Aaron Bengoechea was an outstanding golfer for Pacific from 1985 to 1990. His first year on the team during the 1985-86 golf season brought instant success, earning Second Team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association and playing in the NCAA Men's Golf Championships in North Carolina, shooting a 232 during the three day event.
In 1986-87, Bengoechea began to make a major impact for the Tiger golf team. He earned First Team All-Conference honors in the PCAA and finished second at the PCAA Championship, shooting 210 over three days. He again was invited to participate in the NCAA Championships, where he finished 159th by shooting 237 over the three rounds.
During the 1987-88 season, Bengoechea continued to improve and become a driving force on the Tigers' golf team. He finished with a career-best 73.4 scoring average, which ranks 11th on Pacific's single season list. He also led the Tigers to a round of 280 at the Pacific Invitational, which is tied for the fifth lowest round in school history. He won his first college tournament by winning the Stanford Pepsi Invitational with a final score of 216. He participated in his third straight NCAA Golf Championship and finished 124th with a score of 152 over two days. His excellent play earned him First Team and PCAA Player of the Year honors. The crowning achievement on the year was Aaron earning All-America honors.
His final season during the 1988-89 year brought out the best in Bengoechea. He finished the year with a 73.7 scoring average, which ranks 18th on Pacific's all-time scoring average list. Aaron put on exclamation point on his college career when he won his second tournament at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational. He shot 202 during the three day event which stands as the lowest individual tournament score in Pacific golf history. His rounds of 66 and 67 rank tied for 8th and 16th on the Tigers' lowest individual rounds list. His outstanding season earned him a trip to the NCAA Golf Regional in Edmond, Oklahoma. He earned runner up honors by shooting a 209 during the three days of the tournament. He again was awarded with First Team All-PCAA and Conference Player of the Year honors. In addition to his vast college accolades, Bengoechea also participated in the National Amateur Championships from 1986 to 1989.
After having graduated from Pacific with his bachelor's degree in communications in 1990, Aaron turned professional, joining the PGA Tour in 2000. During the 2000 PGA Tour season, he had 29 starts and made seven cuts. His top finish was a tie for 36th in the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, VA. He also tied for 41st at the Buick Invitational, tying Tour notables Stephan Ames and Mark O'Meara. He was a 10 time winner in Mini Tour Events and has competed in various tournaments nationwide and in Canada.
