LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego golf team returns to action this week at the Nick Watney Invitational, hosted by Fresno State.

The 13-team tournament sees the first two rounds tee off Monday morning with the third and final round set for Tuesday morning at Sunnyside Country Club in Fresno.

There are five Big West teams in the field including Cal Poly, CSUN, Idaho (affiliate member), Sacramento State (affiliate member), and UC San Diego.

The Tritons last played this event in September of 2022. They tied for 12th of 16 teams. Davis McDowell was the top finisher, placing in a tie for 20th in the 93 player field.

UC San Diego took part in four tournaments during the fall of 2024.

THE SCHEDULE
• Monday, Feb. 24: Rounds 1 and 2, shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. Pacific
• Tuesday, Feb. 25: Round 3, shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. Pacific

THE COURSE
• Sunnyside Country Club
• 5704 East Butler Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6938
• Course tour

THE SCHOOLS (13)
• Air Force
• Cal Poly
• CSUN
• Fresno State
• Idaho
• Pacific
• Sacramento State
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Santa Clara
• Southern Utah
• UC San Diego
• Utah Valley

THE FIELD
• Total Players: 80
• Team Players: 65
• Individual Players: 15 (Air Force 1, Cal Poly 2, CSUN 1, Fresno State 1, Idaho 1, Pacific 1, Sacramento State 2, San Francisco 1, Santa Clara 2, Southern Utah 1, UC San Diego 1, Utah Valley 1)

THE TRITON LINEUP
1. Nathan Tseng
2. Kyle Dougherty
3. Akira Isayama
4. Calvin Kong
5. Justin Gill

Individual: Leo Cheng

RANK AND FILE
Here's a breakdown of the fields' national rankings according to Scoreboard. There are a total of 308 ranked squads around the country. 
50. Pacific
55. Santa Clara
65. San Diego
109. San Francisco
110. Cal Poly
112. Fresno State
126. Utah Valley
148. Sacramento State
154. Idaho
176. UC San Diego
233. Air Force
290. Southern Utah

The top three teams in the nation are Mississippi, Auburn, and Arizona State.

2024-25 UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Returners (8)
• Francis Catalano (Jr.)
• Leo Cheng (Sr.)
• Kyle Dougherty (Sr.)
• Justin Gill (So.)
• Akira Isayama (Sr.)
• Calvin Kong (Jr.)
• Davis McDowell (RS-Sr.)
• Nathan Tseng (Jr.)

Newcomers (3)
• Adriel Abaoag (Fr.)
• Eli Geddy (Fr.)
• Junfan Wang (Sr.)

Lost (2)
• Davis Lee
• Jerry Wu

2024-25 UC SAN DIEGO FINISHES
• White Sands NCAA Invitational: 12th of 12 (+11)
• Visit Stockton Invitational: 12th of 15 (+9)
• Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational: 7th of 22  (+7)
• Palouse Collegiate: 10th of 15 (-8)

2024-25 TOP TRITON FINISHES
• White Sands NCAA Invitational: Nathan Tseng, tie for 35th of 74 (+1)
• Visit Stockton Invitational: Nathan Tseng, tie for 33rd of 91 (E)
• Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational: Kyle Dougherty, tie for 6th of 110 (-3)
• Palouse Collegiate: Francis Catalano, tie for 15th of 90 (-7)

2024-25 LOW ROUNDS
• Team: 278, 3rd round of Palouse Collegiate
• Individual: 67; Justin Gill (3rd Visit Stockton), Nathan Tseng (1st Visit Stockton), Francis Catalano (3rd Palouse), Kyle Dougherty (2nd Palouse), Akira Isayama (3rd Palouse)

MCDOWELL GARNERS ALL-BIG WEST RECOGNITION AGAIN
Davis McDowell was honored as an All-Big West Second Team selection following his performances over the 2023-24 season. It was the third-straight year that he garnered postseason acclaim from the conference as he was All-Big West First Team in 2023 and All-Big West Honorable Mention in 2022.

BIG WEST ADDS TWO ASSOCIATE MEMBERS IN MEN'S GOLF
In May of 2024, the Big West announced that Idaho and Sacramento State accepted invitations to join the conference as affiliate members in the sport of men's golf effective beginning with the 2024-25 season.

Both teams previously competed in men's golf as members of the Big Sky Conference and will be immediately eligible to vie for the conference championship and The Big West's automatic berth in the NCAA Championship. The addition of these institutions as affiliate members coincides with Big Sky's announcement that the conference will no longer sponsor the sport of men's golf.

The addition of Sacramento State in men's golf marks the Hornets' third such affiliation with The Big West. Sacramento State joined as an affiliate member in men's soccer in 2012 and again in beach volleyball in 2016. The Hornets won the Big Sky Championship in their first year of competition in 1996 and again in 1997, 2017, 2021 and 2024.

The University of Idaho was a full member of The Big West from 1996 to 2005. In that span, the Vandals' best finish came in 2000 when they shared the Big West crown with New Mexico State. Idaho last won Big Sky men's golf titles in 2015 and 2016.

The additions of Sacramento State and Idaho will give The Big West 12 competing programs, joining Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai`i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara.

A NEW ERA BEGINS
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire UC San Diego athletics program recently completed its four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the Big West for the 2024-25 academic year. All sports are now eligible for both conference and NCAA postseason play.

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.

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.

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!

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.