Jeff Coburn

Steve Virgen

When Jeff Coburn describes his time while at UC Irvine as, “a

learning process,” he’s not talking about the challenging exams he’s

encountered as a student. Coburn, a double major in criminology law

and society, and environmental analysis and design, has experienced

learning on the greens, with putting and the sometimes maddening

situations of the game of golf.

Five years ago, Coburn, a senior on the UCI men’s golf team, came

out of Nordhoff High in Ojai ready to conquer the world of college

golf ... as a walk-on. He had two choices. It was either UC Davis or

UCI.

Before UCI, Coburn never competed in the junior circuit. He didn’t

win individual state titles while at Nordhoff. He won a few league

dual matches and with that turned his sights toward the Anteaters.

“I was [academically] accepted to Irvine and Davis and both

coaches expressed interest in me,” Coburn said. “They both offered a

walk-on opportunity and I ended up going to Irvine.”

By the time Coburn made the UCI team for the first time, the fall

season of the men’s golf year was over.

“That first full year, that was actually a learning experience,”

Coburn said. “Just getting out there and seeing what college golf was

all about was important. And, it was kind of an adjustment period,

too.”

Coburn continued to adjust the following year, his freshman

season. Then, when he became a sophomore he started to take off. The

same young man who came to UCI as a walk-on, now started to receive

some scholarship help.

“I saw some potential in him so I gave him an opportunity,” UCI

Coach Paul Smolinski said of his first meetings with Coburn. “He

would make some putts to the point where I wanted to take another

look at him and another. I never thought he would have the career he

has had now. He has done a great job of improving every year and he

has been a huge asset to our team this year.”

For the past three years, Coburn has helped lead the Anteaters to

three straight Big West Conference championships. In 2001, he

finished second at the Big West Championships, one stroke behind

teammate Ryan Armstrong. In 2002, Armstrong won a three-way playoff

that included Coburn.

This year, it might have looked as if Coburn regressed. He

finished 11th at the Big West Championships, yet ask his teammates

and Smolinski who the leader of the Anteaters was and they’ll point

to Coburn. In fact, Coburn was named Big West Player of the Year, the

exclamation point to what has been an intriguing and fascinating

career at UCI.

“Year by year, I have improved ever since I started playing,”

Coburn said. This season, Coburn has had 10 rounds in the 60s out of

the 33 tournament rounds he has competed in. His scoring average is

71.88, which leads the team. He also leads UCI with five top-10

finishes this season.

Coburn, the Daily Pilot College Athlete of the Month, tied for

second place at 6-under 207 in the U.S. Intercollegiate Tournament at

Stanford April 20.

Coburn has also progressed in his game because of the competition

within the team. Senior Mike Lavery averages 72.35 and he was the

medalist at the Big West Championships, while junior Vinnie Poncino

has a 72.79 average and Armstrong is at 73.62.

Coburn will attempt to add more to his story when he competes with

the Anteaters in the NCAA Regional Championships May 15-17.