Oregon State Invitational: UC Irvine upsets defending champions for the title

October 8, 2024 | by Amit Pandey of AmateurGolf.com

Sam Renner (Washington State Athletics Photo)

UC Irvine registered its first stroke play win in six years, with Sam Renner of Washington State took the individual title

UC Irvine’s men’s golf team, the Anteaters, kicked off their season in triumphant fashion, claiming the Oregon State Invitational title at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Oregon. The Anteaters posted an impressive 4-under 848 with rounds of 288, 275, and 285 to secure the win.

Starting the final day in a tie for second, UCI erased a five-stroke deficit by firing a closing 285, overtaking host Oregon State to finish two shots ahead at 4-under. The defending champions, Oregon State, slipped to second place with a 2-under 850 (283-275-292).

This victory marks UCI’s first stroke-play title since their 2018 Big West Championship triumph. Their last team win came in the 2019 Cal Poly Match Play Tournament.

Boise State finished third with rounds of 289-279-286, ending 2-over for the event.

Individually, Washington State’s Sam Renner pulled off a stunning victory, winning the tournament with rounds of 67-67-69, finishing at 10-under 203. Renner is on a hot streak, winning the Badger Invitational last week and the PNGA Amateur over the summer.

Renner’s three-shot win saw him hold off Oregon State’s Rylan Johnson, who opened with a 70 and a remarkable tournament-low 62 in the second round but faltered with a 74 in the final round to finish second at 7-under.

Renner is ranked No. 151 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.

The Anteaters had a strong showing, with four players finishing inside the top 20. Junior Jin Nakao led the way, earning a career-best T4 with rounds of 70-70-71 to finish at 2-under 211. Sophomore Jason Tang (71-70-72) secured a T12 finish, while freshman Jack Yu (75-68-72) and junior Rei Harashima (74-67-74) both tied for 17th at 2-over.

Results: Oregon State Invitational

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Sam Renner	Bend, OR	400	67-67-69=203
2	Rylan Johnson	Gilbert, AZ	300	70-62-74=206
3	Dane Huddleston	Woodland, WA	200	68-69-72=209
T4	Cole Rueck	Corvallis, OR	200	70-73-68=211
T4	Jin Nakao	Burbank, CA	200	70-70-71=211

View full results for Oregon State Invitational

About the Oregon State Invitational

Oregon State Invitational: UC Irvine upsets defending champions for the title

54-hole men's college tournament hosted by Oregon State University. Team (best four scores out of five players each round) and individual competitions.