VISTA, Calif. - The University of California San Diego men's golf team won its first tournament since 2016 Tuesday, topping the 16-team field at the Fujikura Invitational, hosted by Cal State San Marcos at Shadowridge Golf Club in North County San Diego.
UC San Diego finished with an 888, 24 over par on the par 72, 7,008 yard layout. The Tritons recorded rounds of 292 (+4) and 294 (+6) Monday and wrapped up their title winning performance with a 302 (+14) in Tuesday's third and final round. They were in first place after the opening round but dropped into second as sixth ranked Oklahoma Christian took over the lead by a single stroke in the second round. It ended up as a two stroke win for UC San Diego as Oklahoma Christian and Cal State San Marcos tied for second with an 890, 26 over par.
On course for UC San Diego were seniors Hayden Hui, Jacob Johnson, and Adam Navigato, junior Ryan Vaughan, and sophomore Elliot Bunyaviroch.
Hui and Johnson were the top finishers for the Tritons, placing in a tie for 15th. Bunyaviroch tied for 18th, Navigato tied for 21st, and Vaughan tied for 32nd. Bunyaviroch, competing for the first time this season, made the biggest jump in the standings of the five, moving up eight spots after finishing in 26th Monday. Hui improved his placing by five positions.Â
UC San Diego tied with Oklahoma Christian for the tournament's best par 5 scoring average at 4.93. The Tritons holed 39 birdies over the three rounds, the second most of any team.
UC San Diego defeated another nationally-ranked team as No. 20 Sonoma State was in the field.
It was the first win for head coach Fred Hanover since taking over the program in January of 2019.
The Tritons' last tourney win came in September of 2016 when they were victorious at the Johnson Invitational at Industry Hills Golf Club in Los Angeles County. Tuesday's title was the second for Hui, Johnson, and Navigato as they were members of the squad that won at Industry Hills.
UC San Diego next competes in the Orange County Collegiate Classic, hosted by UC Irvine Feb. 10-11 at Coto de Caza Golf Club.
Top 3Â Teams
1. UC San Diego, +24 (292-294-302--888)
T2. Oklahoma Christian, +26 (298-287-305--890)
T2. Cal State San Marcos, +26 (305-292-293--890)
Individuals
1. Steve Sugimoto, San Diego State, -8Â (72-70-66--208)
2. Zihao Jin, San Diego State, -2Â (70-73-71--214)
3. Trevor Norby, Oklahoma Christian, E (70-68-78--216)
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T15. Hayden Hui, UC San Diego, +7 (72-77-74--223)
T15. Jacob Johnson, UC San Diego, +7 (74-72-77--223)
T18. Elliot Bunyaviroch, UC San Diego, +8 (76-74-74--224)
T21. Adam Navigato, UC San Diego, +9 (73-75-77--225)
T32. Ryan Vaughan, UC San Diego, +11 (73-73-81--227)
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles, and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in the summer of 2020, begin a four-year transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's pre-eminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships. In competition, almost 1,400 UC San Diego scholar-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDTritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@UCSDTritons), Instagram (@UCSDTritons) and Facebook (UCSDTritons). To stay tuned in to UC San Diego Men's Golf, follow the team's Instagram (@UCSDmensgolf) and Twitter (@UCSDmgolf).
