Former Santiago High School Shark star, 18-year-old Oregon freshman Aaron Wise, birdied seven of his opening eight holes carding a final-round score of 6-under-par 65 to help cement his team’s 24-stroke victory at the inaugural 54-hole Kaanapali Collegiate Classic Invitational. He then drained an uphill, into-the-grain birdie putt, after approaching the 440-yard Royal Kaanapali golf course’s 18th green in a helping wind with his gap wedge, to break a 10-under 203 tie with University of North Florida senior MJ Maguire for the individual low medalist title.
With four wins this fall season, the undefeated Oregon Ducks led the event from wire-to-wire beginning with an NCAA-record-setting score of 30-under 254—after a scorcher of an opening Friday that saw a bevy of low numbers, including a 9-under 62 by another Duck—three-time Montana state champion sophomore Brandon McIver, when the west Maui resort course was rendered defenseless sans its normal trade winds. Oregon coach Casey Martin’s Ducks followed their historic opener with a 7-over-par second-round total before sealing the deal today with a third- and final-round score of 10-under-par, totaling 33-under 819 for the event.
The 2014 Kaanapali Collegiate Classic Invitational featured 13 teams from across the nation, including the University of Hawaii, with the University of North Florida Ospreys following the Oregon Ducks’ 33-under 819 to take second place with a team score of 9-under 843. The Georgia Bulldogs, buoyed by top-10 efforts from Lee McCoy and Nicholas Reach were third at 4-under 848.
The UH ‘Bows, who slid from 10th place at the beginning of the day to cede that spot of UC Irvine’s ‘Eaters, finished in 11th place with an event aggregrate of 36-over-par 888. Kauai’s Justin “Pono” Tokioka fired a final round 3-under 68 to earn a share of fifth place with Georgia Bulldog Lee McCoy.
