Andrew Cortez and Scott Clayton Sign Letters of Intent to Play Golf at UCR

(May 17, 2006) - Andrew Cortez from Murrieta Valley HS in Murrieta, California and Scott Clayton of Arroyo Valley HS in San Bernardino, California have signed national letters of intent to play men’s golf at UC Riverside, Head Coach Paul Hjulberg announced.

“I’m extremely happy to add Scott and Andrew to the men’s program for the fall of 2006,” Hjulberg said. “Both men are excellent players who can post great scores. These freshmen will be the foundation of the program in the coming years.”

Cortez shot a 68 and finished first in the first round of CIF qualifying at the Cimarron Golf Course in Palm Desert on Tuesday. Two weeks ago, Clayton finished in first place in a junior golf event at the Southern California Golf Association course in Murrieta, with a final score of 138.

Highlanders in a Tie for 11th at Del Walker Intercollegiate

(Sept. 14, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team sits in a tie for 11th place after two rounds of the Del Walker Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at Virginia Country Club, hosted by Long Beach State. The Highlanders have a two round total of 584, 16-over par and 15 shots behind first place St. Mary's and Arkansas.

Four Highlanders sit in a four-way tie for 32nd place. Senior Nick Wilkins, freshmen Andrew Cortez and Scott Clayton and junior Steve Solis all shot four-over 146 over two rounds. UCR had a 288 first round, but struggled on the second loop, shooting 296.

The Highlanders will begin the third round between 7:10 and 7:44 a.m. on Friday. Live stats for the tournament can be found here.

Del Walker Intercollegiate
Virginia Country Club, Par 71, 6633 yards

Highlanders Finish in Tie for Ninth at Del Walker Intercollegiate

(Sept. 15, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team improved two spots to finish in a tie for ninth place at the season-opening Del Walker Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at Virginia Country Club, hosted by Long Beach State.

The Highlanders finished with a three-round total of 873, 21 over par, tying them with Santa Clara University. St. Mary's and Arkansas tied for team honors, each shooting rounds of 856. The Highlanders finished one shot behind their nearest Big West opponent, Cal State Northridge, which finished in eighth with a total of 872.

Freshman Andrew Cortez shot the Highlanders' best round of the tournament, carding a 70 on the final loop around the course to move from 32nd place to a tie for 16th place. He was just four shots out of first place, which was held by San Jose State's Aaron Conrad and San Diego's Joe Panzeri. Conrad won the tournament on the fifth playoff hole.

Freshman Scott Clayton shot a final-round 71 to improve ten spots to a tie for 22nd place with a final score of four-over 217. Junior Steve Solis and senior Nick Wilkins, who each shot first round 71's and second round 75's, shot 75 and 76, respectively, in the third round. Solis placed 43rd with a score of 221 and Wilkins was 50th at 222. Senior Jeff Doolittle rounded out the five-some with a score of 223, good for 54th place.

Final stats for the tournament can be found here.

Play in Pennsylvania Halted Due to Darkness

(Oct. 14, 2006) - The Big 5 Classic, a men's golf tournament being hosted this weekend by the University of Pennsylvania, did not conclude first-round play Saturday due to darkness. As a result, scores are unavailable.

The players who did not complete their first round, including representatives from UC Riverside will go out Sunday morning to complete their rounds, and then a shotgun start will occur at noon for all players to play their second rounds. First-round results will be posted by late morning Sunday.

Highlanders Place Seventh In Trip Back East

(Oct. 15, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team finished seventh out of 15 teams at the Big 5 Classic, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Philadelphia, PA. The Highlanders were led by freshman Scott Clayton and senior Nick Wilkins, who tied for 17th in the shortened tournament.

After Saturday's first round was halted due to darkness, the teams started anew on Sunday with two rounds to count towards the standings. The Highlanders were the only team from west of Pennsylvania to participate and had a good showing against unfamiliar competition. UCR posted team scores of 309 and 305 to finish at 614, five strokes behind William and Mary and Penn State. Columbia won the tournament at 591.

Clayton shot identical rounds of 76 on the par-71 course while Wilkins went 78-74 to be among seven players at 152, 10-over par. Freshman Andrew Cortez was three strokes behind them in a tie for 32nd. Columbia's Chris Arkin and Chris Condello tied for medalist honors at 146 with Arkin gaining the title on the first playoff hole.

Final stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders Sit in 10th at Club Glove Intercollegiate

(Oct. 23, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team shot a first-day 640 to sit in 10th place after two rounds at the Club Glove Intercollegiate hosted by Pepperdine University at Saticoy Country Club in Somis, CA.

UCR opened the morning with a 314 to tie for eighth but struggled in the afternoon, shooting a team score of 326. Lamar University leads the 12-team tournament on 594 with Louisville two strokes behind.

Freshman Andrew Cortez was the top Highlander individual on the day, improving from a first-round 77 with a second-round 74 to sit in a tie for 12th on 151, seven over par. Senior Nick Wilkins shot a 158 to tie for 35th with junior Steve Solis (t-56th, 165), freshman Scott Clayton (t-58th, 166), and senior Jeff Doolittle (61st, 172) also competing. Xavier's Jason Kokrak and Lamar's Oliver Bekker are tied for the tournament lead on 146.

The tournament cocncludes Tuesday with the third round. First day stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders Finish 12th at Club Glove Intercollegiate

(Oct. 24, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team shot a third-round 321 and finished in 12th place Wednesday at the Club Glove Intercollegiate hosted by Pepperdine University at Saticoy Country Club in Somis, CA.

The Highlanders entered play in 10th place, but slipped two spots to finish at the bottom of the 12 team field.

Freshman Andrew Cortez was the top Highlander individual finisher, placing in a tie for 20th with a three round total of 230, 14-over par. Senior Nick Wilkins shot a final round 81 to slip into a tie for 44th place at 239. Freshmana Scott Clayton rounded out the Highlanders' top three with a total of 245, good for a tie for 53rd. New Mexico's Charlie Beljan won the tournament with a a final score of 218.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders 11th After First Day at Northridge

(Oct. 30, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team shot an opening-day 606 to sit in 11th place after two rounds at the Bill Cullum Intercollegiate, hosted by Cal State Northridge at Wood Ranch CC in Simi Valley.

The Highlanders started the day with a team score of 304, then went two strokes better in the afternoon with a 302. UCR is three strokes behind the host Matadors. Loyola Marymount leads the tournament at 582.

Freshman Andrew Cortez heads the Highlander contingent, recovering from an opening round 76 to shoot a one-under 71 in the afternoon. His total score of 147 is three over par and puts him in a tie for 16th. Senior Jeff Doolittle is two strokes behind Cortez after shooting 74-75. Junior Steve Solis is on 153 while freshman Scott Clayton shot 157 and sophomore Casey Nelson carded 171.

LMU's Brian Locke leads the tournament at five-under 139.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders Finish in 11th at Northridge

(Oct. 31, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's golf team ended the day exactly where they started it, placing in 11th with a three round total of 914 at the Bill Cullum Intercollegiate, hosted by Cal State Northridge at Wood Ranch CC in Simi Valley.

UCR had a two round total of 606, then shot a final round 308 to finish at 50-strokes over, 41 shots behind first place Loyola Marymount, which won the event by one stroke over Cal Poly, 873-874.

Freshman Andrew Cortez was UCR's top finisher, placing 15th with a score of 219, 12 shots behind Loyola Marymount's Brian Locke, who won the event with a total of 207.

Senior Jeff Doolittle finished in 32nd at 10-over 226 and freshman Scott Clayton was in a tie for 58th at 19-over 235.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders 12th at Pacific

(Nov. 6, 2006) - The UC Riverside men’s golf team shot an opening round 310 Monday to place 12th after the first day’s play at the Food4Less Pacific Invitational, hosted by the University of the Pacific at Brookside Country Club in Stockton, CA.

On a day when 25 players carded lower than the par-72 course, the Highlanders were led by seniors Nick Wilkins and Jeff Doolittle, who shot 74 and 75, respectively. Wilkins is in a tie for 37th while Doolittle is tied for 43rd. Freshman Andrew Cortez is in 54th on 79 while sophomore Casey Nelson shot an 82 for 58th place and junior Steve Solis is in a tie for 59th on 85.

Daniel Summerhays of BYU carded a six-under 66 to lead the tournament.

As a team, UCR’s plus-22 total of 310 is 14 strokes behind Northern Colorado. BYU tops the leaderboard at 275 with UC Santa Barbara one stroke behind.

The tournament concludes on Tuesday with the final 18 holes.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders 12th at Pacific With One Round Left

(Nov. 7, 2006) - The UC Riverside men’s golf team could not advance its standing, finishing Tuesday’s play where it started, in 12th place at the Food4Less Pacific Invitational, hosted by the University of the Pacific at Brookside Country Club in Stockton, CA. The three-day tournament concludes Wednesday.

Senior Nick Wilkins jumped up 14 places, from a tie for 37th into a tie for 23rd after a two-under 70. Wilkins carded four birdies on the front nine to finish the first two days at even par. Senior Jeff Doolittle also improved by two strokes over Monday’s round of 75, shooting 73 to sit alone in 44th on 148, +4.

Freshman Andrew Cortez followed his round of 79 with an 80 to slip into 56th place while junior Steve Solis had the biggest shot improvement of the day, going from an 85 to a 79 for 58th place.

There is a three-way tie for medalist honors, with John Chin of UC Irvine, Daniel Summerhays of BYU, and Erik Peterson of Rice all standing at nine-under 135.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders Finish 12th at Pacific

(Nov. 8, 2006) - The UC Riverside men’s golf team finished where it started, placing 12th at the Food4Less Pacific Invitational, hosted by the University of the Pacific at Brookside Country Club in Stockton, CA.

Senior Nick Wilkins concluded the tournament with his second straight round of 70, finishing in a tie for 13th at two-under 214. Senior Jeff Doolittle ended in a tie for 43rd at 224 (+8). Freshman Andrew Cortez fired his lowest round of the tournament Wednesday, a four-over 76, to place 54th at 235 (+19) while junior Steve Solis finished in 58th at 248 (+32)

Clay Ogden highlighted three Brigham Young players in the top four, winning at 12-under, 204.

As a team, the Highlanders shot a final-day 306 to finish at 918. BYU took the team title at 830.

The tournament was the last for UCR on the fall schedule. The Highlanders return to the links at UC Irvine on February 26-27.

Stats for the tournament can be found here.

Highlanders 5th After First Day at UC Irvine

(Feb. 26, 2007) - The UC Riverside men's golf team opened its spring schedule in fifth place out of 10 teams after the first day of the Anteater Invitational at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, CA.

The Highlanders finished the first round with a team score of 304 to place fifth and did not move from that position with a second round 307 to complete day one at 611, 35 strokes over par. UCR is five strokes behind the University of San Francisco and six behind third place St. Mary's. UC Irvine leads the tournament at 596 with Arizona's "B" team at 600.

Freshman Scott Clayton carded a pair 75's and is in a tie for eighth among individuals at 150, six over par. Senior Jeff Doolittle is one stroke behind Clayton in a tie for 12th with freshman Andrew Cortez also in the top-20 at 154. Senior Nick Wilkins and junior Steve Solis are tied for 38th at 159.

USF's Domingo Jojola leads the tournament at three-under 141.

The tournament concludes with Tuesday's final round.

Stats for the tournament can be found here

UCR To Host 17-Team Braveheart Classic

(March 2, 2007) - The UC Riverside men's golf team will host its lone home tournament of the season, the fifth annual Braveheart Classic on Monday-Tuesday, March 5-6 at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, CA.

Participating Schools:
UC Riverside, Boise State, Cal State Northridge, Gonzaga, Idaho, Idaho State, Jacksonville, Kansas State, Penn, Portland, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, Texas Pan-Am, UCLA, Utah, Utah State and Weber State.

Tournament Format:
Two 18-hole rounds across two days. Shotgun start daily at 8 a.m.

Course Layout:
Oak Valley Golf Club: 7,003-yards, par-72
Located at 1888 Golf Club Drive in Beaumont.

Results:
Results from each round will be available on the UCR website at the conclusion of each day's play.

Defending Champions:
UCLA is the defending champion, having shot a one-over 865 last season. Chris Heintz of UCLA won the individual medalist honors with a seven-under 209.
UC Riverside finished in 15th place in 2006, its lowest placing in the tournament's history. Senior Nick Wilkins was the Highlanders' top finisher in a tie for ninth. UCR has won the tournament twice, in 2003 and 2005.

Past Winners:

UCLA Leads After First Round of Braveheart Classic

First Round Results

(March 5, 2007) - The UCLA Bruins shot a first round 308 to take a four shot lead after the first round of the Braveheart Classic Tournament on a blustery day at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, CA. The second round was suspended due to darkness. Play will resume at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

There was a five-way tie for first at three-over 75 following the first round. Gonzaga's Brandon Crick, Utah's Dustin Pimm, UCLA's James Lee, So. Utah's Jesse Wheeler, and Portland's Joel Johnson each shared the lead.

Jacksonville University is second at 312 and Cal State Northridge is third at 313.

The host UC Riverside Highlanders are in 12th place at 324, 16 shots back. Senior Nick Wilkins is tied for 22nd at 79 and freshman Scott Clayton is tied for 32nd at 80.

Jacksonville University Comes From Behind to Win Braveheart Classic

Final Results

(March 6, 2007) - Jacksonville University came from behind to post a nine-shot win over UCLA at the Braveheart Classic Tournament at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, CA Tuesday.

Play started at 7:30 a.m. with the completion of the suspended second round, and Jacksonville trailed then-first place UCLA by two strokes, 605 to 607. But the Dolphins shot a final round 289 to blow past the Bruins to finish at 896, compared to UCLA's 905.

The Dolphins had the top three individual finishers, as Matt Kleinrock took medalist honors at 220, besting teammates Russel Knox at 223 and Duncan Stewart at 224. UCLA's James Lee was fourth at 226 and Brandon Christianson fifth at 227.

The University of Utah rounded out the top three teams, finishing with a total of 924.

The host Highlanders improved in each round, moving up from 12th place after the opening round to place in seventh overall with a total of 931, four shots behind sixth place Northridge at 927. Senior Steve Solis overcame a first round 83 with a pair of blistering one-over 73s in the second and third rounds to finish in a tie for 11th place at 229. Senior Nick Wilkins tied for 16th at 230, and senior Jeff Doolittle was tied for 30th at 236.

Highlanders In 17th at Cal Poly

Monday Results

(March 29, 2007) - UC Riverside shot an opening day 611 to sit in 17th after two rounds at the Cuesta Title/Cal Poly Intercollegiate, held at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande.

The Highlanders shot a first round 301 and were in a four-way tie for 11th but dropped off with a 310 in the second round. Trevor Schultz and Scott Clayton each shot even-par 72 in the morning. Schultz followed it with a 76 to complete the day in a tie for 23rd at 148, four over par. Clayton carded an 80 in the afternoon and is tied for 46th at 152.

Host Cal Poly leads the tournament at one-under 575, nine strokes ahead of Loyola Marymount. Geoff Gonzalez of Cal Poly and LMU's Brian Locke are tied for the individual lead at 140, four under par.

The tournament concludes with the final 18 holes on Friday.

Highlanders Finish 17th at Cal Poly

Final Results

(March 30, 2007) - UC Riverside stayed put with a final round 304 Friday to finish in 17th place at the Cuesta Title/Cal Poly Intercollegiate, held at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande.

Trevor Schultz carded the lowest round of the day for the Highlanders, shooting a two-over-par 74 to move up to a tie for 18th at 222 (+6). Scott Clayton and Jeff Doolittle each shot 75 on Friday, putting Clayton (227) in a tie for 42nd and Doolittle (234) in a tie for 72nd. Nick Wilkins sat a stroke ahead of Doolittle on 233.

The Highlanders finished on 915, three strokes behind San Francisco. Host Cal Poly won the tournament at three-over 866, winning by 13 strokes over Loyola Marymount. LMU's Brian Locke was the individual medalist at 209 (-7).

UCR remains on the Central Coast , playing at UC Santa Barbara's Ogio Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday.

Highlanders Tied for Seventh at UCSB

Monday Results

(April 2, 2007) - UC Riverside shot an opening day 568 to sit in a three-way tie for seventh after two rounds Monday at the OGIO Pacific Coast Intercollegiate hosted by UC Santa Barbara at the Alisal River Golf Course in Solvang, CA.

On a day when 104 individuals broke par, three Highlanders finished the first day under par. Freshman Scott Clayton paced the Highlanders with a five-under 139. Clayton shot even-par 72 in the morning then came back with a 67 to tie for 17th. Classmate Andrew Cortez was two strokes back following rounds of 71 and 70 for a tie at 28th. Jeff Doolittle is also under par for the tournament at -1, shooting 71-72 to tie for 42nd.

Cal Poly's Chris Kirk leads the tournament at 131, 11 strokes under par.

As a team, UCR shot two-under 286 in the morning and then went lower with a 282 in the afternoon to sit in a tie with Pacific and St. Mary's on 568. Denver leads the 18-team tournament at 546, four strokes in front of Cal Poly. UC Irvine is third at 560, a stroke ahead of San Diego. The host Gauchos are sixth at 566.

The tournament concludes with the final 18 holes on Tuesday.

Highlanders Finish 13th at UCSB

Final Results

(April 3, 2007) - UC Riverside fell back of the pace with a final-round 293 Tuesday to finish in 13th place at the OGIO Pacific Coast Intercollegiate hosted by UC Santa Barbara at the Alisal River Golf Course in Solvang, CA.

A day after 104 individuals broke par, 38 players went low on Tuesday, including two Highlanders. Freshman Scott Clayton followed up his best round as a collegian, 67, with a solid round of 70 to tie for 13th at 209 (-7). Trevor Schultz was also under par in the third round with a one-under 71 that moved him into a tie for 60th on 219 (+3). Freshman Andrew Cortez completed his tournament at two-over 218, tying for 53rd. Jeff Doolittle tied for 67th at 221 (+5) and Nick Wilkins placed 83rd at 224 (+8).

UCR's tournament total of 861 was the lowest three-round total for the Highlanders this year and marked the first time they had broken 300 in all three rounds of a tournament since September 2006.

Cal Poly surged back to take the team crown, carding a three-round total of 827 to beat Denver by five strokes. Cal Poly's Chris Kirk (199) maintained his individual lead and cruised to a four-stroke victory over Idaho's Russell Grove.

The Highlanders have one tournament remaining before the Big West Championships. They travel to Scottsdale, AZ next Monday-Tuesday for the Wyoming Cowboy Classic.

Highlanders Tied for 10th at Wyoming Cowboy Classic

Monday Results

(April 9, 2007) - UC Riverside sits in a three-way tie for 10th out of 23 teams after the first two rounds Monday at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, hosted by the University of Wyoming at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Freshman Scott Clayton is tied for seventh among individuals at one-under 139.

Clayton opened the day with a one-under 69 and followed it with an even-par 70 to be among four players at 139. Classmate Andrew Cortez also shot a 69 in the morning but slipped to a 75 in the afternoon. He is one of 11 players tied for 40th on 144 (+4). Junior Trevor Schultz is tied for 61st after shooting 73-74 and is seven-over at 147. Senior Nick Wlikins is tied for 82nd on 149 with senior Jeff Doolittle two strokes behind that.

As a team, the Highlanders shot 283 in the morning and followed it with a 293 to sit at 576 (+16), tied with North Texas and Kansas. Three teams were under par, with UC Davis leading the tournament at six-under 554. UC Santa Barbara is two strokes behind the Aggies with Utah a further two strokes adrift.

Joe Ryon of UCSB leads the tournament at minus-7, 133. UCD's Nat Pistacchio and Louie Bishop are second and third on 135 and 136. Ten players are under par through two rounds.

The tournament concludes with the final 18 holes on Tuesday.

Highlanders Finish 11th at Wyoming Cowboy Classic

Final Results

(April 10, 2007) - In its final tuneup of the season, UC Riverside concluded its trip to Arizona with a final-round 286 to finish 11th Tuesday at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, hosted by the University of Wyoming at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Freshman Scott Clayton had his best placing as a collegian, tying for fifth at one-under for the week.

Clayton was in a tie for seventh as the final round commenced and shot his second straight round of even-par 70 to end up among six players at 209, one under par. Freshman Andrew Cortez had UCR's lowest round of the day, a 69, to move up from 40th to a tie for 22nd at 213 (+3). Trevor Schultz tied for 64th at 220 (+10), with Nick Wilkins at 223 (+13) and Jeff Doolittle at 227 (+17).

As a team, the Highlanders followed up rounds of 283 and 293 with a solid 286 to total 862, three strokes behind UNC Greensboro for 10th place. UC Davis maintained its overnight lead to win the 23-team tournament with even-par 840, just one stroke better than Utah and UC Santa Barbara.

Louie Bishop of UC Davis won the tournament at 205 (-5), holding off three players who were a stroke back.

UCR returns to California for the Big West Conference Championships, held April 23-24 at Tijeras Creek Golf Course in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Highlanders Peaking in Time for Big West Championships