Cal Poly Match Play Tournament
Dates: March 25-26, 2019 (Monday-Tuesday)
Time: 8 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Cypress Ridge Golf Course - Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72 - 6,803 yards

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's golf team returns to action after a two-week hiatus as it heads north to Arroyo Grande, Calif., for the Cal Poly Match Play Tournament, March 25-26.
 
The Anteaters are seeded third in an eight-team field that also features No. 1 UC Santa Barbara, No. 2 Utah State, No. 4 Sacramento State, No. 5 Cal Poly (host), No. 6 CSUN, No. 7 Southern Utah and No. 8 Weber State. The 'Eaters are matched up against the Matadors in Monday's opening round, which will start on the 10th hole at 8 a.m. The semifinals are slated for later that afternoon. The final round matches are then set for Tuesday starting at 7:40 a.m. 

The two-day tournament will be played at the par-72 Cypress Ridge Golf Course which measures 6,803 yards. UCI's travel squad includes Ramiz Jamal, Anthony Truong, Chris Casey, Nathan Irwin and Matt Gunson.

STORYLINES
• The last time Cal Poly hosted a match play tournament was in 2015 when UC Irvine defeated the Mustangs for the title.
• Ramiz Jamal is tops on the squad with a 72.75 scoring average.
• He is coming off his second top-10 showing of the season, finishing ninth at the Sac State Invitational at 4-under 212.
• Jamal carded a career-low 67 in the third round. It was his second sub-70 score of the year.
• He also tied for eighth at the Nick Watney Invitational with a career-best 5-under 211 (72-68-71).
• Anthony Truong (73.44) added a top-20 showing at the Nick Watney Invite, registering a season-best 1-under 215.
• He has shot six rounds below par with a season-best 68 at the Bill Cullum Invitational.
• Jonathan Kang claimed runner-up honors at the spring season-opening Anteater Invitational.
• Kang matched his personal best with a 69 in the final round to finish at 4-under 212.
• UC Irvine won the program's eighth Big West championship in 2018, which is tops among all active league members.
• The Anteaters lost five seniors to graduation following the 2017-18 campaign, but have reloaded with six new players.
 
PERFECT SHOT
• Junior Ramiz Jamal recorded his first collegiate hole-in-one in the second round of the Anteater Invitational on Feb. 11.
• Jamal's ace came on the par-3, 202-yard 12th hole at Big Canyon Country Club.
• This is the second year in a row an 'Eater carded a hole-in-one.
• Recent graduate David Kim accomplished the feat at the 2018 John A. Burns Intercollegiate.
 
THE BIG THREE
• Juniors Ramiz Jamal (72.75), Anthony Truong (73.44) and Jonathan Kang (73.89) have led the 'Eaters in 2018-19.
• Jamal has been the team's top performer in four of six tournaments with a pair of top-10 finishes.
• Kang was also UCI's top finisher at the Anteater Invitational (2nd) and Visit Stockton Pacific Invite (11th).
• The trio has combined for 17 rounds under par, including eight sub-70 scores.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• UC Irvine finished ninth overall with a 54-hole score of 873 (292-295-286) at the Sacramento State Invitational.
• Ramiz Jamal tied for ninth at 212, carding a career-best 5-under 67 in the final round.
 
BIG WEST FLASHBACK
• The 'Eaters pulled off an epic upset last year by claiming the Big West title as the seventh seed.
• Jonathan Kang finished fifth at the 2018 conference championships with a season-best 4-under 212 (69-71-72).
• Kang was recognized for his performance as he received All-Big West honorable mention distinction.
 
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine will make its way to University Place, Wash., next week for the Redhawk Invitational (April 1-2).