ranked Oklahoma State men's golf team, the most successful program in the past four decades of Big Eight Conference play, will try to begin a new tradition when it competes in this week's inaugural Big 12 Championship. After joining the Big Eight in 1958, the Cowboys won 36 of 39 league titles; OSU won the last four Big Eight titles as well as 11 of the last 12 and 26 of the last 28. The only years in which OSU did not win Big Eight titles were 1968 (second to Colorado), 1984 (second to Missouri) and 1992 (second to Oklahoma). OSU has had 30 different Big Eight medalists, including Kris Cox, who won last year's tournament by two strokes.
The Cowboys in 1996-97 Oklahoma State has won three of the 11 tournaments it has entered this year and has finished lower than fifth just twice. So far in April, the Cowboys have posted two third-place finishes, at the Ping Intercollegiate in Cary, N.C., and at the ASU Thunderbird/Savane Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. The Cowboys have produced two medalists this year, with Edward Loar winning the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in the fall and Bo Van Pelt defeating teammate Brian Guetz in a playoff at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate in February.
50 Years of History Oklahoma State celebrated its 50th year of varsity golf last season by winning its 45th conference title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 50th time. The Cowboys have won eight national titles and have finished fifth or higher 41 times. Thirty-seven OSU golfers have won conference titles, and the Cowboys have produced six NCAA medalists and 111 All-Americans. In the last 24 years, OSU has entered 337 tournaments and won 154 titles for a 45.7 winning percentage. In addition, the Cowboys have posted 80 runner-up finishes, meaning that OSU has finished first or second 69.4 percent of the time.
Head Coach Mike Holder In the last 24 years, Mike Holder's name has become synonymous with success in college golf. He has coached 85 All-Americans, including 31 first-team choices, and his teams have won 21 league titles and seven national championships. Holder ranked second only to Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen in Big Eight titles regardless of sport, and he is one of 20 coaches all-time in all sports who have directed national-championship teams in three different decades.
The 1996 Big Eight Championship Kris Cox recorded the third individual victory of his career and led Oklahoma State to its 36th Big Eight team championship at the final Big Eight Men's Golf Championship, held last year at Prairie Dunes. However, it wasn't easy for the Cowboys, who were forced into just the second playoff in the tournament's history. The Cowboys and Oklahoma matched each other through 54 holes with identical scores each round before OSU won the playoff by a stroke. The only other playoff in Big Eight tournament history came in 1989, when the Cowboys defeated Oklahoma in Tulsa.
A Brief Look at the Cowboys
Brian Guetz
Sr. Littleton, Colo. (Heritage)
One of two returning All-Americans on the OSU roster, Guetz is fourth among OSU regulars with a 73.10 stroke average ... trimmed nearly a stroke off his fall stroke average (73.44) and currently sports a 72.73 average in spring play ... tied for first at the Burns Intercollegiate, but teammate Van Pelt won in a playoff ... finished third at the Big Eight Championship last year and earned third-team All-America honors.
Edward Loar
Fr. Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall)
Loar won the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate this fall and became the first OSU true freshman to earn medalist honors since Brian Watts did it twice in 1984-85 ... the top-ranked golfer in the Big 12 in terms of stroke average ... ranked eighth nationally ... shot an average of 71.56 last fall ... has competed in nine of OSU's 11 events this year and earned four top-10 finishes.
Landry Mahan
Fr. Richardson, Texas (Berkner)
Though he stands at just 5-foot-4, Mahan is a long hitter ... 11th at the Burns Intercollegiate, his best finish of the year ... also finished in the top 20 at the Bridges All-American, placing 15th ... has played in all 11 OSU tournaments this year ... a Rolex First-Team All-American in 1994.
Bo Van Pelt
Jr. Richmond, Ind. (Richmond)
Van Pelt has had the best OSU score in four different tournaments, tying Guetz and Loar for best on the team ... won the Burns Intercollegiate after beating teammate Guetz and another player in a playoff ... ranked sixth nationally, second-best among Big 12 players behind Texas' No. 3 Brad Elder ... leads the 1996-97 Cowboys in top-five finishes with four.
Leif Westerberg
Sr. Upplands Vasby, Sweden (Perstorp/Klippan)
A three-time All-American, Westerberg has played in 54 of the 58 tournaments that OSU has entered during his four-year career ... fired a career-best 63, the second-best round in the country this year, in the second round of this fall's Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate and finished second to Loar ... has finished in the top five three times this year, second only to Van Pelt.
Noting the Cowboys OSU has produced at least one top-10 finisher in nine of the 11 tournaments this year ... OSU is 142-27-2 overall against the nation this year with non-losing records against every opponent it has faced ... Guetz, who finished third last year, and Westerberg are the only Cowboys in the current lineup who have played in the conference championship previously. Westerberg finished 18th in 1996, 26th in 1995 and 14th in 1994.
