DANA POINT, Calif. — UC San Diego's Davis McDowell placed second and Nathan Tseng was fifth as the Orange County Collegiate golf tournament wrapped up Tuesday.

As a team, UC San Diego finished in eighth place.

Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine co-hosted the two-day, 54-hole event at Monarch Beach Golf Links.

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HOW IT HAPPENED
McDowell finished with a 10-under par 200 after recording three sub-70 rounds on the par-70, 6,645-yard layout. The junior opened with a 67, followed with a 65, and closed with a 68. His 65 equaled the lowest single round of his career.

McDowell was one of four players to record two eagles during the tourney - the first on the par-4 third hole and the second on the par-5 seventh. Both came in Tuesday's third and final round. His second round featured seven birdies.

McDowell won this tournament in 2023 when it was played at Coto de Caza. It was his first collegiate victory.

Tseng, playing as an individual and not figuring in the team scoring, went 67-73-65 for a 205 (-5) to earn his best placing as a Triton. The sophomore led the 64-player field in par-3 scoring (2.67, -5) and total birdies (17). Tseng holed six birdies in round one, five in round two, and another six in the third. He recorded three-consecutive birdies on 13, 14, and 15 in the third round.

Freshman Justin Gill, also playing as an individual, finished in a tie for 13th in just his third collegiate tournament. Gill came in with an even-par 210, firing rounds of 73, 66, and 71. He was third in par-4 scoring (3.90, -3).

First-year junior transfer Leo Cheng finished with 37 pars, tied for the most during the tourney. As an individual, Cheng was competing in just his second tournament as a Triton.

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THE WINNERS
Cal State Fullerton topped the 10-team field for the win. The Titans finished 15-under par, three strokes ahead of second-place CSUN. UC Irvine took third at 11-under.

The top three teams were the only squads to finish under par. Fourth-place Gonzaga finished 11-over par, 22 strokes back of UCI.

Felix Schrott of CSUN was the individual medalist, two strokes better than McDowell. Schrott had rounds of 64, 67, and 67.

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TRITON RESULTS
2. Davis McDowell, -10 (67-65-68--200)
T32. Davis Lee, +5 (72-73-70--215)
T48. Francis Catalano, +12 (78-75-69--222)
T58. Jerry Wu, +20 (75-75-80--230)
T60. Calvin Kong, +22 (79-74-79--232)
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5. Nathan Tseng, -5 (67-73-65--205)*
T13. Justin Gill, E (73-66-71--210)*
T50. Leo Cheng, +13 (74-74-75--223)*

* Played as an individual and did not count in team scoring

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WHAT HEAD COACH FRED HANOVER HAD TO SAY
"I'm very impressed with Davis McDowell as he played very well. His second shot of the tournament went out of bounds and then he played really well the rest of the way. Second place is a great finish and with his work ethic he'll likely have many more top results.

Nathan Tseng closed with a 65 to finish fifth, his best outing as a Triton. We're looking forward to continued good play from him as he gains confidence from this tournament.

Freshman Justin Gill tied for 13th, his best finish so far.

We will be working hard in the coming months to have stronger team finishes as we complete our NCAA Division I transition period after the season. Our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament and advance to match play." 

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TRITON TIDBITS
• It was the first tournament of 2024 for UC San Diego.
• The Tritons have played in this event in each of the last five seasons.
• Justin Gill is a true freshman.
• Leo Cheng is a first-year Triton after transferring from College of the Canyons.
• There were five Big West teams competing - Cal State Fullerton (1st), CSUN (2nd), UC Irvine (3rd), UC San Diego (8th), and UC Riverside (10th).

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UP NEXT
UC San Diego is off until early March. Next up is the Bandon Dunes Championship, hosted by the University of Idaho March 10-12 at Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Oregon.

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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 in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III 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.