Pioneer collects CCAA Golfer of the Week honors

m-golf-herzogGOW-030712.jpg

Chris Herzog (center) won the Pioneer Shootout and helped the Pioneers win the team title, earning him CCAA Golfer of the Week honors. (Photo: Marissa Parry)

  • March 7, 2012
  • By Kelly Hayes

Coming off his first tournament victory as a member of the Cal State East Bay men’s golf team, Chris Herzog was named Golfer of the Week by the California Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday (March 7). Herzog won the Pioneer Shootout at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club earlier this week and helped the team take home its first tournament title since beginning competition in NCAA Division II in 2009.

The junior posted a final score of 221 (+5) in the three-round tournament, beating out Grand Canyon College’s Brandon Moore. Herzog entered the third round on Tuesday tied for first with Moore at one-under par but managed to birdie five holes in the final round, including the par-five 18th, to secure the individual title by two strokes. The two leaders entered the final three holes of the third round tied at six-over par but Herzog went par-bogey-birdie on 16, 17 and 18 to hold off Moore, who went two-over on the final three.

Herzog also notched CSUEB's lowest score of the tournament, a one-under 71 in the second round, which was his lowest round of the season. He was even in the first round but took one stroke off on the final 18 holes of day one, also claiming the lowest score of the second round with his 71.

The Medford, Ore., native finished the tournament leading all players with 13 birdies and helped the Pioneers lead all teams in par-five scoring, finishing two-under as a team on par-five holes in the tournament. Herzog’s win also marked the third time this season that he has led the team. Herzog also guided East Bay to their first top-five finish of the 2011-12 campaign.

The honor is a first for the Pioneers in men’s golf since joining the CCAA three years ago. Herzog joins men’s basketball players Mark Samuels and Roshun Wynne and women's softball player Sara Holdridge to give Cal State East Bay four CCAA Player of the Week honorees so far this year.

Cal State East Bay will look to continue to build momentum next week when it heads to the NDNU Invitational. The Pioneers will tee off the tournament on Mar. 12 at Poppy Ridge Golf Club in Livermore.