Pepperdine men’s g olf head coach Michael Beard has announced that two new faces will be joining the Pepperdine family after signing letters of intent. Washington State native RJ Manke and Austin Murphy of Northern California have solidified their plans to play for the Waves in the 2017-18 season.
Manke, who is expected to graduate from Bellarmine Preparatory School in 2017, has led his high school team to back-to-back 4A Washington State team titles. The senior has a 71.11 scoring average for the year, and has been said to be a natural player with a great feel for the game. The solid player brought home individual league championships as a sophomore and senior, and was named 2015 and 2016 Tacoma Athletic Commission Athlete of the Year.
Murphy hails from Morgan Hill, Calif. and is currently ranked 52nd by Polo Golf and 70th by Golfweek/Sagarin. The athlete found a spot on the All-League first team as a sophomore and junior, and was also named West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year during his junior year. Murphy has 10 top 10 AJGA finishes, and has made appearances in the Rolex Tournament of Champions and Jimmy Walker Challenge.
“Both RJ and Austin come from great families and will represent Pepperdine and our men’s golf program very well,” Beard said in a statement provided to The Malibu Times. “I know they are anxious to make an impact on our team right away. We feel fortunate to have them become a part of the Pepperdine family.”