Anteaters Set to Co-Host Orange County Collegiate Classic

Monday, February 10

Coto de Caza South Course - Coto de Caza, Calif.

8:30 AM

UC Irvine

Orange County Collegiate Classic

Anteaters Set to Co-Host Orange County Collegiate Classic

February 08, 2020 | Men's Golf

Orange County Collegiate Classic
Dates: Feb. 10-11 (Monday-Tuesday)
Time: 8:30 a.m. (PST) & 9 a.m. (PST) - Shotgun Start
Location: Coto de Caza South Course - Coto de Caza, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72 - 6,986 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's golf team is set to begin the spring season by co-hosting the Orange County Collegiate Classic with Cal State Fullerton, Feb. 10-11. The 54-hole tournament will take place at Coto de Caza South Course with the first two rounds being contested on Monday (8:30 a.m.) and the final 18 holes on Tuesday (9 a.m.). Both days will have a shotgun start.

The Anteaters and Titans are part of a 17-team field that also features British Columbia, Butler, Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, Central Arkansas, CSUN, Grand Canyon, Loyola Marymount, North Alabama, Sacramento State, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara.

UCI's 5-count-4 lineup includes Jonathan Kang, Ramiz Jamal, Anthony Truong, Chris Casey and Nathan Irwin. Competing as individuals for the 'Eaters are Parker Lestz, Matt Gunson, Trueman Park and Ethan Han.

STORYLINES
• This marks the second year in a row UC Irvine will open the spring season on one of its home courses.
• In 2019, UCI hosted the Anteater Invitational at Big Canyon Country Club (Feb. 11-12).
• The 'Eaters started the 2019-20 campaign with three fall tournaments, traveling to Fresno, Simi Valley and Stockton.
• Senior Jonathan Kang was tops on the team with a 72.22 stroke average.
• Kang finished at or below par in five of nine rounds played with two sub-70 scores.
• Senior Ramiz Jamal ranked second with a 72.33 average. He shot a season-best 68 at the Nick Watney Invitational.
• Sophomore Matt Gunson played in all three fall tournaments, posting a 73.22 scoring average.
• UC Irvine has a veteran squad with eight letterwinners returning, including all five starters from 2018-19.
• Nearly half of the roster is comprised of seniors (4), all of whom were part of last year's Big West runner-up squad.
• Jamal and Kang also played a key role in the Anteaters' 2018 Big West title.

NEWS & NOTES
• Ramiz Jamal earned second-team All-Big West honors in 2018-19.
• Jamal was tops on the team with a career-best 72.84 scoring average, a two-stroke improvement from 2017-18.
• He had 10 rounds at or below par with 75 birdies and two eagles, one of which was his first collegiate hole-in-one.
• Senior Anthony Truong (73.05) made an immediate impact as a 2018-19 junior transfer from Arizona State.
• Truong garnered All-Big West honorable mention recognition after placing fourth at the conference championships.
• Jonathan Kang was third on the team last year with a 74.08 average through 24 rounds.
• Kang recorded his second-straight top-10 finish at the Big West Championships as he tied for eighth.
• Matt Gunson led all freshmen at the 2019 Big West Championships where he tied for 10th.
• Gunson played in eight of UC Irvine's 10 tournaments last season, finishing with a 74.38 scoring average.
• Senior Chris Casey had a 75.00 average in his first season at UCI after transferring from Orange Coast College.
• Sophomore Nathan Irwin saw action in eight tournaments as a true freshman (75.86).
• Sophomores Parker Lestz and Ethan Han also return after making an appearance at the 2019 Anteater Invitational.
• Sophomore transfer Trueman Park is UC Irvine's lone newcomer. He played at Little Rock in 2017-18.
• Park was the 2015 Division I State Champion at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona.

UP NEXT
• The 'Eaters will travel to Lihue, Kaua'i, for the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, Feb. 20-22.