Pacific Lutheran has been the dominant team in Northwest Conference men's golf over the past 39 years, winning 20 conference championships and finishing as co-champion one other time. For five consecutive seasons, from 1994-98, Pacific Lutheran won the championship, and from 1995-98 earned a trip to the national tournament by virtue of winning the conference crown. After placing second in the 1999 conference event, the Lutes returned to the top by winning the 2000 crown. That means that the Lutes have won six of the past seven NWC titles, making for a tight squeeze in the golf trophy case.

Though PLU has had its share of outstanding individual talent, including 16 conference medalists since 1970, Lute teams have depended more on outstanding depth. The 2000 team was a prime example of that. Zac Thorpe played the best golf of his collegiate career, shooting a two-under-par 214 to win the 54-hole event. Thorpe was the sixth Lute in the past seven years to finish as conference medalist, but the Lutes wouldn't have won the team title by 15 strokes if three of Thorpe's teammates hadn't joined him among the top 13 finishers.

The PLU women's golf program is only five years old, but during that time Pacific Lutheran has four times finished second in the conference championship tournament. That's an excellent accomplishment for such a young program, but the Lutes aren't content to stay there. They hope to take the final step necessary to win their first-ever Northwest Conference championship. They came close last year, finishing just 11 strokes behind the winner as the Lutes' top four players finished among the top eight.

The Pacific Lutheran golf schedule--the team plays fall and spring seasons--annually features matches on some of the Pacific Northwest's outstanding and challenging golf courses, including Fircrest Golf Club, Tacoma Country and Golf Club and several resort courses in Oregon.

Gary Cinotto is in his eighth year as the men's head coach and has been named the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year six times. Cinotto has also coached the PLU women's team for all five years of its existence. In addition to his coaching duties, Cinotto also serves as the teaching professional at PLU's nine-hole golf course.

Head Coach
Gary Cinotto

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Page last updated on March 5, 2001