From left, Ross Laird, David Llewellyn and Ben Quick are the latest additions to the Cal Poly men's golf team after signing National Letters of Intent this week.
Three Sign National Letter of Intent with Cal Poly Men's Golf Team
11/11/2021 9:43:00 AM | Men's Golf
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The Cal Poly men's golf program has gone international.
Two of the three golfers who signed a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to further their golf and academic careers at Cal Poly are from the United Kingdom.
Ross Laird will graduate from Larbert High School in Scotland next spring while Ben Quick has been a member of the University of Exeter Golf Club in Devon in southwest England.
The third Mustang NLI signee is David Llewellyn, who currently lives in Mesquite, Nevada, but has spent much of his time at the Dragonfly Golf Club in Madera, Calif.
"We look forward to the impact Ben, David and Ross will be able to layer on top of the efforts our current student-athletes are making as we ride our way into contention for championships," said second-year Mustang men's golf coach Phil Rowe.
A look at each of the three signees, listed alphabetically:
Ross Laird, Stenhousemuir, Scotland, United Kingdom
Since June, Laird has earned four first-place finishes, three seconds and a trio of thirds. He also was a semifinalist in the 2019 St. Andrews boys open match play, tied for third in the 2019 North of England U16 boys championship and claimed titles in the 2017 Stirlingshire County U18 scratch match play and 2016 Stirlingshire County U18 match play.
Laird was ranked No. 15 among Scottish U18 players and No. 23 among European U16 golfers in 2019.
"Ross grew up playing his golf at Glenbervie in Scotland," said Rowe. "While that is a more parkland type of course than the links style we would imagine typical in Scotland, Ross has shown his game translates to courses such as St. Andrews, Murcar Links where he was runner-up in the Scottish Boys Championship and Royal Cinque Ports where he made the round of 16 in the British Boys Championship.
"In his pursuit of academic study, as well as in those match play settings, he has also earned the reputation as a gritty competitor," Rowe added. "We look forward to Ross's contributions to our team in the years to come."
Laird is a Scottish National team selection.
David Llewellyn, Mesquite, Nevada
A student at Clovis Online High School, Llewellyn has made most of his mark in golf on the junior tour. He represented Northern California in the 2019 Eddie Hogan Cup, qualified for the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur in North Carolina and won the Southwest PGA Junior Championship last June on the Padre Course at Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., shooting 74 and 69 to force a playoff and making a birdie on the 18th hole to win.
Other accomplishments include an eighth-place tie in the 2018 Cal State Junior at Ruby Hill Golf Club (at age 14, he was the youngest in the top 10), shooting 71-75; an 11th-place tie in the 2020 Central Valley Amateur at Dragonfly Golf Club with rounds of 68, 76 and 73; and tied for 20th place in the Junior Worlds last summer at Torrey Pines with rounds of 71, 74, 75 and 74.
In his only American Junior Golf Association event at Baylands in 2019, Llewellyn finished tied for second place with a 73 and 72. He played in the 2021 Nevada State Match Play last July at Southshore Country Club in Las Vegas, earning the fourth seed for match play after shooting a 68 in stroke play, then advancing to the quarterfinal round of match play with rounds of 68-68-69.
"David has grown up with Arnold Palmer as his golfing idol," said Rowe. "True to that, both as a fierce competitor and an encouraging playing partner, David continues to build a fine reputation in his chosen sport.
"David spent the latter part of his junior career based at Dragonfly, where he developed and maintains a strong mentor/coach relationship with Bryson DeChambeau and Coach Mike Schy," Rowe added. "We are proud to welcome David to the Mustang Family and look forward to all he will impart upon our team's culture: academically, at our training facility and in championship competition."
Ben Quick, Beaconsfield, England, United Kingdom
Quick won the BUCS Tour Northern Trophy in September by six shots with rounds of 66, 68 and 67 for a 12-under-par 201 total at the Blackpool North Shore Golf Club and is 23 under par for his last six rounds of tournament golf. He finished fourth in the Berkshire Trophy in June with a 72, 70, 66 and 67.
The University of Exeter Golf Club (EUGC) is one of the most established and successful university golf programs in the UK which support developing elite players to achieve their performance goals alongside their education.
Quick won the U21 Faldo Midlands at Kedleston Park GC with rounds of 70, 74 and 68, qualifying for the 2020 Faldo Series Grand Final, and also earned top-10 finishes at the U21 Faldo Wales Boys Championship, U21 Faldo South I, BUCS Tour Northern Tournament and U21 North East Boys Faldo Championship.
Quick also was champion of the 2019 Hertfordshire Stag and 2018 BBO Cecil Haddock Junior Open and was 2019 Junior Club Champion at Beaconsfield Golf Club and Club Champion for 2020 at Beaconsfield Golf Club. In addition, he was champion of the Beaconsfield GC Gross Order of Merit in 2020 and Beaconsfield GC Order of Merit in 2018.
Other accomplishments include champion of the 2021 Welsh U21 Stroke Play at Whitchurch Golf Club and BUCS Midland Event at Blackpool North Shore Golf Club and a tie for sixth place in the Walton Heath Trophy. He was named 2021 University of Exeter Sportsman of the Year 2021and has been awarded an Royal and Ancient Golf Scholarship.
Owner of a plus-3 handicap, Quick has been selected to be the captain of the University of Exeter First Team for the 2021-22 season and averaged 72.0 strokes over 32 qualifying rounds in 2020 with a best score of 66.
"Ben is from Beaconsfield Golf Club on the outskirts of London, home club of former world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald as well, and Ben holds the course record there," said Rowe.
"From an athletic build, Ben brings both power and finesse shots learned while competing in all weather conditions on challenging courses around the British Isles," Rowe added. "He is on track to arrive this fall with a degree in BSc Business and Management from the University of Exeter and to join the MBA program while competing with the Mustangs."
Two of the three golfers who signed a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to further their golf and academic careers at Cal Poly are from the United Kingdom.
Ross Laird will graduate from Larbert High School in Scotland next spring while Ben Quick has been a member of the University of Exeter Golf Club in Devon in southwest England.
The third Mustang NLI signee is David Llewellyn, who currently lives in Mesquite, Nevada, but has spent much of his time at the Dragonfly Golf Club in Madera, Calif.
"We look forward to the impact Ben, David and Ross will be able to layer on top of the efforts our current student-athletes are making as we ride our way into contention for championships," said second-year Mustang men's golf coach Phil Rowe.
A look at each of the three signees, listed alphabetically:Ross Laird, Stenhousemuir, Scotland, United Kingdom
Since June, Laird has earned four first-place finishes, three seconds and a trio of thirds. He also was a semifinalist in the 2019 St. Andrews boys open match play, tied for third in the 2019 North of England U16 boys championship and claimed titles in the 2017 Stirlingshire County U18 scratch match play and 2016 Stirlingshire County U18 match play.
Laird was ranked No. 15 among Scottish U18 players and No. 23 among European U16 golfers in 2019.
"Ross grew up playing his golf at Glenbervie in Scotland," said Rowe. "While that is a more parkland type of course than the links style we would imagine typical in Scotland, Ross has shown his game translates to courses such as St. Andrews, Murcar Links where he was runner-up in the Scottish Boys Championship and Royal Cinque Ports where he made the round of 16 in the British Boys Championship.
"In his pursuit of academic study, as well as in those match play settings, he has also earned the reputation as a gritty competitor," Rowe added. "We look forward to Ross's contributions to our team in the years to come."
Laird is a Scottish National team selection.
David Llewellyn, Mesquite, NevadaA student at Clovis Online High School, Llewellyn has made most of his mark in golf on the junior tour. He represented Northern California in the 2019 Eddie Hogan Cup, qualified for the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur in North Carolina and won the Southwest PGA Junior Championship last June on the Padre Course at Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., shooting 74 and 69 to force a playoff and making a birdie on the 18th hole to win.
Other accomplishments include an eighth-place tie in the 2018 Cal State Junior at Ruby Hill Golf Club (at age 14, he was the youngest in the top 10), shooting 71-75; an 11th-place tie in the 2020 Central Valley Amateur at Dragonfly Golf Club with rounds of 68, 76 and 73; and tied for 20th place in the Junior Worlds last summer at Torrey Pines with rounds of 71, 74, 75 and 74.
In his only American Junior Golf Association event at Baylands in 2019, Llewellyn finished tied for second place with a 73 and 72. He played in the 2021 Nevada State Match Play last July at Southshore Country Club in Las Vegas, earning the fourth seed for match play after shooting a 68 in stroke play, then advancing to the quarterfinal round of match play with rounds of 68-68-69.
"David has grown up with Arnold Palmer as his golfing idol," said Rowe. "True to that, both as a fierce competitor and an encouraging playing partner, David continues to build a fine reputation in his chosen sport.
"David spent the latter part of his junior career based at Dragonfly, where he developed and maintains a strong mentor/coach relationship with Bryson DeChambeau and Coach Mike Schy," Rowe added. "We are proud to welcome David to the Mustang Family and look forward to all he will impart upon our team's culture: academically, at our training facility and in championship competition."
Ben Quick, Beaconsfield, England, United Kingdom
Quick won the BUCS Tour Northern Trophy in September by six shots with rounds of 66, 68 and 67 for a 12-under-par 201 total at the Blackpool North Shore Golf Club and is 23 under par for his last six rounds of tournament golf. He finished fourth in the Berkshire Trophy in June with a 72, 70, 66 and 67.
The University of Exeter Golf Club (EUGC) is one of the most established and successful university golf programs in the UK which support developing elite players to achieve their performance goals alongside their education.Quick won the U21 Faldo Midlands at Kedleston Park GC with rounds of 70, 74 and 68, qualifying for the 2020 Faldo Series Grand Final, and also earned top-10 finishes at the U21 Faldo Wales Boys Championship, U21 Faldo South I, BUCS Tour Northern Tournament and U21 North East Boys Faldo Championship.
Quick also was champion of the 2019 Hertfordshire Stag and 2018 BBO Cecil Haddock Junior Open and was 2019 Junior Club Champion at Beaconsfield Golf Club and Club Champion for 2020 at Beaconsfield Golf Club. In addition, he was champion of the Beaconsfield GC Gross Order of Merit in 2020 and Beaconsfield GC Order of Merit in 2018.
Other accomplishments include champion of the 2021 Welsh U21 Stroke Play at Whitchurch Golf Club and BUCS Midland Event at Blackpool North Shore Golf Club and a tie for sixth place in the Walton Heath Trophy. He was named 2021 University of Exeter Sportsman of the Year 2021and has been awarded an Royal and Ancient Golf Scholarship.
Owner of a plus-3 handicap, Quick has been selected to be the captain of the University of Exeter First Team for the 2021-22 season and averaged 72.0 strokes over 32 qualifying rounds in 2020 with a best score of 66.
"Ben is from Beaconsfield Golf Club on the outskirts of London, home club of former world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald as well, and Ben holds the course record there," said Rowe.
"From an athletic build, Ben brings both power and finesse shots learned while competing in all weather conditions on challenging courses around the British Isles," Rowe added. "He is on track to arrive this fall with a degree in BSc Business and Management from the University of Exeter and to join the MBA program while competing with the Mustangs."
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