andi xu photo

Men's Golf

Expectations, Excitement High for Golf

Toreros look to build off of NCAA Championship run a season ago

SAN DIEGO — Thirteen years on the PGA tour and a lifetime in golf taught Chris Riley the importance of staying in the moment, not getting too high or low in big situations. Now in his fifth season as San Diego golf's head coach, he preaches the importance of staying even-keeled to his 11 scholar-athletes. 

Yet four months ago, there they were on hole nine at the University of New Mexico's Championship Golf Course, waiting with bated breath as their postseason fate rolled toward the cup in the form of a 12-foot putt from freshman Andi Xu. The putt, of course, went in, advancing the Toreros to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2011. And this time around, it'd be hard to blame USD for its enthusiasm. 

"It was exhilarating, our team exploded and got all excited," said Riley, who has plenty of golf moments to compare it to after competing in 330 PGA Tour events and playing in the 2004 Ryder Cup for Team USA. "Overall it was a tremendous season…really a great accomplishment for the program."

Xu's clutch putt punctuated what shaped up to be a resurgent, impressive campaign for San Diego, one that saw them persist through COVID-19 challenges to put together one of the most successful seasons in program history. Uniquely positioned due to golf's inherent social distancing, USD golf emerged in the Fall of 2020 as the first (and during October, the only) Torero team to compete that season, embarking on a fall slate that saw them grab first and second place finishes in back-to-back tournaments before heating up at the right time and racing through the WCC Championships and the NCAA Regionals.

"The fall was during the pandemic, so we actually played some tournaments, which was helpful because many teams did not," Riley described of last year. "And then when the spring came, it was a really hard season for everyone involved, with school being online, (players') mental states, gyms being closed. But the guys rallied and played their best golf when we needed to, in conference and then in regionals to advance to nationals."

Now, with a year's worth of both extraordinary difficulty and success under their belts, the Toreros are ready to get back after it, and eager to capitalize on the momentum that their national title run has provided.

"I honestly believe that this year's team is better than last year's team,'' the fifth-year head coach added. "Hopefully we can get on a roll and do even better than last year."

The Toreros will attempt to do so with eight of the 12 players they reached college golf's ultimate stage with a season ago. Back are 2021 All-WCC Preseason Team selections Charlie Reiter and Andi Xu, and three newcomers have been added to the roster, including a pair of freshmen (Ray Xiong and Chris Wardrup) and a graduate transfer (Mason Glinski from Loyola Marymount). In total, two freshmen, two sophomores, one redshirt sophomore, four redshirt juniors, a redshirt senior, and a graduate student.

"It's exciting to have an older roster…in golf the more experience you can get, the better," Riley said of his squad. "I feel like this is the best team that I've had here at USD."

Also new to the program in 2021 is assistant coach Sam Foust, whose playing career included winning a national championship with Oregon. Together, a group San Diego hopes will defy the third-place finish the 2021-22 WCC Men's Golf Preseason Coaches Poll predicted for the Toreros. Expectations among both players and coaches alike are that this year's team should return to the heights it reached this past spring, if not beyond.

"Same thing, make it to (the NCAA Championships), but obviously we want to perform better and make a name for USD and the school, and hopefully make it to match play," redshirt junior Charlie Reiter said of his teammates' aspirations for 2021-2022. "(If we could) by chance win a 'natty,' that'd be great for the program and for the school."

The road to that championship destination will be a long one, one that will take the Toreros through at least 12 events in seven states across more than six months. Highlights include the Hoakalei Country Club Invitational in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the Saint Mary's Invitational at Poppy Hills Country Club, and what Riley described as "the best event in all of college golf" in the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas before the Toreros host their a special event of their own — the Lamkin San Diego Classic at the San Diego Country Club.

If all goes to plan, that 12-event slate will culminate in an appearance in the NCAA postseason, a benchmark that speaks to the tradition Riley has built since taking over at USD in June of 2017.

"It's been great, I've never really been a part of something like this," said redshirt senior Donald Kay, who is now in his third year with the Toreros. "Coach Riley has really turned this program around, and it's been cool to be a part of it."

San Diego's first weekend of play saw the team finish fourth out of 18 teams at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, with Reiter placing fourth overall on the individual leaderboard. Following the first day of play in their ensuing tournament, the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, the Toreros were in the lead, pacing the 17-team field behind big performances from Glinski and Xu. A solid start in what marks the earliest stages of USD's new pursuit of greatness.

"They know they're playing for a lot this year, not only for themselves but for the team...I love what I'm seeing so far," their coach said. "My expectations are obviously pretty big…but you have to let the clubs do the talking and make the putts when they matter."

If what happened on hole nine at the UNM Championship Golf Course this past spring is any indication, the Toreros should be in pretty good shape.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Donald Kay

Donald Kay

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Charlie Reiter

Charlie Reiter

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Andi Xu

Andi Xu

Sophomore
Ray Xiong

Ray Xiong

5' 11"
Freshman
Mason Glinski

Mason Glinski

5' 9"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Donald Kay

Donald Kay

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Charlie Reiter

Charlie Reiter

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Andi Xu

Andi Xu

Sophomore
Ray Xiong

Ray Xiong

5' 11"
Freshman
Mason Glinski

Mason Glinski

5' 9"
Graduate Student