As the Western Washington Invitational wore on, the University of Hawaii at Hilo played better and better. But men’s golf coach Earl Tamiya’s outlook only became worse. ADVERTISING As the Western Washington Invitational wore on, the University of Hawaii at
As the Western Washington Invitational wore on, the University of Hawaii at Hilo played better and better. But men’s golf coach Earl Tamiya’s outlook only became worse.
“We’re going to struggle to make regionals,” Tamiya said Tuesday after the Vulcans finished eighth in Bellingham, Wash.
The veteran coach was impressed by the competition at the first two tournaments of the fall season.
Led by Kyeton Littel’s 70, UHH shot even-par in the final round but couldn’t move up a spot. At 11-over 875, it finished 56 spots behind winning British Columbia and 17 strokes in back of fifth-place Dixie State, one of two other Pacific West Conference members in the 11-team field.
“I knew the teams were going to be tough,” Tamiya said, “but I didn’t know they were going to this tough.”
With Yamauchi’s first-round 72 wiped out by a scorecard error, Littel was UHH’s highest finisher, tying for 29th at 3-over 219 — British Columbia Evan Holmes took medalist honors at 14-under.
Littel, a junior, improved on a 77 in Monday’s second round.
“He stayed in play and hit the ball in the fairway,” Tamiya said.
Another stroke back was junior Connor Graves, who tied for 30th and didn’t count toward his team’s score Tuesday after a 75. Freshman Jim Coon (72) and senior Nicholas Matsushima (73) both enjoyed their best rounds of the tournament. They tied for 40th at 7-over.
Playing as an individual, freshman David Tottori (79) tied for 51st at 12-over.
Yamauchi carded a 73. His 69 on Monday came after he self-reported a scorecard error in the opening round and was disqualified.
“When Dalen came in after the first round, he noticed he had a 71 on his card,” Tamiya said Monday. “But he shot 72.”
The DQ cost the Vulcans four strokes, but in the end that was only the difference between seventh and eighth place for a program looking to get back to the NCAA Division II tournament.
UHH was fifth last week at Olympia, Wash.
The Vulcans have two tournaments left on the fall schedule, the Otter Invitational in Monterey, Calif., from Oct. 20-21, and their Dennis Rose Intercollegiate, Nov. 1-2 at Waikoloa Kings’ Course.
“We just have to practice hard,” Tamiya said.
