NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dates: May 14-16, 2018 (Monday-Wednesday)
Location: The Reserve at Spanos Park - Stockton, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72 - 7,239 Yards
Host: University of the Pacific
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com

UC Irvine Men's Golf Postseason Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's golf team will be making its 14th postseason appearance when it travels to the Central Valley for the 2018 NCAA Stockton Regional, May 14-16.
 
The Anteaters, who received an automatic NCAA bid after winning the Big West Championship, are seeded 12th in the 54-hole tournament. One round will be contested each day at The Reserve at Spanos Park, which is a par-72 course that will be played at 7,239 yards. UCI is slated to open action Monday at 8:55 a.m., alongside Iowa State and UNC-Greensboro. Also competing as a team in the Stockton Regional are top-seeded LSU, Alabama, Stanford, USC, Oregon, TCU, Colorado, Kansas, Kennesaw State and North Dakota State.
 
The Stockton Regional features 13 teams and 10 individuals. The low five teams and low individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championship at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., May 25-30.

UC Irvine's NCAA Regional lineup:
David Kim, Sr. - 72.13 average; First-team All-Big West selection, five top-20's, runner-up at Bill Cullum and Sacramento State Invitational
Ryan O'Connor, Sr. - 74.63 average; Top-20 at Waves Challenge and Big West Championships
Jonathan Young, Sr. - 75.43 average; Seventh-place finish at Sacramento State Invitational
Ramiz Jamal, Jr. - 75.30 average; Tied for 11th at the Big West Championships
Jonathan Kang, So. - 75.26 average; All-Big West honorable mention selection, career-best fifth-place finish at the conference tournament
Chris Parkinson (substitute), Sr. - 74.33 average; Tied for 72nd at the Western Intercollegiate
 
UCI AT NCAAs: This will be the Anteaters' 14th NCAA Regional appearance, and first since 2015. Their best finish came in 2001 and 2008, when they placed third overall. David Kim and Jonathan Young were both freshmen on the 2015 squad that came in 10th at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas. Kim also played as an individual at last year's Stanford Regional. UCI has advanced to the NCAA Championships three times in program history (2008, 2001, 1992).
 
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS: Head coach Paul Smolinski collected his league-record ninth Big West Men's Golf Coach of the Year award. He was recognized after leading the Anteaters to their eighth conference title and 14th NCAA Regional bid (11th during his tenure). Smolinski got his team to peak at the right time as they put together their three lowest rounds of the season to win the Big West Championship by one stroke over No. 1 seed UC Davis.
 
Senior David Kim earned his fourth career All-Big West honor and second consecutive first-team nod. Kim held at least a share of the team lead in every tournament this year, including at the conference championships where he tied for third. He is tops on the squad with a 72.13 scoring average, and has made 100 birdies and three eagles through 10 tournaments. Sophomore Jonathan Kang also garnered honorable mention recognition as he placed fifth overall at the Big West Championships with a season-best 4-under 212.
 
BIG WEST CHAMPS: The 'Eaters, who were seeded seventh coming into the Big West Championships at Industry Hills Golf Club, recorded their three lowest rounds of the season to finish first at 12-under 852 (284-285-283). They edged out top-seeded UC Davis by one stroke for the program's eighth conference title.
 
UCI held a three-stroke lead over UCD when the last group reached the 18th. The Aggies' Ryan Han sank a birdie putt to close the gap, but Jonathan Kang stayed calm under pressure, delivering a tough chip shot onto the green and about 12 feet from the pin. He was then able to two-putt for the one-stroke victory. Kang, who led the Anteaters through the first two rounds, wrapped up the tournament in fifth place with a season-low 212 (69-71-72).
 
David Kim carded back-to-back rounds of 3-under 69 to climb 16 spots in the standings over the last two days. Kim ended up tying for third, his best career Big West finish, with a 54-hole score of 211 (-5). Ramiz Jamal and Ryan O'Connor tied for 11th at even-par 216. Jamal notched his personal low round of the tournament on the final day as he birdied the 17th and 18th to put him at 2-under 70. Jonathan Young also tied for 23rd with a three-round total of 220.
 
NEWS & NOTES
• UC Irvine earned its first team victory in two years when it claimed the Big West title on May 1.
• The Anteaters' 54-hole total of 852 tied their second-lowest Big West Tournament score in program history.
• It also beat their season best by 19 strokes.
• Prior to the conference championships, UCI's top finish was at the Sacramento State Invitational (3rd, 871).
• David Kim recorded the first hole-in-one of his collegiate career at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate on Feb. 16.
• His ace came with a six-iron on the 178-yard seventh hole at Wailua Golf Course in Lihu'e, Kaua'i.
• That gave him a boost over the final four holes where he ended up going 5-under for a season-best 66 (-6). 
• Kim went on to match that performance with another 6-under 66 in the second round of the Sac State Invitational.
• Kim earned his second Big West Men's Golfer of the Month award after shooting five under-par rounds in October.
• Three of those rounds came at the Bill Cullum Invite where he was the runner-up with a season-best 209 (-7).
• Senior Jonathan Young had a career-best seventh-place showing at the Sacramento State Invitational (217).
• Senior Ryan O'Connor tied for 11th at the Big West Championships with a season-best 216.
• Sophomore Jonathan Kang notched his first career top-five finish at the Big West Championships (April 29-May 1).
• Kang carded a season-best 4-under 212, and tied his career-low round of 69 for the second time this year.
• Junior Ramiz Jamal registered a career-low 69 in the first round of the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational.
• He posted a season-best 216 for the tournament, and matched that score at the Big West Championships (11th).