Orange County Collegiate Classic
Dates: Feb. 8-9 (Monday-Tuesday)
Time: 8:30 a.m. / 8:45 a.m. (Shotgun Start)
Location: Coto de Caza South Course
Par/Yardage: Par 72 - 6,950 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's golf is set to make its return to tournament play by co-hosting the second annual Orange County Collegiate Classic with Cal State Fullerton, Feb. 8-9, at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club. It will mark the Anteaters' first team competition in 11 months as more than half of the 2020 spring campaign, and the subsequent fall season were canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"After a long break from competition due to the pandemic, we are eager to get back to tournament golf for the first time since March," UCI head coach Paul Smolinski said. "The team is excited to begin the season hosting the Orange County Collegiate Classic at Coto de Caza."
 
The 'Eaters return five letterwinners from last year's squad, including graduate student Jonathan Kang, who had a team-best 72.83 scoring average through six tournaments in 2019-20. He posted two top-10 finishes with a sixth-place showing at both the Orange County Collegiate Classic and Sacramento State Invitational.
 
Also back for the Anteaters are juniors Matt Gunson, Nathan Irwin, Ethan Han and Trueman Park. Gunson has led the group over the last couple years as he notched a top-10 finish at the 2019 Big West Championships and owns a career average of 74.61. Irwin has also played in eight tournaments with a 76.33 career average. Han and Park both have two tournaments under their belts in their time at UC Irvine.
 
Looking to make an immediate impact is a talented freshman class. Kolbe Irei (Roosevelt HS) was a four-time Oahu Interscholastic Association First-Team All-Star and two-time MVP. He was the runner-up at the Hawaii High School State Championship as a junior. Darien Zhao was also the 2019 Palomar League individual champion at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, while Henry Fitzhugh (St. Francis HS) had a top-10 performance at the 2019 L.A. City Junior Championship.
 
"Since we are so young, it's going to take us a little time to gel and get playing as well as I believe we can," Smolinski added. "We have some talented players and we're excited about their potential once we get them playing more rounds and once we get into the flow of the season."
 
TOURNAMENT INFO
The OC Collegiate Classic will be played at the par-72, 6,950-yard Coto de Caza South Course. Thirty-six holes will be contested on Monday, starting at 8:30 a.m., while the final round is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Both days will have a shotgun start. The Anteaters are part of a seven-team field that also features co-host Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, San Francisco and UC San Diego. 
 
UCI's 5-count-4 lineup includes Jonathan Kang, Matt Gunson, Nathan Irwin, Kolbe Irei and Darien Zhao. Competing as individuals for the 'Eaters are Ethan Han and Henry Fitzhugh.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, spectators will not be permitted, but live scoring is available at Golfstat.com.

NEWS & NOTES
• This marks the third year in a row UC Irvine will open the spring season on one of its home courses.
• In 2020, UCI co-hosted the first annual OC Collegiate Classic, and in 2019 it hosted the Anteater Invitational.
• Graduate student Jonathan Kang is back after the NCAA granted an extra year to the 2020 spring sport seniors.
• In a shortened 2019-20 season, Kang had a team-best 72.83 scoring average through six tournaments.
• He finished at or below par in nine of 18 rounds played with three sub-70 scores.
• Kang has six career top-10 finishes including at each of the last two Big West Championships.
• Junior Matt Gunson owns a 74.61 average through 11 career tournaments played.
• Gunson was the conference's top freshman at the 2019 Big West Championships where he came in 10th.
• Junior Nathan Irwin played in only one tournament last year, but had a 75.86 average in 21 rounds as a freshman.
• Three of the Anteaters' four true freshmen are set to make their collegiate debuts this weekend.
• Kolbe Irei and Darien Zhao are fourth and fifth in the lineup, while Henry Fitzhugh is competing as an individual.
• Ethan Han and Jonathan Kang competed in the 109th California Amateur Championship, July 27-Aug. 1.