Historic Tournaments: The Western Intercollegiate
The Oldest Western Regular-Season Collegiate Golf Tournament
THE OLDEST WESTERN REGULAR-SEASON COLLEGIATE GOLF TOURNAMENT
Thousands of different tournaments have been played throughout college golf’s long history. Given the challenges of money, time, weather, and course availability, any tournament that runs more than a handful of times would be considered a huge success by any measure. The ones that have lasted across decades are labeled as historic and usually come with their own unique flair steeped in tradition.
One such tournament, which has unquestionably earned that moniker, is The Western Intercollegiate, played annually at Pasatiempo Golf Club. The (April 13-15) 2026 edition of “The Western” will be the 79th playing of this storied tournament dating back to 1947, interrupted only during the tumultuous 2020 season. If anything, perhaps “historic” doesn’t quite do this tournament justice.
*NOTE: Underlined text provides a link to source material or other related items for further reading.
*NOTE2: You will see many photos with interesting facts used in promotion of the 75th (2022) playing of the Western Intercollegiate. We use them and many other photos as supplemental info here courtesy of SJSU Athletics as well as SJSU men’s Head Coach & Western Intercollegiate tournament director, Coach John Kennaday.
PREVIOUS “WESTERN INTERCOLLEGIATE”
An important note is that although there was a tournament that predates this one which was also called the “Western Intercollegiate”, they are not related. The previous Western Intercollegiate golf tournament was a precursor of sorts to the Big Ten championship and existed before WWI (yes I not II), ran by a subset of the “Western” schools (Northwestern, Illinois, Chicago, Wisconsin, Michigan) under the name Western Intercollegiate Golf Association. You can read more about that in our Men’s Championship Series here:
OLDER COLLEGIATE TOURNAMENTS
It was hard to settle on the specific qualifier when describing the historical significance of The Western Intercollegiate. The Intercollegiate Men’s Championship dates back to 1897, making it the oldest collegiate golf tournament. There were a number of quasi-conference championships instituted somewhere between WWI and WWII (including the Western Intercollegiate mentioned above), but many of them have been discontinued over the years or else were made permanent conference championships including the Big10, Missouri Valley, Pacific Coast (which started as separate Northern and Southern California collegiate championships), Southern, SEC, and Southwestern. The New England Intercollegiate Golf Association began hosting a collegiate tournament in 1930 which was interrupted by WWII and held in both the Spring and Fall seasons for a number of years - playing the 90th edition in Fall 2025 - making it the most-played non-conference or championship tournament.
Like the NCAA championship and basically all of the other tournaments already mentioned, the Western Intercollegiate was not immune to the COVID-19 cancellations in 2020, otherwise it might carry the title of the longest continuously-running regular season tournament; instead that honor goes to The Boarder Olympics which has been played every year from 1952.
In the end, we decided to go with a version of what newspapers have described for decades as “the oldest collegiate tournament West of the Mississippi.” Even this doesn’t really give the tournament its just due, but ultimately the qualifier doesn’t matter as much as the rich history covered below.
EARLY TOURNAMENT HISTORY
PASATIEMPO GOLF CLUB
Marion Hollins’ World Golf Hall of Fame induction in 2022 came 101 years after her US Women’s Amateur victory, however the star athlete, who captained the inaugural Curtis Cup match in 1932, is recognized today for far more than just her golf abilities. Among many other pioneering accomplishments, Hollins collaborated with legendary architect Alister MacKenzie to create Cypress Point which opened in 1928. A year later, the pair brought to life Hollins’ dream project known as Pasatiempo — a Spanish word that can be translated as a “relaxed passage of time” — quickly recognized as one of the best golf courses in the world, featuring the magnificent green structures Dr. MacKenzie would similarly employ later at famed Augusta National Golf Club. The first group to play Pasatiempo included Marion Hollins, Bobby Jones, Glenna Collett, and Cyril Tolley, perhaps one of the greatest foursomes to ever open a course.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GOLF ASSOCIATION INTERCOLLEGIATE [1947-60]
In 1947, the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) and Pasatiempo conceived of a tournament to be held over the Easter week vacation for all of the official (male) college and university golf teams in the area. What started as a competition between about 9 colleges quickly grew to 40+ schools entering anywhere from one to six players. The likes of Stanford, San Jose State, and California - powerhouses of “far western” intercollegiate golf - were already heavily involved in NCAA golf and annually competed in the NCGA Intercollegiate as it was known until around 1960.
The reigning NCAA champion Stanford team took the first NCGAI in 1947 with a 18-hole four-man score of 306, while San Jose State’s Morgan Fottrell Jr. navigated the individual bracket that followed the stroke play qualifier.
As a team, San Jose State finished 4th in the 1947 NCAA championship, their first appearance in the long-running event. The next year, SJSU won the NCGAI team title and two months later went on to win the NCAA championship hosted at Stanford’s course. The Spartans were led to victory by Fottrell and Bob Harris (1948 NCAA individual champion) who shared medalist honors along with Bo Wininger [Oklahoma A&M (OK St)].
San Jose State and Stanford enjoyed team and individual success at the NCGAI, trading honors for much of the next decade. Stanford acted as brief host from 1952-54, before the event returned permanently to Pasatiempo in 1955. SJSU legend Ken Venturi became the second player to win multiple times in this event in 1953, and in doing so gained the distinction as the only player to win at both Pasatiempo (1951) and Stanford.
In 1956, Gordon McKenzie of Seattle became the first individual winner representing a non-California school. A year later, Arizona State’s Stan Hobert became the last champion determined by match play.
“THE (FAR) WESTERN”
Switch to Stroke Play: 6-Count-4 [1958-67]
A vast majority of college golf was being played as 2-4 team medal matches when the California-based Intercollegiate - soon to be officially renamed as the (Far) Western Intercollegiate - celebrated a dozen playings with an innovative format switch. Beginning in 1958, the team title was determined after 36 holes counting the 4 best players from an (up-to) 6 man team, and then the field of approximately 120 golfers representing 25 schools was whittled down to just the top 30 (plus ties) to compete in two more rounds for the individual title. Students of college golf history will recognize this as the general format of the NCAA championship when the individual match play was dropped seven years later in 1965.
This first part of this new era belonged to Fresno State who took three of the first four team titles (four in the first six) and crowned two individual winners over the course of a decade. Then the Spartans regained a foothold. John Lotz earned the distinction of being the first (and so far only!) three-time winner with his consecutive victories 1961-63, and SJSU capture three team titles in 1963, 1965, and 1967. In this same time period, Arne Dokka representing Cal State L.A. became just the fourth repeat champ of this event.
There’s actually a funny connection through time with this tournament and SJSU’s Ross Randall, who succeeded John Lotz as the winner in 1964 and later returned to this event several times as the coach for the University of Kansas. In the early 2000s, Coach Randall brought a player named Gary Woodland who hit the ball so far on the driving range that it caused a hazard and forced current SJSU Coach John Kennaday to limit the range to irons only.
54 holes of 5-Count-4 [1968-1978]
As the Western entered its third decade of play, the tournament pivoted to determining the final team total based on the aggregate of the four best scores of their five official players at the end of 54 holes (NOT the four best each day). Regardless of the format, this was undoubtedly the time of Coach Karl Tucker’s BYU Cougars, beginning with the 1968 team led by medalist Johnny Miller. The winner’s list for this era is quite special, including SJSU’s own Mark Lye who succeeded his future bandmate Peter Jacobsen [Oregon].
54 holes of 6-Count-5 [1979-1989]
In the year that Pasatiempo celebrated its golden anniversary, the Western Intercollegiate once again made a significant format change. This time, legendary SJSU Coach Jerry Vroom, who had stewarded this tournament for most of its existence, saw fit to match the daily scoring utilized by the NCAA championship, but made the additional change to 6-count-5. His Spartans captured the first title using this format and would go on to win three more in the next decade.
Once again, the winner’s names alone - and this extends to large parts of the field given the tournament’s elevated status - reads like a list of the top players in the country. This includes NCAA champion Jay Don Blake [Utah State] as well as BYU’s Bobby Clampett who became the first player in the tournament’s long history to post back-to-back rounds in the 60s.
Return to 5-Count-4 [1990-2009]
The onset of the 1990s brought a new era of college golf, and with it the Western made the change back to the 54 holes of team 5-count-4. This format would persist for the next two decades.
SJSU earned their two most recent team (1992, 94) and individual (1990, 96) victories at Pasatiempo in this timeframe. The Spartans’ 12 individual champions still stands as the most by any one team, and it took until 2024 for Stanford to match their total of 12 team victories. Over this 20 year period, the Western proved to be a unique challenge each season with a wide array of team and individual winners without any one team gaining leverage.
Golden Edition Brings TV and Tiger (1996)
In 1996, Arron Oberholser became the 12th and most recent Spartan to capture medalist honors in one of the most dramatic finishes in tournament history, and it all just so happened to be televised! The 50th anniversary of his historic event - plus the general excitement over sophomore Stanford sensation Tiger Woods - led to a Chicago-based production company called Intersport to film the tournament which was aired on ESPN. For the first time, the splendor of Pasatiempo was on full display for a wider audience beyond the competitors, coaches, and any family/friends able to make the trip.
For various reasons including marketing, tournament organizers agreed to rename the event - which was playing a week before the famed Masters tournament in Augusta - the “U.S. Collegiate Championship” for just this golden anniversary year. Viewers got their fill of seeing Tiger - who rushed off to the Masters right after finishing 3rd - and, more importantly, they got a fantastic finish with Arron Oberholser of host San Jose State closing with a back-nine 30 to grab a dramatic victory over Stanford’s Joel Kribel (who would go on to win this event twice).
1997-2009
As you can see from the winner’s list, the Western continued to build a strong legacy of bringing together one of the strongest fields in regular season college golf. Teams from all over the country would jump at the opportunity to test themselves against some of the toughest competition and green complexes they would face all year. That fact alone made Jason Allred’s and Ryan Vermeer’s second round 63s in 2000 an incredible achievement, which has since only been matched a half dozen of times.
6-Count-5 [2010-present]
The 2009-10 timeframe brought an exciting change in both the NCAA and Western Intercollegiate formats. The former re-introduced team match play (last used prior to WWI), while the latter brought back 6-count-5. This not only returned the Western to roots that made this tournament unique, but also proved to be an exceptional test for the Pac-12 teams which competed using the same format just a couple weeks later.
Once again, the winner’s list reads as a Who’s-Who of college golf, representing only some of the tournament alumni who have since gone on win a myriad of pro events (including Majors) and become household names. In recognition of the prestige of both the host venue and the tournament itself, the Golf Channel began televising each round of the Western Intercollegiate live starting in 2019. Both the golf and the broadcast have continued to improve, creating a positive feedback loop that annually reinforces the Western as one of the premier regular‑season events.
HISTORY AND HISTORIANS
We need to pause here for a moment to appreciate a few things before moving into the most recent history. First, must recognize some people who have made a concerted effort to not only continue the incredible legacy of this event, but also ensure that it’s rich history is never forgotten.
Lawrence Fan
Mention the name Lawrence Fan to just about anyone tangentially related to collegiate sports information/media, and you’re going to get a smile, a little chuckle, and a great story. His name is apt, as he epitomized the very spirit of positive fandom. Even the most casual conversation about Mr. Fan is going to mention his tireless work ethic combined with genuine love of the people - and especially the players - involved in the various sports he was involved in.
We can (and probably should) dedicate an entire post to his impact on collegiate athletics, but here is what it boils down to: despite being a Cal alum, Lawrence Fan loved SJSU athletics and the Western Intercollegiate would not be where it is today without his DECADES of hard work. He ran “scoring central” with military precision, and once volunteers got used to the very specific script used for radio communication of scoring, they found there was no better way to do things. Scoring accuracy was vital, but where he really excelled was in promoting the players and event itself. Fan worked just as hard to ensure there was something positive to say about everyone there, and provided SIDs around the country with everything they could possibly need in promoting their own athletes.
You marry that passion and work ethic with an equally impressive memory, and you get a man who was a living historian. Because of his dedication in capturing as much info as possible in the years he worked along with archiving the past, we can now steep ourselves in the history of an eight-decades-old college golf tournament much the same way we do annually for its Major cousin. Lawrence Fan left an indelible mark on the Western Intercollegiate, and his loss is still keenly felt in these few short years since his passing.
A Labor of Love
Fan also is directly responsible for John Kennaday returning to his alma mater in 2005 to be the men’s head golf coach. One of Coach Kennaday’s primary goals was to shepherd this prestigious event to new heights, and considering the info above, it’s quite obvious he has done exactly that.
Eileen Sandoc Yen joined the staff in 2017 and has been instrumental in the continued success of the program and this tournament specifically in her roles ranging from volunteer to Director of Operations.
Together, they have not only acted as mere stewards, but have been hard at work actively maintaining the history, building a new website, and even starting new traditions such as the blue jacket seen below. Bringing the event back to tv in 2019 via the Golf Channel was a huge milestone for Coach Kennaday personally, and was in many ways the culmination of the incredible hard work by everyone involved. Something this special doesn’t continue along by accident, and both Coach Kennaday and Eileen’s passion is clearly evident for anyone fortunate enough to speak with them on the subject.
This is a labor of love, for the game, for the sport, for the tournament, and for Pasatiempo.
-Coach John Kennaday
Blue Letterman Jacket
With all of the connections to Augusta National and the Master’s tournament, it’s fitting that the Western would have its own ceremonial jacket. For the last 15 or so years, the individual winner has received the blue letterman jacket as a symbol of his perseverance over the course of his (not so) relaxing passage of time at Pasatiempo. Fittingly, Arron Oberholser, the most recent victorious Spartan, received his own jacket at the 2019 televised (re)launch. So far, only one man, Scottie Scheffler, has been able to hang the iconic green jacket next to his blue one, but we’re confident it won’t be much longer before others join that exclusive club.
Pasatiempo Renovation
Pasatiempo itself recently underwent a major restoration project. Competitors at the 2024 Western Intercollegiate experienced a brand new routing as tournament organizers flipped the two 9s, allowing the broadcast to highlight all of work done on the front 9 as the closing stretch of the tournament.
Directly from Matt Ginella’s Fire Pit Productions which chronicled the recent renovation:
The front nine reopened in December of 2023, allowing all 18 holes to be played with new front-nine greens and old back-nine greens until the completion of this week’s Western Intercollegiate. And next week, the back nine will be shut down and go through the same six-month cycle. A grand reopening of all 18 greens is scheduled for winter 2024.
After the 2024 Western Intercollegiate, the scheduled renovations and reopening went more or less as planned, setting up for another new test for the college players in April 2025. Check out the restoration efforts documented below as well as the Fire Pit Productions Substack post:
If you want a really in-depth look at the renovations, check out these posts from The Golf Course Nerd on Substack:
“It is a tremendous honor to be able to host at a venue that guarantees lifetime memories for players, volunteers and patrons. Not all college events create that. And that’s something we are in tune with at Pasatiempo, by the golf course, the membership and the Spartan Men’s Golf program.”
-Coach John Kennaday (via NCGA Magazine, Spring 2024)
78th Western (2025)
Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik made history at the 78th Western Intercollegiate Presented by Titleist, becoming the first back-to-back individual champion since 1966 with a dominant six-stroke victory at 13-under par. His win at Pasatiempo Golf Club was broadcast live on Golf Channel, showcasing a stellar performance that cemented his place among the event's legends.
Jakubcik’s triumph is the first back-to-back repeat victory since Arne Dokka of Cal State Los Angeles achieved the feat in 1965 and 1966. The last two-time winner of the tournament was Stanford’s Joel Kribel in 1997 and 1999.
In the team competition, San Diego State University surged to a five-stroke victory, finishing at 6-under par (1,044 strokes) for their first Western Intercollegiate team title since 1960. SDSU was one of only two teams to finish under par, joined by Stanford University, which placed second at 1-under (1,049 strokes).
79th Western (2026): Preview
Now a senior, Filip Jakubcik seeks to become just the second player (SJSU’s John Lotz) with three Western Intercollegiate titles. With a recent win at the N.I.T. and a runner-up finish at the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate, he returns to a course he clearly enjoys with a solid game. He will have strong competition from several of the top players in the country who also happened to finish well here last year including #6 ranked Mahanth Chirravuri [Pepperdine], Peter Kim [BYU], Nathan Wang [Stanford], Willy Walsh [Pepperdine] and #4 ranked Harry Takis [San Diego State]; and that doesn’t even take into account others such as BYU freshman sensation (#9 ranked) Kihei Akina.
Jakubcik’s Arizona Wildcats are ranked among the top 25 teams in the country and are in prime position to capture their first team title here. Standing in their way are a strong contingent of the top 50 teams, several of which are led by coaches who played in this very event [some number of] years ago. At the head of that line is Coach Kennaday whose Spartans are undoubtedly hyped to defend their home course.
No matter who slips on that blue jacket and which team raises those crystal trophies, the 79th Western Intercollegiate is guaranteed to be another exciting entry in the looooong history of one of college golf’s most prestigious events. And best of all, even those of us unable to experience this in person will get to watch it live on the Golf Channel! If you’re even remotely close, however, we HIGHLY encourage you to make the trip to Pasatiempo for an opportunity to see (and possibly take part in) history in the making.
Thanks for reading!
I played in 3 or 4 of these. Diego’s second round in 2009 was insane! You might have to fact check me on this but I think Diego was 66 or 65 and no one else broke par that day. Winds were howling! Thanks for your research and writing!
Mel Bowen’s “Interruptions” 🤣