Junior Graham Brockington on Stanford's fall season

Coming back to school this year was particularly exciting as we were preseason ranked number one. On our first team trip we were all ready to prove we deserved our number one ranking. Before our first tournament however, we were offered a golfing trip of a lifetime. We traveled to the east coast where we would play 5 courses, all ranked within the top 30 of Golfweek’s best courses list. We played the number one ranked course, Pine Valley as well as: Shinnecock, Sebonack, Friar’s Head, and National. It was a blast as all courses were great in there own way. Then we headed to Chicago where we would play our first tournament at Olympia Fields CC, the site of the 2003 U.S. Open. The course was one of the toughest I have played and we finished fourth.

As we returned from our trip we were immediately shoved back into reality, as classes would begin the next day. Since then our new team has had some time to get to know each other. In my three years on the farm, I have noticed that the team dynamic is different every year. With three new freshmen coming in this year, it is hard to know beforehand how the new team will mesh. Fortunately our team has grown close through the fall as we all are united under common goals.

We would go on to finish second as the Prestige at PGA West and third at Isleworth in Florida. With one tournament left, we were hungry for a win at Cordevalle, especially since we had lost our number one ranking. With a great final two days of play we were able to pull out the victory to beat the current number one ranked team, Oklahoma State.

As the fall season has ended and we look towards the beginning of our spring season, I am filled with excitement. This year especially, I feel like we are on the right path. While we go back home for Christmas break and a few weeks of “off” time, you can rest assured that we will be working harder than ever on our games to be ready come tournament time.

Go Card!
Graham Brockington ('11)

Sihwan Kim writes about the team's strong fall season

Photo of Sihwan at Isleworth CC courtesy of Stanford photo.

Editor's Note: Stanford's All-American junior Sihwan Kim writes about the fall season. Sihwan has had an excellent fall season as he has finished 2nd, tied for 8th, tied for 28th and tied for 2nd in his 4 tournaments. He leads the team with a 71.2 scoring average. Sihwan was also just named the Pac-10 player of the month for November.

After a long summer, I was excited to play college golf once again because I knew that our team was as strong as ever. I knew that if we just play decent golf, we can win every single golf tournaments and ultimately NCAA.

We started this year with some good practice and memories. We got to play 5 great courses including Pine Valley and Shinnecock Hills. I’ve never played so many good courses in such a short period of time.

Then, we headed off to Chicago for our season opener. This fall season was the best fall season out of three years I’ve been here and I hope that it will get better. We finished 4th, 2nd, 3rd, and first place at Olympia Fields, PGA West, Isleworth, and CordeValle respectively. It felt really good to finish the fall season with the win.

And as for the spring, I hope Joe comes back and helps us out to win the NCAA.
Sihwan Kim

Senior captain Joseph Bramlett updates on the team's progresshis and rehab program

Editor's Note --- senior Captain Joseph Bramlett has fought wrist injuries for two seasons after earning 2nd team All-American honors as a freshman.

The offseason has now officially begun for our team now and I couldn’t be happier with where we are group is going. Coming off of an exciting win at the Gifford Collegiate our team can enjoy the offseason on a high note, with the confidence that comes with a victory. The victory was made even more special playing with Oklahoma State in the final round and beating them with three freshman in our lineup. I think it speaks volumes as to how talented and competitive of a group we have. For the first time since my freshman year we are able to hit the offseason in full stride and use our momentum to build on what we have for the spring.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed watching the team win last week, I cannot describe how tough it was sitting on the sideline watching instead of being in the action playing. I have been going through a very specific rehab program where I will hopefully be 100% ready to go at start of the spring season. It is always hard to predict exactly how long this will take and wrists are especially unpredictable, but I have been very encouraged about the progress I have been able to make this fall and I am more than ready to trade in my pom poms for golf clubs. I will continue to take it one day at a time and hopefully it will pay off in February and more importantly next May.

It’s amazing to me how fast my final year on the farm is going and hard for me to believe that I will be graduating soon. I have thoroughly enjoyed my three and a half years here, but I don’t think I will be ready to leave without another national championship. Thanks everyone for the support you’ve shown and were going to do everything we can to bring a 9th national championship back home.

Joseph Bramlett, Senior

Senior Jordan Cox shares the year's highlight

My senior year has finally come and I can’t believe how fast time is flying. I remember looking back to high school and thinking how many more years until I graduate. It seemed like time moved so slowly. Now, I am almost done with my fall quarter already, and I feel like time is moving so quickly that it is hard to keep up. I have always been told that college would be done before I knew it, and still to my surprise, it is almost over.

The highlight of the year thus far was getting to spend a morning with Tiger Woods on Monday during President’s Cup week. It was 7am and the team was about to have another productive morning practice session. The coaches were a little late that morning and the team knew that something had to be going on. We thought that maybe they were playing a prank on us or watching from a distance to see what our reactions were. Sure enough, Coach Ray came flying towards us from the far end of the new practice facility with someone sitting next to him in the golf cart.

To the teams’ surprise, it was the number one golfer in the world and perhaps one of the best (if not the best) athletes of all time. An experience like this would only be possible at Stanford. Tiger had a chipping contest with us and played a few holes on the facility with us. As serious golfers, getting to spend a morning with Tiger Woods is without question like a dream come true. Furthermore, this is a memory that I will remember for the rest of my life.

The team this year is quite possibly the deepest team I have played on in my years at Stanford thus far. I am very excited for the chance to compete for the national championship this year, because I promise you there is no team in the country that is more ready to take home the national championship! We are working hard, and I feel like everyone on the team is on the same page with regards to what is will take to achieve our team goals. Please be watching out for us come spring season!

Go Cardinal!

Jordan Cox --- senior

Kemmer named an All-American Scholar for 2008-09

Recently graduated Dodge Kemmer was named an All-American Scholar for the 2008-09 season. A press release is included below indicating the criteria for selection. A complete list of All-American Scholars for 2008-09 can be found here. | A complete list of all Stanford All-American Scholars and All-Americans can be found here.

NORMAN, Okla. – Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars for Divisions I, II and the NAIA have been announced by the GCAA. A total of 108 players in Division I, 37 in Division II and 11 in NAIA earned the honor. Additionally, 17 honorees were added to the previously released Division III Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars. To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least two full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70-percent of his team’s competitive rounds or compete in the NCAA Championships, have a stroke-average under 76.0 in Division I, 78.0 in Division II and NAIA and 79.0 in Division III, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 in Division I, II and III and 3.5 in NAIA. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.

Summer tournament results for Ziegler, Chung, Kim, Kemmer & Kearney

In addition to the great win by David Chung in the prestigious North-South Amateur Championship held at Pinehurst #2, All-American Steve Ziegler advanced to the round of 16 at the British Amateur held June 15-20. Steve now is the 19th ranked amateur in the world.

In other action, recently graduated Dodge Kemmer and incoming freshman Steven Kearney competed in the Sahalee Players Championship. Dodge finished tied for 12th and Steven finished 55th. Meanwhile, after a great start to the summer by Sihwan Kim, he continued his fine play finishing 24th in the Dogwood Invitational.

Results can be found below for the four events.

The British Amateur Championship |
The North-South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst |
http://www.sahaleeplayerschampionship.com/index.htm l
http://www.sahaleeplayerschampionship.com/results/2009/Stroke.html |
http://www.thedogwood.com/scores

Senior co-captain Daniel Lim reflects on his years on the Farm

I can remember sitting in my house in Gilroy, getting a phone call from coach about my acceptance into Stanford. At the time, Stanford golf was ranked in the top 50 in the country, yet I was excited. I was going to a school that had won every Director's Cup, had players like TIger Woods and Tom Watson as alumi, and excelled in academics and athletics.

I can confidently say that these past 4 years have well exceeded my expectations. Fast foward time and 4 years later, I'm sitting in my dorm room as a senior, co-captain with senior Dodge Kemmer of a top 5 ranked Golf team, with the potential of contending for a national championship. Much has changed both for me and the program, and it has been an amazing journey.



I have a NCAA championship ring sitting in my room and a picture with then President of the United States, sitting on top of my fire place, a luxury given only to those who win the national championship every year in their sport. I have learned much about me and the game that I love.

But more importantly, it is the experiences with my teammates that stay with me the most. I can remember my freshmen year duties, frustrated at loading and and unloading the van and now, I continue the tradition from a different angle, bossing David Chung. I remember my sophmore year shooting 66 during qualifying only to find out that I was in 5th place behind Miller and Savage's 64. And now senior year, with my last US Intercollegiate at Stanford on the horizon, I practice harder and dream of defending what Coach Ray annually calls our "home turf".

But, it is not alone. Like yesterday, with weather.com warning of high winds, up to 46 miles per hour, there were my teammates. David Chung was hitting his 8 iron about 100 yards, Sihwan was hitting shots that went backwards for fun, Steve Ziegler was out enjoying himself with ear muffs, while both Dodge and Joe were hitting their 9 irons probably 200 yards at the other end of the driving range. I can't wait to see what happens this weekend and importantly, what awaits us in May and June.

Win on three boys.....Win

GO STANFORD

Daniel Lim

Joseph Bramlett writes about his team and his frustrating injury

Click on image to enlarge.

Joseph Bramlett, now a junior fighting an injury, was 2nd team All-American as a freshman. Joseph had the lowest stroke average on the team before his injury. He writes about his team and his injury. He was recently featured in an ESPN article.

"With daylight savings behind us the spring season is now in full force and Stanford golf is right on track. Watching the guys win in a dominant fashion two weeks ago was nearly as exciting as being there myself. Ziggy’s huge finish down the stretch making birdies on a tough course to win the individual title and run away with the team title is just another push forward for us as a team. At one point in the final round we had five golfers in the top ten which goes to show the depth that were starting to find as a team again. We have been working hard all year and we can feel that it is finally starting to click.

For me personally it has been a very trying quarter. I injured my wrist during finals week of fall quarter and have been unable to get back to practicing yet. It has been frustrating at times, however with the physical limitations that have been placed on me I have tried to grow in other ways. I’ve found things in my game that I can work on without a club and hopefully make my transition back into playing a little bit easier and faster. I definitely learned a lot about returning after an injury last year and although there is nothing enjoyable about not being able to play, I am extremely motivated and excited to get the chance to play again. It’s amazing how many people take this game for granted and my appreciation and love for the game has definitely grown.

Seeing the guys play so well and the momentum that comes with it makes me want to get back even faster. Hopefully the guys can keep up the good work and I will be able to help them out a little down the closing stretch of the season. I’m trying to stay patient, as everyone has reminded me, and hopefully come April and May this will pay off."
Joseph Bramlett

All Cardinal fans are pulling for Joseph to fully recover from his injury and return to the links again soon!

Jordan Cox shares an experience "I will remember for the rest of my life"

Hi, my name is Jordan Cox and I am a junior. It is hard for me to believe that three years have already passed by because it seems like just yesterday that I was signing my letter of intent to come to Stanford.

I would like to share with you one of my experiences from this quarter that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was 7:00am on Sunday morning (Sunday is typically the teams day to relax or practice on our own or catch up in school) and the team rallied for an all-day practice session. This was not official team practice organized by Coach Ray and Coach Tight. This was a collective group of 8 men showing their passion for golf and dedication to each other.

The weather that day was terrible. It was freezing outside, raining, and extremely windy. Yes, the team could have been sleeping in the warm comfort of their beds that day, but instead we were out in the elements trying to improve our games on a day where most other teams around the country are probably doing nothing. We practiced from sun up to sun down, but there was a moment around 4 o'clock when I stopped what I was doing to take a breather. All 8 guys were on or around a single putting green on the new facility. The rain was coming down harder than it had been all day and wind was blowing so hard that it was making the rain come down sideways.

It was that very moment when I looked up to see 8 guys grinding on their games, continuing to push through the elements, and refusing to give up. This was a day that sets Stanford golf apart from every other school around the country and made me even more proud to wear that Stanford "S" on my chest. I feel like the team has really come together and all 8 guys are collectively working together to achieve the goal of winning that NCAA championship. It was a day like this that reaffirms my decision that coming to Stanford and playing on the golf team was one of the best decisions I have ever made in
my life.

The team is working harder than ever and I am excited to see what happens as our season progresses and NCAA's get closer. Go Cardinal!
Jordan Cox

Dodge Kemmer provides a unique perspective on the team's Big Island adventures

Here's a photo of co-captains Dodge and Daniel with Hal Gogger and Sukey Grousbeck.

Senior co-captain Dodge Kemmer's Hawaii blog:

When Coach pulled out about 20 yards of yellow nylon cord from his travel bag, we knew we were in trouble. Luckily, he didn’t make us pull the mini-van to the house to save money on gas because “the budget is tight boys.” But we did leave the fate of our week up to friction and the trust that Coach wouldn’t hit the brakes as hard as he is known to do. After some brainstorming, stacking, roping, securing, and unnecessary manly displays of force from coach and Ziegler, not to mention stares of disbelief from our Korean core and the rest of the airport traffic, we managed to load 6 golf carry bags on top of a sans-luggage rack minivan. We were off. During our pre-week Costco run, Coach, Sihwan, and I debated whether we should get any protein shakes or not; we compromised and got two 30-packs.

It wasn’t long after we arrived at the Grousbeck’s beautiful house overlooking the ocean that we were on our way to the beach. Ziegler gave everyone football throwing lessons but then was sidelined when he lost his contact in the ocean and somehow couldn’t find it even an hour later. Sihwan and I were afraid to tell him that he probably wouldn’t find it, but enjoyed witnessing the search. (It turned out that he lost his sunglasses, not his contact.) This trip also marked the inaugural ocean-football game, in which Lim and I dominated Sihwan and Chung by some ungodly margin. It wasn’t the last we would see of that pair though. After the final round, Coach joined the losing team and we got Ziegler. Ignoring the rush count, Coach barreled toward the endzone as soon as he hiked the ball. It took Steve on one leg, me on an arm, and Lim jumping on his back to take him down.

We also played golf during our stay. The tournament wasn’t much to write home about save the strongest wind I’ve ever played in (which is usually significant in Kansas), a good showing by Steve (t7) and a great last round by our freshman Chung. I must admit, it is hard to not enjoy yourself when you are looking around on every green trying to determine where the ocean is in relation to the Mauna Kea volcano; I’ve had less spectacular landmarks to note.

And so we returned, our skin a few shades darker, our spirits a few pegs higher, and our grades a few points lower, dreading the return to real life.
Dodge Kemmer