Orange County Collegiate Classic
Dates: Feb. 13-14 (Monday-Tuesday)
Location: Coto de Caza South Course - Coto de Caza, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par 72, 6,950 yards
Live Scoring: Golfstat.com

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's golf kicks off the spring portion of its schedule by co-hosting the fourth annual Orange County Collegiate Classic, Feb. 13-14.
 
The two-day tournament will be contested at the par-72, 6,950-yard South Course at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club. Thirty-six holes are scheduled for Monday with the final round to be played on Tuesday. Both days are slated for an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start.
 
The Anteaters welcome eight teams to Coto de Caza, including co-host Cal State Fullerton, and fellow Big West members Cal Poly, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. Rounding out the field is California Baptist and two Canadian schools - University of British Columbia and University of the Fraser Valley.
 
UC Irvine's 5-count-4 lineup is comprised of Rei Harashima, Darien Zhao, Jin Nakao, Kolbe Irei and Andy Zou, while Johnny Bai and Kevin McGough will compete as individuals.
 
OC COLLEGIATE CLASSIC REWIND
Kolbe Irei claimed the individual title, while UC Irvine took second at the 2022 Orange County Collegiate Classic at Coto de Caza South Course. Irei, who finished three strokes ahead of the field at even-par 216 (75-68-73), became the Anteaters' first individual champion since David Kim won the Cal Poly Shootout in 2017. Darien Zhao challenged Irei for the individual title before tying for second at 3-over 219 (76-68-75). Johnny Bai, who was competing as an individual, added a top-25 showing after registering a 228 (77-73-78). Tournament co-hosts UCI and Cal State Fullerton entered the final round in a tie for first, but it was the Titans who pulled away for the victory. CSF combined for a 5-count-4 team score of 881 (298-290-293) to come in five strokes ahead of the 'Eaters at 886 (304-284-298). 
 
FALL RECAP
UC Irvine came in below par and finished among the top-12 in each of its four fall tournaments. The Anteaters had their best showing at the Bill Cullum Invitational where they placed third, while they had their low 54-hole score of the season at the Visit Stockton Invitational with a 16-under 836 (278-276-282). The 'Eaters recorded six sub-70 rounds at Stockton Golf & Country Club, led by Jin Nakao who bookended the tournament with scores of 65 and 67.
 
NEWS & NOTES
• UC Irvine will open the spring season on one of its home courses for the fifth year in a row.
• The 'Eaters have co-hosted the OC Collegiate Classic since 2020, and placed among the top-four each year.
• In 2022, they had a high finish of second at Coto de Caza, while Kolbe Irei claimed individual medalist honors.
• Freshman Rei Harashima, who had five sub-70 rounds in the fall, owns a team-best 70.83 scoring average.
• Junior Darien Zhao is right on his heels with a 70.92 average and four rounds in the 60s.
• Zhao had his best collegiate finish at the Bill Cullum Invitational where he tied for first.
• Redshirt freshman Jin Nakao ranks third on the squad with a 71.25 stroke average.
• Nakao registered UC Irvine's top two rounds of the year with a 65 in Stockton and a 67 in Fresno.
• His 65 is tied for sixth in program history and is UCI's best individual 18-hole score since David Kim in 2017.
• Kolbe Irei (72.17) and Andy Zou (72.17) also have a sub-73.00 season average.
• UC Irvine has a seven-member squad, marking the first time it has fewer than nine on the roster since 2011-12.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns to action, Feb. 20-21, when it heads to Jurupa Valley, California, for The Joust at Goose Creek, hosted by California Baptist.