WAILUA — Western Kentucky University returns to host the 9th Annual Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup held this year at the Wailua Golf Course. Golfers representing 11 different schools, including the defending champions from Oklahoma Christian University, will complete in the 54-hole
WAILUA — Western Kentucky University returns to host the 9th Annual Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup held this year at the Wailua Golf Course.
Golfers representing 11 different schools, including the defending champions from Oklahoma Christian University, will complete in the 54-hole event starting today and finishing tomorrow.
The teams hit the course yesterday for a quick practice round before the competition.
Top WKU golfer Brent Long, who has competed in the Collegiate Cup several times before, was eager to return for his senior year.
“It means a lot to me because we host it,” Long said. “I’ve never won it and I got second my sophomore year, then I redshirted last year. I know we’ve had guys who’ve won it. I’d like to get on that leaderboard with some of the others from Western Kentucky I just have to go in there confident, knowing I can hit it well, hit down the middle and hit lots of fairways. And get a lot of birdies.”
While it would seem like an advantage to be a member of the host team and to have competed in the Collegiate Cup before, playing at Wailua will be the challenge for Long. The previous Collegiate Cups were held at the Princeville’s Makai Course.
Long said he learned a lot about the Princeville course, but since the competition has moved to a new venue, he will be more reserved in his playing style this time.
“I have to be more conservative and not be as aggressive on this course,” he said because of his unfamiliarity with the course.
Long admitted that he was having a little trouble with his driver yesterday, but he hopes to fix before he tees off today.
Also returning to the field is Oklahoma Christian’s Rhein Gibson and Fernando Gonzales who both finished last year’s competition tied for second place at 5-under at 211.
Graham Benson of Southern Louisiana, who is competing in the Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup for the first time, said he was having a little trouble dealing with the wind.
“It was quite tricky hitting into it, but it was good. This is one of the nicest places I’ve ever been to,” he said. “We’ve been waiting all year for this tournament. It’s our first time, but we knew all year we’d be coming to this.”
In the history of the Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup, only one school has won back-to-back titles: San Diego in 2000 and 2001. Western Kentucky has won two, the first in 2002 and the second in 2005.
The colleges participating are host school Western Kentucky, Oklahoma Christian, Hawai‘i Pacific, Old Dominion, Gonzaga, Southern Louisiana, University of Texas Pan American, Vanderbilt, West Liberty State, Lipscomb and Wofford College.
The first group tees off at 7 a.m.
