A pair of golfers from Pepperdine University’s women’s golf team was honored earlier this week for their accomplishments both on and off the course during the 2013-14 season. The two golfers – one a senior, the other a freshman – were named All-American Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).
Senior Liv Cheng and freshman Alessandra Arza received the All-American Scholar award from the WGCA thanks to maintaining greater than a 3.50 grade point average and competing in at least half of the golf team’s events.
“I am very proud of Liv and Alessandra,” Pepperdine Coach Laurie Gibbs said in a statement. “The 3.5 cumulative GPA requirement is very difficult with golf’s two-semester season. Being successful in the classroom is very important to our student-athletes.”
From Aukland, New Zealand, Cheng earned the All-American Scholar award for the third time in her career at the Malibu-based University. Cheng graduated last spring with a degree in Economics. Other honors during her tenure on the Pepperdine Women’s Golf team included All-West Coast Conference selections four times and the West Coast Conference All-Academic first team three times.
She has also appeared in 118 rounds off golf during her collegiate career. Only nine other players in the history of Pepperdine Women’s Golf have appeared in more rounds.
According to Pepperdine, Cheng is only the second women’s golfer from the school to be a three-time recipient of the WGCA All-American Scholar award. Jenny Glasgow was to first to accomplish the fete, earning the award in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Potentially taking the torch from Cheng as the next great female golfer at Pepperdine is Arza. A native of Asuncion, Paraguay, Arza, who has yet to declare a major, appeared in four of eight regular season tournaments as a first-year student and golfer.
In all, 18 of Pepperdine’s women’s golfers have earned the WGCA All-American Scholar award.
