JOHN A. BURNS INTERCOLLEGIATE
Dates: Feb. 15-17, 2018 (Thursday-Saturday)
Location: Wailua Golf Course - Lihu'e, Kaua'i
Par/Yardage: Par 72 - 6,991 yards
Host: University of Hawai'i
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's golf team continues its spring schedule this week with a trip to the Aloha State for the 42nd annual John A. Burns Intercollegiate, Feb. 15-17.
 
The three-day, 54-hole tournament will take place at the par-72, 6,991-yard Wailua Golf Course in Lihu'e, Kaua'i. One round will be contested each day with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. (HT)/10 a.m. (PT).
 
Once again, UCI will be squaring off against some tough competition with 13 of the 20 teams ranked in Golfstat's top-100. Headlining the field are No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 24 North Carolina, No. 32 BYU, No. 42 Saint Mary's and No. 45 UNLV. The other ranked squads include No. 53 Arizona, No. 55 UNC-Wilmington, No. 60 Virginia, No. 72 Washington State, No. 78 Utah, No. 86 New Mexico, No. 98 UTEP and No. 100 Grand Canyon.
 
UC Irvine, CSUN, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Fresno State, Northern Colorado and host Hawai'i round out the field.
 
THE COURSE
The John A. Burns Intercollegiate is being held at the Wailua Golf Course for the fifth consecutive year. Wailua is a municipal course, which played host to three USGA National Public Links Championships and has a top-10 rating by Golf Digest as one of the best courses in the state of Hawaii.
 
THE LINEUP
UC Irvine's lineup for the John A. Burns Intercollegiate includes David Kim, Ramiz Jamal, Ryan O'Connor, Jonathan Young and Jefferson Kao. This is the second spring tournament for Kim, Jamal, O'Connor and Young, while Kao is making his 2017-18 debut.
 
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring can be found at golfstat.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Behind the strength of top-20 individual finishes from seniors David Kim and Ryan O'Connor, the UC Irvine men's golf team placed sixth overall at the spring season-opening Waves Challenge at Saticoy Country Club, Jan. 29-30.
 
UCI shot a 309 in the final round for a 54-hole total of 931 (320-302-309). Host Pepperdine ran away from the 15-team field, claiming its own tournament title at 13-over 877.
 
Kim was the Anteaters' top finisher in 12th place at 12-over 228 (79-74-75). He finished the tournament with eight birdies, five of which came in the third round. It was his 21st career top-20 performance. O'Connor added his best showing of the 2017-18 campaign as he tied for 16th with a 54-hole score of 231 (+15). He recovered from an opening-round 80 by carding a 75 and 76 to jump nine spots in the standings. O'Connor made a team-best nine birdies.
 
Sophomore Jonathan Kang tied for 32nd (236), while senior Jonathan Young came in 40th (239). Junior Ramiz Jamal rounded out UC Irvine's contingent in 50th place (243).
 
Pepperdine's Sahith Theegala was individual medalist at 205 (-11). He was the only competitor to finish under par on a difficult course with high winds.
 
NEWS AND NOTES
• Through five tournaments, senior David Kim leads the 'Eaters with 47 birdies and a 72.73 scoring average.
 
• Kim has four rounds of 70 or better, including a season-low 67 (-4) through the first 18 holes of the Nick Watney Invitational. That stood as the second-best round of the tournament.
 
• Kim earned his second career Big West Men's Golfer of the Month award for his efforts in October. He was the runner-up at the Bill Cullum Invitational, 18th at the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational and 30th at the season-opening Nick Watney Invitational. The reigning Big West Player of the Year concluded the three tournaments with a team-best 71.67 stroke average and was at under-par scoring in five of nine rounds played (three in the 60s).
 
• In his second-place finish, Kim posted three consecutive under-par rounds at 71, 70 and 68 for a 54-hole score of 7-under 209. It was his 13th career top-10 performance.
 
• Senior Ryan O'Connor notched his best finish of the 2017-18 campaign at the Waves Challenge where he came in 16th at 15-over 231. The Irvine native was also the Anteaters' co-leader at the Nick Watney Invitational where he recorded a 223 to tie for 30th. He carded a season-best 73 in the third round to jump 14 spots in the standings on the final day.
 
• Senior Jonathan Young notched back-to-back rounds of 2-under 70 to tie for 21st at the Bill Cullum Invitational.
 
• Sophomore Jonathan Kang has played in every tournament this year, carding a season-best 7-over 220 (75-71-74) at the Saint Mary's Invitational. He also tied for 25th at the Waves Challenge.
 
• Junior Ramiz Jamal had his best finish of the season at the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational where he was 35th at even-par 216. He shot a career-low 69 in the first round.
 
• Head coach Paul Smolinski is in his 20th year at the helm of the UCI men's golf program and the long-time coach has a veteran squad this year with eight returners, including five seniors.
 
• David Kim is the top returnee following an impressive junior campaign where he earned an NCAA Regional berth and was named the 2017 Big West Player of the Year. He led the team with a 71.28 scoring average, and placed among the top-10 in eight tournaments.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will hit the links again in two weeks, traveling to Elk Grove, Calif., for the Sacramento State Invitational, March 5-6.