Hopoi Overcomes Early Stumble, Wins Memorial Amateur
5/28/2018 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for Memorial Amateur, Ancil Hoffman Golf Course
The Hawaii native, who recently finished his collegiate career at Boise State, shoots 12 under at Ancil Hoffman GC
CARMICHAEL, CA (May 28, 2018) - Donny Hopoi (Aiea, HI) won his first tournament as a former college golfer on Monday, capturing the Memorial Amateur by four shots at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course.
Hopoi, who just completed his college career at Boise State, started the final round two shots ahead after rounds of 69 and 67 put him at 8 under par. Logan Lowe, a rising senior at George Washington University, and Thomas Hutchison, a rising sophomore at UC Davis, shared second at 6 under.
10 players were within four shots of Hopoi's lead, putting the onus on the leader to shoot another low round to stay ahead of the chasers.
Hopoi got the start he was looking for, making two birdies on his first three holes to get to 10 under. Then, completely unexpectedly given his exceptional putting to that point, he four-putted his fourth hole (the nines were reversed for this tournament) to fall to 7 under and into a tie with Lowe.
But Hopoi was able to regain his composure and steadily pull away, picking up five more shots to par and finishing with a 68 and a 12-under 204 total.
It was an impressive performance given that there were only four scores in the 60s on the final day, and none below Hopoi's 68. Mikey Slesinski, a rising St. Mary's redshirt sophomore, shot a 68 of his own to finish solo second at 8 under, with Lowe (71) third at 7 under.
Hutchison shot a 72 to finish alone in fourth at 6 under.
Four players tied for fifth at 5-under 211, including the defending champion Alex Lee, who closed with a 69. The 2015 champion and University of Alabama rising junior Josh Sedeno (72), UCLA commit Ahmed Ali (72) and Cal rising senior Ben Doyle rounded out the group.
Hopoi recently finished his college career at Boise State after starting at Dixie State and transferring. He was the Mountain West Conference runner-up in 2017 before winning his first college tournament at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate last September. He finished his senior season with a 72.58 scoring average.
Once again the Memorial Amateur Championship was played to honor Memorial Day and its cherished place as a national holiday. The sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces and by those in public service should never be understated or forgotten. To those that have paid the ultimate price in defense of this great nation, we honor and cherish their memories.
Results: Memorial Amateur
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aiea, HI | 400 | 69-67-68=204 | |
| 2 | Fremont, CA | 300 | 68-72-68=208 | |
| 3 | Grass Valley, CA | 200 | 69-69-71=209 | |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | 200 | 69-69-72=210 | |
| T5 | Palo Alto, CA | 200 | 69-70-72=211 |
About the Memorial Amateur
Memorial Amateur insights include 15+ years of scoring trends, past champions like Cameron Champ, and hole-by-hole performance breakdowns at Ancil Hoffman. The Memorial Amateur Championship, held each Memorial Day Weekend at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original