WAIKOLOA, Hawaii – The Stanford men's golf team begins its spring season in paradise on Thursday by participating in the 28th Amer Ari Invitational on the Waikoloa Kings' Course.
Eighteen teams will compete in the 54-hole event.
Other participating schools include Auburn, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Hawaii Hilo, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Osaka Gakuin, Pacific, San Jose State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, UC Davis, USC and Utah. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 1 in the country and won the 2018 NCAA title.
Last year, the Cardinal finished 10th behind senior Franklin Huang's 13th-place showing.
Three current team members played last year and will represent No. 28 Stanford. Seniors Brandon Wu and Isaiah Salinda tied for 37th and 41st, respectively, and junior Henry Shimp tied for 51st. They will be joined by sophomore Nate Menon and senior Chris Myers, while freshman Freddie Lee will compete as an individual.
Wu led the Cardinal during the fall campaign with a 71.11 scoring average, followed closely by Salinda at 71.33. In the latest World Golf Ranking men's amateur ratings, Salinda is No. 22 and Wu is No. 34.
Lined by palm trees, the par-72, links-style course will play 7,074 yards and trade winds are often a factor. Lakes, pot bunkers and lava outcroppings put a premium on accuracy.
A 7:30 a.m. (local time) shotgun start will be held each day, with the final round set for Saturday.
Live scoring is available at gostanford.com.