Veteran BYU golf coach Bruce Brockbank Jr. has been spoiled by success— his own—
but this year he figures he's going to find out how the other half lives.

In fact, Brockbank noted that when competitors and observers get a look at BYU in the Pacific Invitational, their reaction might be, 'Whoa, what in the world happened to the Cougars?'

What happened is that BYU, a perennial power in the Mountain West Conference and one of the most successful programs in the nation for decades, lost four of its top five golfers from last season's team that ran away with the Pacific championship.

So the Cougars have temporarily lost their bite, are in a rebuilding mode and Brockbank thinks they may have to wait another year or so to regain their stroke, so to speak.

"The nest is a little bit empty," Brockbank said. "We'll do our darndest to repeat and we're sure excited to be playing in the event because they did a fabulous job, as good as it gets. But we're very young and inexperienced."

The biggest loss for BYU was a late and unexpected one, when All-American Daniel Summerhays decided in mid-July to turn forego his senior season and turn professional after becoming the first amateur golfer ever to win a Nationwide Tour event.

Summerhays finished fourth at the 2007 NCAA Championships and holds the record for lowest single-round score in NCAA history, with a 60 in the final round of the Golfweek/PING Preview in October, 2006.
"If we had Summerhays on this team it would be a whole different animal," Brockbank said. "Usually, you don't have that big a void. We were counting on him being back, but he felt he had an opportunity and he chose to move on and we supported him 100 percent."

Summerhays' departure and the loss of several other golfers through graduation left BYU with an eight-man roster that includes two freshmen, four sophomores and two juniors. And the results this fall have been predictable.

"If we work the way I want, maybe in April they'll come around and maybe we can contend for a conference championship and get a regional bid," Brockbank said. "So far, though, we've played so poorly. It's not an easy thing because we're not even on the planet yet."

BYU's best golfers are junior Nick Killpack, sophomore Robbie Fillmore, who was the fifth man last year and is now playing as No. 1, and freshman Estiban Caliston from Ecuador.
"We've got a bunch of kids who have no idea what it is to play collegiate golf," Brockbank said. "Everything is still a little bit of a whirlwind for them."

If history is any indication, though, the Cougars will eventually claw their way back. In 14 full seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Brockbank has guided BYU to 36 tournament titles, four conference championships and four top-15 finishes in the NCAAs, including fourth in 2005.
His teams have consistently been ranked among the top 20 golf programs in the nation and BYU has produced 17 All-Americans under his tutelage.

Along the way, Brockbank has become accustomed to overcoming unique obstacles, specifically dealing with players leaving the team for a a year or two to go on a mission for the Church of Latter Day Saints. For instance, Fillmore has served in Chile and Killpack in Latvia.

"Let's say it's a challenge," Brockbank said. "The biggest thing is the kids change so much and they might not want to devote the time it takes to get their game back. Some are more naturally talented, come back and are good again right out of the box.

"I've been really fortunate the last 7-10 years. I've had such quality student-athletes, no problems whatsoever. All I had to do was drive the van and feed them. They were exceptional in the classroom, great on the golf course, great in the community, just super kids."

And Brockbank believes that if he's patient, this young group could turn out to be special, too.
"We're starting the process over," he said. "I'm excited about helping this team grow into a contender."