Junior golfers and high school golfers are invited to a free clinic Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Wailua Golf Course. Western Kentucky University coach Brian Tirpak, Chaminade University director of golf Bill Villa and some of the student athletes involved
Junior golfers and high school golfers are invited to a free clinic Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Wailua Golf Course.
Western Kentucky University coach Brian Tirpak, Chaminade University director of golf Bill Villa and some of the student athletes involved in the 11th Annual Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup will provide a free workshop followed by a presentation offering tips on how to successfully transition to college life and collegiate athletics.
The clinic and workshop comes two days before play opens on the 11th Annual Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup, which will unfold at Wailua Golf Course Friday and Saturday.
The public is invited to view the competition featuring college teams — three O‘ahu schools, two from Canada, and host Western Kentucky University.
Among the field are two Kaua‘i-born golfers: Layne Morita, the runner-up in the 2009 Manoa Cup match play tournament and a senior; and Jordan Oda, a Chaminade freshman, will be on the course.
“Hilltopper golf is again pleased to return to Kaua‘i this spring to host the Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup,” said Tirpak, who is in his 14th season at WKU. “It is again a pleasure to help our friends on the Garden Island share that famous aloha spirit with our guest teams this spring.”
Tirpak said the 2010 tournament will pit the Hilltopper team against some of the best college golfers in the Islands and from Canada.
Brigham Young-Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Pacific University, Toronto and WKU are making repeat appearances.
Charlie Renfro, a senior from HPU, is the top returning finisher from the 2009 tournament, finishing in a tie for 16th in the 64-player field.
Connor Rumpf, the Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Year last fall as a rookie, returns with HPU and figures to be a golfer to watch in this tournament, said Paul Just, media coordinator at WKU.
Hilltopper junior Neil Horsley will be playing his third Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup, coming off a 13-under performance in the Hilltoppers’ last outing of the fall season.
Just said there will be an international flair to the field, where the rosters of the participating schools include 17 international athletes from five different countries — Canada, Costa Rica, England, Guatemala and Italy.
In the past 10 years, the Kaua‘i Collegiate Cup has attracted 56 different institutions from across the nation and Canada with more than 490 outstanding young golfers playing on Kaua‘i in one of college golf’s most unique and challenging tournaments.
Competition starts Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. for 36 holes, followed by another 18 holes Saturday starting at 7:30 a.m.
Following on the heels of the final 18, the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation golf match is scheduled to tee off at noon.
There is no admission fee to watch the collegiate competition or the KIF high school golfers.
