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Conrad Ray, a former Cardinal standout and touring golf professional, begins his fifth season as The Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf at Stanford. During his tenure as head coach, Ray has led the Cardinal to three appearances in the NCAA Championships, culminating with the school's eighth national title in 2007. In addition, Stanford athletes have been well decorated under Ray's watch, as he has helped produce nine All-Americans, a Pac-10 Player of the Year, a Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year, two Pac-10 Freshmen of the Year, nine all-conference players and four honorable mentions, six all-academic honorees and eight honorable mentions. Last season, Ray led his team to its fourth consecutive post season appearance and third NCAA Championship since his start in 2004. At the extremely difficult Kampen Course of Purdue University, the Cardinal improved four places on the leaderboard with each day of the tournament, but fell just one stroke short of its ninth NCAA title in an exciting finish on the 18th. Although Stanford came in second, it displayed why it once again has become a force to be reckoned with in the collegiate golf world and is capable of capturing the national title every year. Ray helped shape two All-Americans, the Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year (for men's golf), the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, two all-conference players and an honorable mention golfer, and three Pac-10 All-Academic honorees. In 2006-07, Ray directed one of the most successful Stanford teams in history, guiding the Cardinal to its first national title since 1994. Ray, a member of that 1994 squad, is one of the elite few NCAA head coaches to have won an NCAA title as both a student-athlete and coach. Under Ray's guidance, the Cardinal led wire-to-wire at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Williamsburg, Va., and claimed an eighth national title for the program. The 12-stroke victory capped an impressive season, during which the squad won seven tournaments and earned a No. 1 national ranking. All five Stanford golfers were named All-Americans at the conclusion of the season, the highest total in a single season in program history. Additionally, the squad produced an Academic All-American, three Pac-10 All-Academic honorees, five all-conference selections, five all-region selections and a GCAA All-Freshman honoree. Ray was named the 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, the Pacific Regional Coach of the Year and the Dave Williams/Eaton Golfpride National Coach of the Year following the 2007 campaign. In 2005-06, Ray's second year at the helm of the program, the Cardinal posted 10 top-10 finishes and advanced to the NCAA West Regional in Tucson, Ariz. Sophomore Rob Grube was tabbed Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year and was honored as an All-American for the second time in his career. In his first season on The Farm, Ray led the Cardinal to its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2001. Under Ray's leadership, Stanford tied for 18th overall while freshman Rob Grube tied for fifth individually, becoming the first Stanford golfer to record a top-five finish since 1998. "Conrad is a great fit for Stanford and brings a wealth of knowledge of the game from his professional experience," said Stanford Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby. "As a former student-athlete and member of the 1994 NCAA Championship team, he understands what it takes to succeed here at Stanford." "Stanford University and its men's golf program are two things that I am very proud to be a part of. The history of our program, the beautiful setting of the Stanford campus, the education that a student athlete receives, the facilities we have at our disposal, and the people that make Stanford what it is are all things that I look forward to experiencing every day of the week. I feel fortunate to be able to try and do my part as the Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf to continue to build upon our success and traditions as well as have a hand in what the future holds for one of the all time great collegiate golf programs in the history of the game." Ray is a 1997 graduate of Stanford where he earned a bachelor's degree in public policy. A three-year letterwinner for the Cardinal golf team, Ray was a member of the 1994 NCAA Championship squad and a teammate of Tiger Woods, Casey Martin and Notah Begay. He captained the team in 1997 and was an All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 All-Academic selection that season as well. As a senior, he posted six top-10 finishes and nine under-par rounds. Ray's 73.95 stroke average was second-best on the squad. Ray was invited to play in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June 2005. He has played on the Nationwide Tour and other world tours since 1998 and achieved 12 top-10 finishes in that span. He has worked extensively with numerous golf instructors throughout the country and has organized and administered various pro-am and fundraising golf tournaments, including the Karl Potach Memorial Tournament for children's cancer research and the Bart McCormick Classic. Ray has been a member of the Golf Coaches Association National Advisory Board since July 2006. Ray was also asked to represent the United States at the 2008 Palmer Cup. Following the successful 2007-08 campaign with Stanford , Ray traveled to Scotland in June to serve as one of the three coaches selected by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for the U.S. team at the 2008 Palmer Cup, a prestigious tournament that pits European collegiate golfers against their American counterparts in match play. The Americans led going into the final day of the tournament, but were edged out by the Europeans on the final day of play. Ray is married to the former Jennifer Woods. The couple has a two-year-old daughter, Ella Katherine Ray. | |||||||||||||||
