Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate
Dates: Feb. 6-8 (Tuesday-Thursday)
Location: Classic Club - Palm Desert, Calif.
Par/Yardage: Par-72, 7,322 yards

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's golf team is set to kick off the spring portion of its 2023-24 schedule at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 6-8. The three-day tournament will be held at the Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, with the par-72 course being played at 7,322 yards. Eighteen holes are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.

The Anteaters are part of a 17-team field that features California Baptist, No. 88 Cal State Fullerton, No. 48 Charlotte, CSUN, Drake, Grand Canyon, Old Dominion, Oral Roberts, Sacramento State, Seattle U, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, Utah Tech and host Wyoming.

UCI's 5-count-4 lineup includes Darien Zhao, Jin Nakao, Jason Tang, Yaoting Zou and Rei Harashima.

This is the third year in a row the 'Eaters will participate in the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. 

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine closed out the fall season with a top-10 finish at the Kapolei Invitational, Oct. 31-Nov. 2. The Anteaters recorded the program's best score to par through 54 holes at 38-under. Over the course of the three-day tournament at Kapolei Golf Club, UCI combined for a 5-count-4 total of 826 (272-279-275) to tie for sixth with 41st-ranked BYU. Darien Zhao and Jason Tang led the 'Eaters in a tie for 19th. Zhao climbed 13 spots in the standings on the final day, finishing at 10-under 206 (68-71-67). Tang also had an impressive week with rounds of 65-68-73. Yaoting Zou tied for 25th at 8-under 208 (68-70-70) and Rei Harashima tied for 62nd with a season-best 3-under 213 (72-70-71). Jin Nakao rounded out the Anteaters' lineup with a three-round total of 214 (71-76-67).
 
BREAKING RECORDS
Darien Zhao, UCI's only senior, kicked off the 2023-24 season with a bang as he claimed runner-up honors with a career-best 13-under 200 at the Nick Watney Invitational. Zhao opened the tournament with back-to-back sub-70 rounds, carding a 66 (-5) prior to firing a school-record 62 (-9). He finished the first two rounds with 14 birdies and one eagle against only two bogeys for a program-best 36-hole score of 128 (-14). Zhao, a two-time All-Big West selection, has eight career top-10 finishes.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Freshman Jason Tang made a statement in his collegiate debut, tying for sixth at the season-opening Nick Watney Invitational. Tang concluded his first tournament as an Anteater at 10-under 203 (74-65-64). He found his stride with a bogey-free second round to jump 40 spots in the standings, and carried the momentum into the final round where he continued his ascent up the leaderboard with a 64 (-7).

BACK TO WORK
Four Anteaters enter the spring season with sub-73 averages. Darien Zhao leads the way at 71.17, while sophomore Jin Nakao, who played in two fall tournaments, sits at 71.33. Jason Tang is third at 71.67 and sophomore Yaoting Zou is fourth at 72.75. All four have had at least one round in the 60s and combined for 10 sub-70 scores in the fall.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will co-host the Orange County Collegiate Classic at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, Feb. 12-13.