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.
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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.