Mark Pillen Season 2008-09

Honors and Awards

• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Spring 2009)
  
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Spring 2006)

Senior (2008-09)
Mark Pillen's career saw steady improvement from a 79.83 stroke average in his freshman season to a 74.71 stroke average as a senior, good for third place on the Husker squad. In the fall, Pillen shot a career-low round of 70 at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate. In the spring, Pillen finished 10th at the Husker Shootout triangular, marking a career-best finish in his second-to-last tournament as a Husker. Pillen competed for the last time at the Palisades Collegiate Classic, where he tied for 61st. Pillen appeared in 14 rounds for NU on the season. He ended his career at NU with a 77.05 career stroke average over 65 rounds. Pillen earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall.

Junior (2007-08)
Coming off a redshirt season, Pillen was one of Nebraska’s top three golfers throughout his junior season. As one of only three upperclassmen on the Huskers’ roster, Pillen provided a steady swing, competing in 33 rounds and finishing with a career-best stroke average of 76.76. Pillen topped all of his career bests in the fall season. Among them, he tied for 18th at the Kansas Invitational, shot a 221 at the Louisiana Tech/Squire Creek Intercollegiate and scored two rounds of 71. Pillen’s best score in the fall season was a 223 at the Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic, which put him in a tie for 29th place. Competing in his second career Big 12 Championship, Pillen shot a 320 and tied for 56th place. 

Redshirt (2006-07)
Pillen redshirted in 2006-07 with hopes of being a key contributor in his junior season.

Sophomore (2005-06)

As a sophomore, Pillen continued to make improvements at Nebraska. He posted a 79.17 stroke average through 12 rounds. Pillen provided depth in the Husker lineup in the fall, posting a season-best tie for 39th place at the Fairway Club Invitational, where his score of 232 was also his best performance of the season. Pillen competed in two tournaments in the spring. His season ended with the Branson Creek Invitational, where he shot 237 to finish in a tie for 50th. Pillen earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the spring semester.

Freshman (2004-05)
Pillen cracked the Nebraska lineup for the first time in his career at the 49er Collegiate Classic. Pillen played well, finishing in a tie for 57th. He posted his season-low round of 75 in his first collegiate round. He finished the tournament with a score of 229. Pillen also participated at the Big 12 Championship, where he shot a 250 and placed 60th.

Before Nebraska
Pillen was a standout performer at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land, Texas, where he earned four letters for Coach Chad Handley. In the summer of 2005, Pillen reached the quarterfinals of the Nebraska Junior Match Play, and qualified for the match-play bracket at the Nebraska Match Play Championship, but was defeated in the first round by Nebraska Coach Bill Spangler.

Personal
Mark is the son of Clete and Kim Pillen, and has two brothers, John and David. Mark’s father, Clete, was an all-conference linebacker at Nebraska in 1976. Mark’s uncle, Jim, twice earned All-Big Eight honors as a defensive back for Nebraska. Mark’s brother, David, is a freshman longsnapper for the Husker football team. Pillen was born on June 16, 1985, and is majoring in business administration.

Year-by-Year

Year             Rounds          Strokes          Average

2004-05              6                  479                 79.83
2005-06             12                 950                 79.17
2006-07                             REDSHIRT
2007-08             33                2,533               76.76

2008-09             14                1,046               74.71

Career Totals   65                5,008               77.05

Career Bests
Low Round - 70 (Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate, 10/28/08)

Low 54-Hole Score - 217 (Desert Shootout, 3/21/09)

Best Tournament Finish - T-18th (Kansas Invitational, 9/18/07)

Rounds Under Par - 4