LEFTY TO DESIGN PRACTICE AREA FOR USD
On the same day he led the USD men’s golf team into the NCAA Regionals for the first time as a head coach, Chris Riley received a big boost for his program.
The school Monday announced a $2 million gift from USD alumnus Paul Purcell for the construction of the Purcell Family Short-Game Practice Facility, a new training complex that will be designed by Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson.
USD Athletic Director Bill McGillis expressed gratitude to Purcell and his family and said in a statement, “This is a truly transformational gift that will catapult our golf program to a new level, positively impact the experience of USD scholar-athletes and also change the lives of young people in our community.”
The centerpiece of what McGillis called a “state of the art facility” planned for 1.4 acres on the campus is a natural turf short-game area, consisting of a 7,500-square-foot putting green, a 1,000-square-foot practice bunker and a 40,000-squarefoot fairway and rough area.
There will be a synthetic turf tee area of 1,800 square feet with
two types of hitting surfaces, synthetic turf targets to provide wedge distance control practice and synthetic turf putting pads with varying slopes.
The plan also calls for the building of a 3,000-square-foot clubhouse for the golf team and coaches. The entire facility will be located in the northeast quadrant of the USD campus.
“As a result of the generosity of the Purcell family, and a strong commitment from the
University of San Diego, I could not be more thrilled to be designing a state-of-the art oncampus golf practice facility for the Toreros,” Mickelson said in a statement. “... The University of San Diego holds a special place in the hearts of the Mickelson family, and I’m excited to partner with Coach Riley in developing something truly special for the young men in the USD program.”
Mickelson’s sister,
Tina, graduated from USD and his brother, Tim, coached the Toreros from 2003-11.
McGillis said the university also intends to partner with Pro Kids, First Tee and other local organizations to use the facility to serve local communities such as Linda Vista, Logan Heights and City Heights.
Riley’s team began play Monday at The Championship Course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque but none of his golfers could break par and the Toreros stand 12th with a combined first-round score of 8-over 296. The top five teams and the low individual not on one of those teams advance to the NCAA Championships, beginning May 28 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Aztecs fifth in regional
At the regional in Kingston Springs, Tenn., San Diego State was fifth after the first round with a 3-under 281 on the par-71 Golf Club of Tennessee course. The Aztecs’ low scorer was Youssef Guezzale, who fired a 2under 69 and was tied with six others for eighth place in the 75man field.