LA JOLLA, Calif. - With a tournament-best third and final round Tuesday at Torrey Pines, the Tritons placed sixth of 17 teams at the Fourth Annual UC San Diego Invitational.

Following suit, Triton Davis McDowell made a monumental comeback and finished in the top-10.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Playing the North course, the Tritons recorded a 277 (+11), the top round of the tournament by any team, to elevate themselves three spots in the standings from ninth to sixth. They finished 13-over par with an 877 over the 54-hole, three day event. The 277 is one short of the team's season low.

UC San Diego opened with a 304 (+16), which had the squad tied for sixth at the end of a rainy, very windy Sunday. The Tritons followed with a 296 (+8) Monday in much cleaner, calmer conditions. However, several teams  posted solid rounds and UC San Diego dipped into ninth.

McDowell shot a five-under 67 Tuesday that pushed him into seventh place, 39 spots better than he started the round at.

Nathan Tseng also found a spot in the top-20, finishing 18th with a three-over 219. He had a 75 in round one before posting back-to-back rounds with a 72.

North Dakota State won the team championship, finishing with a seven-under 857. The Bison were the only team to finish under par.

Second place Idaho was nine strokes behind and Oklahoma Christian, who won the tournament in 2023, placed third at four-over.

The individual medalist was Jack Johnson from NDSU. He was eight-under with rounds of 73-68, and 67. Idaho's Johannes Hounsgaard was second (-5) and Blake McGovern out of UC Santa Barbara was third (-4).

Overall, six players finished under par.

TRITON RESULTS
T-7. Davis McDowell, +1 (76-74-67--217)
T-18. Nathan Tseng, +3 (75-72-72--219)
T-40. Davis Lee, +6 (78-76-68--222)
T-63. Justin Gill, +10 (75-74-77--226)
T-67. Francis Catalano, +11 (80-77-70--227)
T-79. Calvin Kong, +15 (79-74-78--231)*
T-83. Leo Cheng, +17 (81-77-75--233)*
T-83. Jerry Wu, +17 (80-79-74--233)*
T-98. Akira Isayama, +21 (84-74-79--237)*

* playing as an individual, does not count in team scoring

WHAT HEAD COACH FRED HANOVER HAD TO SAY
"The wind and cold during the first round made playing conditions challenging for everyone and we just didn't play all that well. Day two was windy and we improved a little, but there seemed to be a bit of carry over from Sunday. We just weren't as confident on the course as we usually are. The third round was played with beautiful weather conditions and we really got back to playing confidently, shooting the low round of the tournament.

I was very proud of their determination and grit because I'm sure they were disappointed at not being in contention. The way they put all the frustration aside was a testament to their character and hopefully it will carry over to next week's tournament in Seattle. We're very excited to travel up there and carry this momentum into the event."

TRITON TIDBITS
• Davis McDowell has been UC San Diego's top finisher in four of six events this season.
• UC San Diego's low round of the season is a 276, which the Tritons shot twice at the Kapolei Invitational in early November of 2023.
• The 18-school field was the largest in the event's history.
• There were four Big West teams in the field - UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara.
• The 2023 UC San Diego Invitational was also played at Torrey Pines.
• The 2021 and 2022 events were held at La Costa in San Diego.
• This is the first year that the tournament spanned three days instead of the usual two.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego is off to the Pacific Northwest to compete in Seattle U's Redhawk Invitational. The tourney is set for Apr. 1-2 at Chambers Bay.

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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.