In it’s last season as a member of the Mountain West Conference, the BYU men’s golf team capitalized on its youth and leadership to finish the season with four-straight top-10 finishes and an individual representative at an NCAA Regional.
Entering his 18th season as head coach, Bruce Brockbank was confident despite a tough schedule, stating that the four or five months of spring golf were going to be filled with the hard work and effort it requires to win.
While the Cougars did not claim a team title in 2010-11, there were many bright spots. BYU’s best finish came at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate where a 21-over 885 team effort was good for fifth place. Three Cougars placed in the top-25 with sophomore Zac Blair finishing a team-best fourth overall, a scenario that was commonplace during the 2010-11 campaign.
As was the case in all but two tournaments, Blair led the Cougars at the Mountain West Conference Tournament with a 1-over 214 tournament total and a tie for 13th place. Despite strong rounds of 283 (-1) and 285 (+2) to begin the tournament, the Cougars shot a 9-over 292 in the final round and finished in sixth place. His 71.33 stroke average led the MWC.
Blair went on to earn an individual spot in the NCAA Southwest Arizona Regional where he moved up 20 spots in the final round by shooting a 1-over 214 to tie for 25th place.
Only a sophomore, Blair posted nine top-25 finishes, including three top-5 spots and his first individual title at the PING Cougar Classic where he overcame five-shot deficit in the final round to post an 11-under 205 tournament total.
One of only two seniors, Esteban Calisto finished his final season at BYU with four top-25 finishes including a career-best finish at the Fresno Lexus Classic where he tied for fourth with a 1-under 215 tournament total.
Transfer Cameron Edens was the other senior for the Cougars. After finding the Church and being baptized in 2009, Edens decided to leave Arizona State and make the move to Provo. In his first and only season wearing the Cougar blue, Edens participated in each of the 11 tournaments and posted a 73.91 stroke average. He placed in the top-25 five times including a tie for seventh at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate.
Junior Daniel Reid competed in seven tournaments for the Cougars. His best finish came at the Pacific Invitational, where he shot a 3-over 219 and tied for 39th place.
Up and coming sophomores Alton Anderson and Adam Tebbs provided a spark of youth and experience in their second seasons as Cougars. Anderson, a native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., posted a stroke average of 75.0 and totaled a 3-over 219 at the PING Cougar Classic to tie for 32nd overall.
Tebbs’ best finish came at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate where he shot a 7-over 223 to tie for 21st.
After joining the team at the beginning of the winter semester, freshman Cole Ogden competed in each of the Cougars’ seven tournaments with a top finish at the MWC Championships. Ogden shot a tournament total 217 (+4) to tie for 22nd.
Other freshmen included Hawaii native Justin Keiley and Dalyn Bellingham, from North Carolina. While Bellingham did not compete during the 2010-11 season, Keiley competed in three tournaments, averaging 79.89 strokes per round with his top finish coming at the Fresno Lexus Classic where he tied for 58th with a 230 (+14).