Arizona men’s golf returns to action this week at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate at Lihue, Hawaii.
This is the second tournament of the spring for the team, and it is looking to pick up where it left off after finishing second at the Arizona Intercollegiate in January.
“The guys came back energized, refreshed and ready to compete, head coach Jim Anderson said. “I’ve been really happy with the team’s attitude to start the season.”
The tournament will feature 16 teams, including Pac-12 Conference rivals California and Washington State. The field also includes three of the top-20 ranked teams in the nation. Cal won the tournament last year and returns with last year’s individual champion, Joel Stalter.
The John A. Burns Intercollegiate moved to a new course this year, which means the team does not have any experience with it.
“This is a new one for us, and the good part is it is a new one for everybody,” Anderson said. “I think based on what coach Nallen has been working on and researching the golf course, he prepared some yardage books for our guys. We will be as prepared or more prepared than every team out there.”
Anderson said senior Erik Oja is the team’s leader.
“He has been without a doubt a rock in our lineup from day one,” Anderson said.
The rest of the lineup will include junior Alex McMahon, sophomore Kolton Lapa, junior Brenden Redfern and senior Benson Liu.
The tournament will start today and conclude on Feb. 21.
—Follow Fernando Galvan @fgalvan35