In the 1960s and ‘70s, California State University Fullerton (CSUF) developed a standout golf program. Its men’s team finished seventh at the 1966 NCAA Championships and its women’s team placed third in 1972. The following year, CSUF golfer Paul Wise was the individual winner at the NCAA Championships. By 1988, the school discontinued both men’s and women’s golf due in part to insufficient funding.
In November 2008, CSUF announced it was bringing back its golf program thanks to a $2 million commitment from its generous donors. Since the reinstatement of the program in 2009, both the men’s and women’s Titans have had several defining moments, with the men winning their fourth consecutive Orange County Classic and the women advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 2025.
Here’s a look back at the success of the revitalized CSUF men’s golf program in 2009-10.
Firestone Grill Invitational
Nick Ellis, John San Juan, Dakota Duerr, Jake Golembiewski, Scott Rubzin, and Darren Saqui were the inaugural members of CSUF’s men’s reinstated golf program. Those golfers, minus Saqui, led the Titans to a second-place finish in its first event of the season, the Firestone Grill Invitational in October 2009. San Juan, who finished tied for fourth overall, paced the team with rounds of 71-74-70 for the low cumulative score of 215, while Rubzin shot a team-best 66 in the third round.
Fullerton finished seven strokes behind champion Cal Poly and three shots ahead of third-place finisher Holy Names University. Seven teams participated in the event.
Del Walker Invitational
CSUF’s second event in the 2009-10 season was the Del Walker Invitational hosted by CSU Long Beach, where the Titans finished 16th out of 16 teams. Ellis, the team’s top finisher in 25th place, rebounded after an opening-round 75 to shoot 69 and 66 in the second and third rounds. Meanwhile, San Juan got off to a great start with a 65 in the first round, but followed that up with 69-79 in the next two rounds.
Bill Cullum Invitational
The Titans had a much better showing at the Bill Cullum Invitational in October 2009, finishing tied for eighth out of 17 teams. Ellis and San Juan once again led the team, finishing T5 and T26, respectively. This time, San Juan overcame a tough start, shooting 69-72 after an opening-round 77. He had CSUF’s lone sub-70 round, while Golembiewski and Rubzin both had rounds of at least 80.
In 2023, CSUF won the Bill Cullum Invitational, shooting a cumulative 870, 14 strokes better than its team score in 2009.
Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational
Fullerton finished eighth out of 11 teams in the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in Cedar City, Utah in February 2010. They were 30 shots behind first-place College of Charleston. San Juan had a team-best score for the third consecutive event, finishing with a 151 after first- and second-round scores of 74 and 77. Ellis had the team’s low round of the tournament with a 73 in the second round.
Braveheart Classic
At the Braveheart Classic in Beaumont, California, in March 2010, CSUF finished 14th out of 15 teams, shooting a combined 936. San Juan and Rubzin tied for the team lead with 229. They both had rounds of 74, 76, and 79, but in a different order. Jacob Goliembewski was a season-best third among CSUF golfers, shooting 80-77-81.
CSU Bakersfield Invitational
The CSU Bakersfield Invitational was a bit of a departure from prior tournaments for the Titans. They finished a respectable fourth out of seven teams and had strong showings from Duerr and Rubzin. Meanwhile, San Juan and Ellis had the highest scores (227 and 232) on the team.
Duerr shot 73-74-71 to finish sixth in the individual standings, his best result of the season to date. Rubzin also had his best result, finishing tied for eighth. Goliembewski was T14 with scores of 73-75-75.
Jim West Intercollegiate
Duerr built upon his impressive finish in Bakersfield, once again leading the team in scoring with a 222 at the Jim West Intercollegiate in San Marcos, Texas. With a second-round 69 sandwiched between a 72 and 81, he finished T14 in the individual standings. Goliembewski was second among CSUF golfers and T30 overall with a 228.
Big West Championships
Following a match play against the University of California, Riverside in April 2010, the Titans headed to the Big West Conference Championships, where they finished ninth out of nine teams with a combined score of 929. Goliembewski was the top finisher for the team, finishing T16 overall with scores of 77-74-74 for a 225. The Titans won the Big West Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2019.