FORT COLLINS, Colo. - After not playing on the collegiate circuit for almost exactly a year, UC San Diego golfer Davis McDowell came back on fire, winning the Ram Masters Invitational in Colorado Friday.

Colorado State University hosted the 13th annual tournament at Fort Collins Country Club.

A senior, McDowell led the 91-player field wire-to-wire. Over 54 holes, he finished 6-under par, going 5-under and 1-under in Thursday's first two rounds and closing today with an even par effort. He finished one stroke ahead of Colorado State's Alessandro Trenta and two in front of Long Beach State's Alejandro de Castro.

McDowell, who returned from injury Thursday, had last played in October of 2024 at the White Sands Collegiate in the Bahamas.

As a team, the Tritons took fifth in the 16-school field, finishing 15-over on the par-70 course that played at 7,234 yards. The tournament was the first of UC San Diego's 2025-2026 season.

Two other Tritons placed in the top-30 with Francis Catalano (+5) 22nd and Nathan Tseng (+6) 26th. Catalano moved up six spots in the standings by shooting even par today.

Justin Gill (+10) finished 39th and freshman Hanjie Yu (+16) was 66th in his collegiate debut.

Reigning Big West champion Long Beach State won the team title at even par. Colorado State (+2) took second and Utah Tech (+8) was third.

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TRITON STANDINGS
1. Davis McDowell, -6 (65-69-70--204)
22. Francis Catalano, +5 (74-71-70--215)
26. Nathan Tseng, +6 (66-76-74--216)
39. Justin Gill, +10 (73-73-74--220)
66. Hanjie Yu, +16 (74-78-74--226)

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WHAT DAVIS MCDOWELL HAD TO SAY
"This past year has been one of the most unique stretches of my life. Heading into what should have been my senior season in 2024, I was full of excitement and high expectations. However, everything changed when I suffered a wrist injury that cast some doubt on whether I'd be able to compete at a high level again. The recovery process was slow. It kept me off the golf course and the longer I was away from the game, the more I realized how important it was to me. That's when I set a goal to come back better than ever. After several months of rehab, I was able to start swinging again just in time for summer. As our fall season began, being back with teammates and pushing one another brought about an overwhelming state of comfort. Going into the Colorado State event, I was just happy to be back competing with my teammates and playing the game I love. I knew I had put in the work. I played steadily through 36 holes. My final round was a lot more eventful with eight birdies only to shoot even par. Fort Collins Country Club was an incredible test of golf with firm greens and the need to get yourself in the correct position off the tee. I'm very pleased with how I managed my game. The biggest factor for me as my attitude, I kept my head high and was in good spirits, just happy to be out competing. I can't wait for the rest of the season and I believe in the guys on our team. We have a lot of talent and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of them with their name at the top of the leader board!"

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WHAT HEAD COACH FRED HANOVER HAD TO SAY
"It's so difficult to win any tournament and when someone has gone through injury and wins, well that's very special. The thing I noticed the most about Davis was that his attitude was that of a champion. For example, on the first hole in the last round he played some very poor shots. Instead of being anxious and angry, he laughed it off and hit a great shot on the next hole. It happened the entire day. He would hit a poor shot and recover. One of the keys to playing at a high level is accepting what happens and moving on. He did that like a professional and we see the result that came from it. I know that his play inspires his teammates and it is going to lead to a great season."

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TRITON TIDBITS
• It was McDowell's second career victory. He won the Orange County Collegiate in February of 2023 as a sophomore.
• This was the third appearance for UC San Diego at the Ram Masters (5th of 15 in 2022 (5th of 15) 13th of 16 in 2021).
• There were seven Big West teams in contention - Cal State Fullerton (13th), CSUN (14th), Long Beach State (1st), Sacramento State (9th), UC Davis, UC San Diego (5th), and UC Santa Barbara (12th).
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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.