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Beard, a native of Edmond, Oklahoma, has decided to further his education and continue his golf career at MVNU. A standout golfer at Edmond Memorial High School, Beard is currently in the midst of his senior season. In addition to playing on his high school team, he has also been active in the South Central Junior PGA Tour as he averaged 74.5 strokes per round in 13 tournaments with ten Top 10 finishes. The low round of his career was a 61 on a par 60 course.

"Philip will be a positive impact to our program next year," said MVNU assistant coach Chris Huff, who handles all the recruiting for the program. "He is a very nice individual and has a great work ethic. He has proved this in the classroom and on the golf course. I am really excited to see how his four years will end up. He has been one of the best high school players in the state of Oklahoma. We are truly blessed to have him come to MVNU, and he will be a great addition to our young team."

In addition to playing golf, Beard has been active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as the president of Wood Tech Club at Edmond Memorial H.S. He is also active in the Henderson Hills youth group.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU," said Beard of his college choice. "The Christian atmosphere and the Business program were two of the main reasons. Also, Coach Huff really talked me into going to MVNU. They have a great golf program, and I like Coach Meeks and Coach Huff."

MVNU is coming off a 109-39 year in 2002-2003 that saw the Cougars advance to the NAIA National Tournament for the second time in three years. The team is ranked 15th in this year's NAIA preseason poll - the highest ranking ever for the program.