Pepperdine University’s Michael Beard to Lead Team USA at Arnold Palmer Cup

Michael Beard, head coach of the Pepperdine men’s golf team, has been selected to lead Team USA at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, PA.

The Ryder Cup-style competition that features men’s and women’s collegiate golfers from the United States versus their International counterparts will be played June 8-10, 2023. It began as a men’s event in 1997 and women were added to the competition in 2018. USA leads the all-time series 13-12-1.

“The selection to lead Team USA at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup is a well-deserved honor for Michael and our men's golf program,” said Pepperdine Director of Athletics Steve Potts. “Michael is one of the finest collegiate golf coaches in the country and I am confident he will serve with distinction in this prestigious international event.”

Sweden’s Golda Borst of Kentucky and Canada’s John Handrigan of Notre Dame will coach the international side while Derek Radely of Oregon will additionally coach Team USA.

The 2020 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year and a 2021 NCAA Champion, Beard is in the midst of his 11th season at the helm of the Waves’ program.  Most recently in 2021, he led the program to its first NCAA Championship title since 1997. During his tenure, he has garnered six West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors and has been named GCAA West Region Coach of the Year twice.

Since Beard became head coach in the 2012-13 campaign, the Waves have won 19 tournaments and had 21 medalists, which includes five WCC team titles and four WCC individual champions. Eight different Waves have been named All-Americans, and Sahith Theegala was the unanimous National Player of the Year in 2020, winning the Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus awards.

A Palm Desert, CA native, Beard played at Pepperdine between 1999 and 2002, earning two PING All-American honorable mentions and four All-WCC first-team honors while winning the 2000 NCAA West Regional and 2022 WCC Championship individual titles. After graduating, he played professionally for several years before rejoining Pepperdine for one season as an assistant coach in 2010-11.

 

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