LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego men's golf is set to open its 2024 slate of tournaments Monday and Tuesday at the Orange County Collegiate.
The 10-team, 54-hole event is set for Feb. 12-13 at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point. Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine are co-hosting the tourney.
There will be five Big West teams in contention - Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego.
This will be the fifth-consecutive season that the Tritons have played in the Orange County Collegiate and the first time that it has not been held at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club.
In 2023, UC San Diego had its best-ever outing at the tournament.
Davis McDowell won the individual title, becoming the first Triton to top a field since the program moved to NCAA Division I status for the 2020-21 season. The team placed third of 10, its highest showing at the OC Collegiate.
McDowell was also the team's top finisher in 2022, taking 11th in a field of 63 golfers.
The last time UC San Diego competed was at the Kapolei Invitational, which ran Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2023, on the big island of Hawai'i. The Tritons placed eighth of 19 with
Kyle Dougherty coming in 16th of 114 players.
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FOLLOW LIVE
All three rounds at Monarch can be followed with
live scoring.
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THE SCHEDULE
• Monday, February 12, 8:30 a.m. PT - Rounds 1 and 2
• Tuesday, February 13, 8:30 a.m. PT - Round 3
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THE COURSE
•
Monarch Beach Links
• 50 Monarch Beach Resort Drive North, Dana Point, CA 92629
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,645
• Slope: 132
• Rating: 73.8
•
Scorecard
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THE SCHOOLS (10)
• British Columbia
• California Baptist
• Cal State Fullerton
• CSUN
• Gonzaga
• Sacramento State
• St. John's
• UC Irvine
• UC Riverside
• UC San Diego
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THE FIELD
• Total Players: 60
• Team Players: 50
• Individual Players: 10 (British Columbia 1, CSUF 1, CSUN 2, Gonzaga 1, UC Irvine 2, UC San Diego 3)
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THE TRITON LINEUP
1.
Davis McDowell (71.9 stroke average, 12 rounds)
2.
Jerry Wu (72.6, 12)
3.
Francis Catalano (73.2, 12)
4.
Calvin Kong (80, 3)
5.
Davis Lee (73.9, 9)
Individuals (do not count in team scoring)
Nathan Tseng (74.8, 9)
Justin Gill (73.8, 6)
Leo Cheng (81.0, 3)
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THE PAIRINGS
•
Rounds 1 and 2
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UC SAN DIEGO AT THE ORANGE COUNTY COLLEGIATE
• 2023 Coto de Caza: Team 3rd of 10,
Davis McDowell 1st of 59
• 2022 Coto de Caza: Team 7th of 10,
Davis McDowell 11th of 63
• 2021 Coto de Caza: Team 7th of 7,
Jerry Wu 26th of 47
• 2020 Coto de Caza: Team 10th of 17, Jacob Johnson 21st of 93
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2023-24 UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Returning (8)
•
Francis Catalano (Jr., DNP in 2023)
•
Kyle Dougherty (Jr., 74.3 stroke average in 2023)
•
Akira Isayama (Sr., DNP)
•
Calvin Kong (So., 75.3)
•
Davis Lee (Sr., 76.3)
•
Davis McDowell (Jr., 71.0)
•
Nathan Tseng (So., 73.9)
•
Jerry Wu (Sr., 74.8)
Newcomers (2)
•
Leo Cheng (Jr.)
•
Justin Gill (Fr.)
Lost (3)
•
Elliot Bunyaviroch
•
Ethan Chen
•
Jared Gross
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THE HOLE STORY
Here's a look at the career numbers for the five Tritons competing for the team title at the Orange Country Collegiate.
Francis CATALANO
| Season |
Stroke
Avg |
Low
Round |
Par or
Better |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Events |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Top
Finish |
| 23-24 |
73.2 |
66 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
878 |
t-5 MDC |
| 21-22 |
74.9 |
67 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
30 |
2247 |
t-3 EMC |
| Career |
74.4 |
66 |
13 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
15 |
42 |
3125 |
t-3 EMC |
Calvin KONG
| Season |
Stroke
Avg |
Low
Round |
Par or
Better |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Events |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Top
Finish |
| 23-24 |
80.00 |
78 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
240 |
67 MDC |
| 22-23 |
75.3 |
70 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
23 |
1732 |
t-7 UCSB |
| Career |
75.8 |
70 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
26 |
1972 |
t-7 UCSB |
Davis LEE
| Season |
Stroke
Avg |
Low
Round |
Par or
Better |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Events |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Top
Finish |
| 23-24 |
73.9 |
70 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
9 |
665 |
t-22 BC |
| 22-23 |
76.3 |
70 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
20 |
1525 |
t-3 UCSB |
| 21-22 |
77.1 |
73 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
17 |
1310 |
t-37 UCSB |
| 20-21 |
77.1 |
68 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
925 |
t-4 SMI |
| Career |
76.3 |
68 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
20 |
58 |
4425 |
t-3 UCSB |
Davis MCDOWELL
| Season |
Stroke
Avg |
Low
Round |
Par or
Better |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Events |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Top
Finish |
| 23-24 |
71.9 |
66 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
863 |
t-3 BC |
| 22-23 |
71.0 |
65 |
17 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
29 |
2059 |
1 OCC |
| 21-22 |
74.1 |
67 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
27 |
2000 |
2 UCSD |
| Career |
72.4 |
65 |
33 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
24 |
68 |
4922 |
1 OCC |
Jerry WU
| Season |
Stroke
Avg |
Low
Round |
Par or
Better |
Wins |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Events |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Top
Finish |
| 23-24 |
72.6 |
68 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
12 |
871 |
t-17 2 times |
| 22-23 |
74.8 |
68 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
23 |
1721 |
t-3 UCSB |
| 21-22 |
76.9 |
69 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
18 |
1384 |
t-5 TJ |
| 20-21 |
74.7 |
67 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
896 |
t-4 SMI |
| Career |
75.0 |
67 |
14 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
22 |
65 |
4872 |
t-3 UCSB |
Tournament Legend
BC - Bill Cullum
EMC - El Macero Classic
KI - Kapolei Invitational
MDC - Macdonald Cup
NWI - Nick Watney Invitational
OCC - Orange County Collegiate
SMI - St. Mark Invitational
TJ - The Joust
UCSB - UC Santa Barbara Collegiate
UCSD - UC San Diego Invitational
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2023-24 UC SAN DIEGO FINISHES
•
Kapolei Invitational: 8th of 18 (276-277-276--829, -35)
•
Bill Cullum Invitational: 6th of 14 (297-294-296--887, +23)
•
Macdonald Cup: 4th of 12 (291-287-297--875, +35)
•
Gene Miranda Falcon Invite: 11th of 24 (302-287-289--878, +14)
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2023-24 TOP TRITON FINISHERS
•
Kapolei Invitational:
Kyle Dougherty, tie for 16th of 114 (66-66-73--205, -11)
•
Bill Cullum Invitational:
Davis McDowell, tie for 3rd of 84 (76-66-72--214, -2)
•
Macdonald Cup:
Francis Catalano, tie for 5th of 72 (69-73-73--215, +5)
•
Gene Miranda Falcon Invite:
Davis McDowell, tie for 17th of 120 (72-70-74--216, even)
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2023-24 LOW ROUNDS
• Team: 276,
Kapolei Invitational (1st and 3rd)
• Individual: 66,
Kyle Dougherty,
Kapolei Invitational (1st and 2nd); 66,
Davis McDowell,
Bill Cullum Invitational (2nd)
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UC SAN DIEGO INVITATIONAL RETURNS TO TORREY PINES
For the second-straight season, the UC San Diego Invitational will be played at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla. The tournament is set for March 24-26 at the famed oceanside venue. It will be the first time the event will run three days instead of two. In 2023, 15 teams and 82 players converged on the North Course. Oklahoma Christian (-32), Seattle U (-30), and CSUN (-25) finished 1-2-3, while the Tritons (-12) placed ninth. CSUN's Eirik Thomassen was the individual medalist at 20-under par, six strokes better than his nearest competitor. UC San Diego's
Davis McDowell (-6) was the team's top finisher, placing 11th.
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MCDOWELL GARNERS ALL-BIG WEST RECOGNITION
Davis McDowell was named First Team All-Big West after his stellar performance throughout the 2022-23 season. He is the first-ever Triton golfer to attain First Team All-Big West honors.
• Finished with one win, three top-five finishes, and four top-10 finishes
• UC San Diego's top finisher in seven of the team's 11 tournaments
• His win at the Orange County Collegiate Classic was the first victory for any Triton golfer since moving to NCAA Division I for the 2020-21 season
• Held a team-best 71.0 stroke average
• Shot par or better in 17 rounds, the most on the team
• Shot sub-70 rounds nine times
• Compiled a team-high .783 (644-178) win percentage against competitors
• His 65 in round one of the Visit Stockton Invitational tied for the lowest round by any Triton
• Held team-best scores for 36 holes (142) and 54 holes (204)
• Two-time UCSDTritons.com Athlete of the Week
"Davis had a great season, he works hard and is talented," said UC San Diego head coach Fred Hanover. "His on-course demeanor is the best I've ever seen. He plays each shot to the best of his ability 100 percent of the time. Davis is going to keep getting better, and I'm really looking forward to that."
McDowell was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection in 2022.
From San Rafael, Calif., McDowell is a Management Science major out of UC San Diego's Marshall College.
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MCDOWELL EARNS FIRST COLLEGIATE VICTORY
Davis McDowell collected the first victory of his collegiate career and helped UC San Diego place at the 2023 Orange County Collegiate Classic in February of 2023. He became the first tournament champion from UC San Diego since the team moved to the NCAA Division I level for the 2020-21 academic year. McDowell, a redshirt sophomore at the time, finished with an 8-under par 208 over 54 holes on the South Course at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club. After carding rounds of 66 and 73 Monday, he came into Tuesday's third and final round in second place. McDowell put together a round of 69 on the par-72, 6,950-yard layout to top the 59-player field and win by two strokes over his nearest competitor. McDowell had five birdies Tuesday, four of those coming over a five-hole stretch near the end of his round. His consistent play earned him 11 pars with just two bogeys.
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ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire UC San Diego athletics program is currently in its final year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the
Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
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GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO GOLF
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter and Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdmgolf.
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WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
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FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the
Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
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GEAR HERE!
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, visit the official team store of the Tritons
here.
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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
