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

Sophomore Steve Ziegler on preparation for the next NCAA title!

Editor's Note - this blog by Steve Ziegler was written prior to the Isleworth tournament in Florida.

I arrived at Stanford on September 8th with the kind of excitement a kid would have if he was reuniting with all his friends at Disney World. I remember how giddy I felt but I also remember the underlying anxiety, the anticipation of competition soon to come much like the jitters you get on the first tee of a significant golf round.

I was eager to get started with everything-qualifying rounds, workouts, classes-again because I remember my experience here last year as overwhelmingly enjoyable. There’s an elevated pride that coincides with carrying a Stanford bag due to the great success the program had not just in 2007, but ever since 1942 when Sandy Tatum and company won the 1942 NCAA Title. In a way, those who have preceded us at Stanford Golf make our effort much more worth it, because we are validating their success. Stanford has an exceptional golfing history as many well know, and this has paved the way for championship aspirations again this fall.

Focusing on the National Championship from the moment you arrive is something our entire team has come to embrace. However, the road to the championship begins long before May.

We made our debut in mid-September at Olympia Fields in Chicago. The tournament was a real treat with a strong field and a very difficult course. Unfortunately, we made too many mistakes to come out on top, finishing fourth behind the likes of Illinois, Indiana, and Oklahoma State. Our next tournament was held a couple weeks later in Palm Springs at the Norman Course of famed PGA West. We had four members of the team finish in the top-15, but unfortunately once again were unable to come out with a win, finishing third behind impressive showings from TCU and UC Davis.

We’re currently preparing for our next tournament to be held Oct. 26-28th at Isleworth C.C. in Orlando, Florida. Talking with the guys, I get a heightened sense of excitement despite the prior sub-mediocre finishes, because we’re just waiting for our “impressive finish.” It’s like Coach Ray told the guys the other day, “I’m just waiting for you guys to put on a show.” This is so true, and we’ve seen a show of great golf in qualifying rounds and practice all year. We’re just waiting to display it nationally.

Only a handful of golf programs in the country can say, “With enough discipline, focus, and a little luck, we have a legitimate shot at winning NCAA’s come May.” What’s exciting about Stanford golf, at least since I’ve been here, is we are one of those programs year in and year out. We have the right people in place to prolong this success so when all of us are long gone, Stanford will still be challenging the nation’s best for national titles.

It’s amazing how quickly the days pass in retrospect; it feels like I arrived yesterday. I believe this is a testament to how busy we are, but more importantly see it as an indicator of how much fun this team has. We’re chasing championship dreams together, and we’re having a blast doing it. This is a rarity, but luckily our team is certainly capable.

Steve Ziegler

Sophomore Graham Brockington talks about the upcoming season & his injury

After losing to UCLA by one shot at nationals last year we all left campus with a bad taste in our mouths. However, coming back to campus and seeing all of my teammates again is a great and exciting feeling. We are all even hungrier for the title this year than we were last year.

For me, the prospect of playing golf again and playing well is really exciting. At the end of last year I dislocated my middle finger and had to have surgery that kept me away from golf until August. I had to wear a splint in order to keep that finger straight and in turn, spent most of the summer trying to figure out why people kept giving me such nasty looks as I drove on the highway holding my middle finger up in the air. Now that I am healthy I am enjoying competing with the guys. As excited as I was to arrive here last year, I like it here even more now that I am a sophomore and am much more comfortable with school, golf, and the surrounding area.

My goal was to come in to school and qualify to play in the first tournament in Chicago. Unfortunately I fell short of qualifying, however I got better every round and if it weren’t for one bad round I may have qualified.

While we were disappointed with our finishes in Chicago and Palm Springs, I still feel great about the potential of our team, especially with Joe Bramlett back. He gives our team a huge lift on and off the course and I look for him to have a great season.

This season I look forward to improving even more than last year and to hopefully contribute more and more to the team as the season progresses. I am just trying to make the most out of my time here and to learn something new every day. I know it is only October but I can’t wait to see what June has in store for us.

Graham Brockington, Sophomore

Freshman Wilson Bowen talks about his first weeks at Stanford

Editor's Note: Wilson Bowen is a Freshman from Winnetka, IL. He won the 2007 AJGA Cleveland Junior Championship
and finished fourth in 2006 and 2007 at the Illinois State High School Golf Championship. Above photo courtesy of Stanford Athletics.

"I’ve had a great first couple weeks at Stanford. This really is the best place to play college golf. Just in the last week we've been lucky enough to play the Peninsula Club, the California Club, and San Francisco Golf Club, all of which are incredible courses. Special thanks to all of the alumni who made this possible. The alumni support here at Stanford is remarkable. We had a great turnout at the Cardinal Classic and I really enjoyed playing with Mr. and Mrs. Gifford and their guests. They were even able to take home some hardware as our team shot a ridiculous 28 under par 42.

Our newly opened facility, The Siebel Varsity Training Center, is incredible, and definitely one of the premier facilities in the world. Our alumni once again went above and beyond to put us in the best possible situation to succeed. The Siebel Center provides us with limitless opportunities for practice and improvement, and I look forward to spending many days and practice sessions working around the facility. We’ve had some great practices out there and I know that we’ll be able to maximize our practice and improvement with this new tool.



I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my teammates. We have a great group of guys this year and a lot of camaraderie. We are a team in the truest sense of the word. My teammates have done all they can to make sure that my transition to college life goes smoothly, and I look forward to competing and working with them for the remainder of the year. We have an incredibly talented and deep squad, and I know that with some hard work we can accomplish some special things this year. We’ve been playing some great golf lately and I’m excited to see how we’ll play at The Prestige next week. Go Card!"

Wilson Bowen, Freshman

Freshman David Chung writes about his first college tournament

Freshman David Chung, after a steller junior career, writes about his first college tournament experience playing in the Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields.

"My first tournament was a great experience. It started when we met at the golf course parking lot to head to the airport. Those that weren’t traveling showed up to send us off and those of us that were traveling suited up in our blue blazers and Stanford ties, gathered our bags, and drove off.

The plane ride to Chicago went smoothly and we checked into a nearby hotel for some rest. The next day played at Chicago Golf Club for a fun round. Chicago Golf Club is one of those clubs that is so exclusive that it is only recognizable from the road by a computer screen sized metal plate that simply states CHICAGO GOLF CLUB and is listed on a GPS navigation system not as Golf Club Drive or Masters Lane as some are golf clubs are; instead, the GPS voice tells you to turn into alley to get to Chicago Golf Club.

We were lucky enough to get invited because Mr. Grube, the father of former Stanford golfer Rob Grube, is a member and was generous enough to invite us to his club for a day of golf and dinner. The course was very difficult but also very enjoyable to play. I had the privilege of playing with Mr. Kinsey, Mr. Gifford, Coach Ray and Coach Tight. Coach Ray and I had a fun match which luckily I was able to win.

Following a great time at Chicago Golf Club we drove to a hotel closer to Olympia Fields – where our tournament would be played. The next day I got my first look at the course. Olympia Fields is a course that challenges and tests every aspect of a golfer’s game. It had 7 inch tall rough, narrow fairways, fast undulating greens, and plenty of length.

Friday we started the Fighting Illini Invitational and I got to play my first college round. I got off to a solid opening hole and felt excited and ready to help our team win, but on the second hole after a great drive, my approach shot caromed off the side of a bunker and under a tree root. That unfortunate break would lead to a quadruple bogey and a giant hole for me to come back out of. I would finish the round with very average play and shoot 79. I was very disappointed with my first round but quickly looked for ways to contribute as our team focused on round two.

In round two, Coach Ray followed me and was basically my caddie. It was very helpful to have his input on every shot and also enjoyable to have him by my side. Round two would bring some solid play and more confidence in my driver, but a triple bogey on the 16th hole killed me and led to a 75.

The final round our team was pumped up and ready to finish strong. I was determined to help out our team score and have a good round. I played very solid golf and shot what seemed to me like an easy round of 71. Our team also played solid on the final day and shot a respectable 4-over total for a total of 27 over and 4th place.

We were all disappointed that we didn’t win but we all learned a lot about ourselves, our games, and each other. I feel that we’ve grown a lot as a team already and I’m excited to make 2008-2009 a great season!"

David Chung

Here's David with a touchy downhill chip on 8 at Olympia Fields GC. It ran 4 feet past and left of the hole and he made the par putt.

Great News --- Joseph Bramlett is playing again!

Editor's Note - Here's an update on rising junior Joseph Bramlett, 2006 2nd team All-American, who was injured for the last 7 months of last season. Although this blog is typically directly written by current players we'll make an exception this time by sharing the first hand experience of a former player.








Former Stanford men's golf team player from the 1970s, Ric Jay (known as Pooh Bear and yes he has won the Stanford club championship a record-tying 10 times), shared this report today on a fellow San Jose Country Club member Joseph Bramlett:

"Played with Joseph and his dad on Friday (July 25th). Joseph ("Pep") is working on his game, playing every day and playing well. His distance is still there, hitting it by my best by 50-60 yards... ! I saw several 310 -330 blasts and all I could say was, "Big deal, let's see you do it with persimmon and balata!"

He said he is taking it easy and being quite careful about his wrist (I think he explained it as strained ligaments/tendons and small bone bruise) and doesn't want to put too much stress on it. He decided to withdraw his entry from the US Amateur because the wear and tear of that many rounds over a short period could prove detrimental to the healing process.

His spirits are high and he is looking forward to Stanford golf this fall."

Cheers,

Poo Bear