The UC Irvine men's golf team was in Phoenix preparing for their practice round at the GCU Invitational when they got word that the tournament was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following day, the NCAA and Big West announced that all spring competition and championship events would be canceled, effectively ending the Anteaters' season.
 
"I feel like the team was gaining momentum in the spring events prior to the GCU tournament," said UCI head coach Paul Smolinski. "Jonathan Kang emerged as the team's most consistent competitor and some others were playing with more confidence as well. There was a renewed optimism about where we were as a team and the remaining tournaments on the schedule leading up to the conference championship."
 
Although they did not get the chance to finish their 2019-20 campaign, the 'Eaters had some memorable moments in their short time on the course. Below are a few highlights from the year.
 
 
HOME SWEET HOME
UC Irvine co-hosted the first annual Orange County Collegiate Classic to open the 2020 spring season. The Anteaters welcomed a 17-team field to the Par 72, 6,986-yard Coto de Caza South Course. UCI tied for fourth overall in the two-day, 54-hole tournament. It was the second year in a row the 'Eaters started the new calendar year on one of their home courses as they hosted the Anteater Invitational at Big Canyon Country Club in 2019.   
 
TEAM EFFORT
As a team, the 'Eaters recorded a season-best 7-under 281 in the second round of the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational. Their 281 was also the fourth-best round of the three-day, 17-team tournament. Senior Jonathan Kang led the way as he had four birdies and only one bogey to finish at 3-under 69. Senior Ramiz Jamal and sophomore Trueman Park each carded a 2-under 70, while sophomore Matt Gunson came in at even-par 72. Park and Gunson fired off a team-best five birdies each.
 
TOP-10
Jonathan Kang had a pair of top-10 finishes in three spring tournaments. At the OC Collegiate Classic, the Santa Clarita, Calif., native was in the middle of the pack after the first 18 holes, but moved up 30 spots over the second and third rounds to tie for sixth. Three weeks later, Kang had another sixth-place showing at the Sacramento State Invitational. On the year, he finished at or below par in nine of 18 rounds with a season-best 68 at the Nick Watney Invitational.
 
SENIOR LEADERS
Seniors Ramiz Jamal, Jonathan Kang, Chris Casey and Anthony Truong were mainstays in UCI's lineup in 2019-20. Jamal and Kang played in all six tournaments, while Casey and Truong competed in four. Kang, Jamal and Truong were also in Phoenix for the GCU Invitational before it was canceled. Kang finished the shortened season with a team-best 72.83 scoring average, while Jamal registered a 74.06. The duo combined to shoot 13 rounds at or below par with four sub-70 scores. Truong (75.42) had his best finish in what ended up being the final tournament of the season as he tied for 12th at the Sacramento State Invitational. Casey also concluded the campaign with a 75.58 average.
 
Smolinski: We had four seniors on a team of nine - those guys became a big part of the program. Each was dedicated to being the best student-athlete they could be. Jonathan Kang showed consistent improvement every year and became the leader on the course and in the classroom. Ramiz Jamal was a redshirt senior, so he has been a part of the program for five years. He has been a team leader and consistent contributor during that time. Anthony Truong and Chris Casey transferred to UCI from other schools, but both were impact players and leaders over the last two seasons.
 
INTERNATIONAL STAGE
While the Anteaters were preparing for their fall opener in Fresno, Anthony Truong was in Shanghai, China, for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Sheshan International Golf Club (Sept. 26-29). Invitations for the tournament were sent to the leading players from the 42 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) affiliated organizations. Each organization was automatically provided with two positions, which were filled by their highest ranked players from the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Truong earned his spot in the field of 120 as the No. 1 amateur golfer in Vietnam.