University Southern California Trojans
No. 6 USC In Westlake Village For Jones Invitational
February 26, 2016 | Men's Golf
The No. 6 USC men's golf team, led by All-American duo Rico Hoey and sophomore Sean Crocker as well as sophomore Jonah Texeira, stays local next week as it plays in the Southwestern Jones Invitational at Westlake Village's North Ranch C.C. on Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 25-26).
In addition to the Trojans and host Pepperdine, the 15-team field playing the Par 72, 6,992-yard course includes Augusta, Boise State, BYU, Fresno State, Iowa, Lipscomb, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Oregon, Sam Houston State, San Diego, San Diego State and Winthrop.
Teams will play 36 holes Monday beginning with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday's final round will begin off 1 and 10 with tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m.
USC formerly hosted the event as both the USC Collegiate Invitational and the North Ranch Intercollegiate. Results will be available at Golfstat.com.
USC Men's Outlook in Brief
The Trojans, under 10th-year coach Chris Zambri, return four of its five starters from its 2015 postseason run to the NCAA Championships final, including junior Rico Hoey, sophomore Sean Crocker, senior Bobby Gojuangco and sophomore Jonah Texeira. Other returning golfers include senior Andrew Levitt and juniors Danny Ochoa and David Kim. Kim was a 2015 spring semester transfer in January but redshirted last season.
Zambri welcomes three freshmen into the Trojan Family, including Justin Suh, Ryan Slater and Ing Ratanavadi
Crocker, a 2015 GCAA All-American third-teamer, is coming off one of the top seasons ever by a Trojan freshman in 2015 when he led the team in stroke average (70.39), rounds in the 60s (19) and top 10 finishes (eight). Crocker's 19 rounds under 70 were the most by a Trojan since Jamie Lovemark had 20 as a 2007 freshman.
Hoey, a 2015 GCAA All-American honorable mention pick, was second on the team with a 70.86 stroke average, 18 rounds in the 60s and six top 5 finishes.
Both were also All Pac-12 first team picks while Crocker, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, joined Texeira on the All-Pac-12 freshman team.
USC's run to the 2015 NCAA Championship match play final began with a fifth-place finish after four rounds of stroke play, earning a match play spot for the first time since 2009. The Trojans then defeated Texas, 4-1, in the NCAA quarterfinals and dispatched of Illinois, 3.5-1.5, in the semifinals. USC faced LSU in the final and fell 4-1, with three of the five matches decided with just one hole to play.
USC Men's Notes
* For the second year in a row, junior Rico Hoey has been named to The Ben Hogan Award Watch List while sophomore Sean Crocker is on it for the first time, the GCAA announced on Feb. 10. USC is one of just three schools with multiple players on the watch list, joining Illinois' three and Wake Forest's two.
* Junior Rico Hoey leads USC in stroke average at 69.22 with nine rounds in the 60s. He has six top 20 finishes in as many outings, including five in the top 7. He placed a season-best second at the Amer Ari Invitational with a 14-under 202 (68-68-66) and was fourth at the Husky Invitational at par 213 (74-70-69). He was fifth at The Presitge at PGA West at 6-under 207 (68-71-68), was a team-best tied for fifth at the U.S. Collegiate Championship at 5-under 211 (70-70-71) and tied for seventh at the Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America at even 213 (65-76-72). He split his two matches at the East Lake Cup Championship Match Play, including a 3&2 win over LSU's Zach Wright.
* Sophomore Jonah Texeira is tied for second on the squad with a 72.06 stroke average and has three top 8 outings this year. He tied for fifth at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at 9-under 206 (70-67-69), tied for eighth at the U.S. Collegiate Championship at 4-under 212 (73-69-70) and was seventh at the Amer Ari Invitational at 8-under 208 (70-67-71). He has six rounds in the 60s this year, second best on the team. He split his two matches at the East Lake Cup Championship Match Play, including a 3&2 win over LSU's Eric Ricard.
* Sophomore Sean Crocker is tied for second on the team in stroke average at 72.06 with four rounds under 70. He has three top 20 finishes, including a USC season-best second at the Husky Invitational at 6-under 207 (69-68-70) and a tie for eighth at the Patriot All-American at 3-over 216 (71-73-72). Crocker was the only Trojan to win twice at the inaugural East Lake Cup Championship Match Play, defeating Illinois' Nick Hardy, 2&1, and LSU's Sam Burns, 3&2.
* Senior Andrew Levitt's tie for fifth at the Nike Golf Collegiate at 9-under 206 (69-70-67) was a career-best effort and were his top three rounds in his abridged Trojan career. He is tied for fourth on the team in stroke average at 73.27. He also started for the Trojans at the East Lake Cup Championship Match Play. He lost twice, but took both matches to the wire.
* Freshman Justin Suh, who started all four of the Trojans' four fall events, got his spring semester off to a strong start in his fifth start by tying for 13th with a 5-under 211 (70-69-72) at the Amer Ari Invitational. His fall action was topped by a tie for 39th at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at par 215 (67-71-77). He split his two matches at the East Lake Cup Championship Match Play, including a 5&3 win over LSU's Nathan Jeansonne. He is tied for fourth on the team with a stroke average if 73.27.
* Freshman Ryan Slater has played in three events, tying for 22nd in the Husky Invitational. He also played in the Amer Ari Invitational, tying for 88th, and tied for 62nd at The Prestige at PGA West.
* Senior Bobby Gojuangco posted his top effort this year at the Farms Collegiate Invitational, tying for 28th at 12-over 228 (79-68-81). Danny Ochoa was 46th and David Kim was 64th.
2015-16 MEN'S EVENT RECAPS
HUSKY INVITATIONAL
Sophomore Sean Crocker fired his third consecutive round under par to finish second at 6-under, junior Rico Hoey staged a late rally to capture fourth at par as the then-No. 5 USC men's golf team finished fourth overall in the season-opening Husky Invitational in Suncadia, Wash., on Sept. 22. The Trojans wrapped play at 18-over 870 (300-284-286) with their second straight strong round. USC finished five back of Oregon and Washington, which tied for first at 13-over 865. Oregon State was third at 17-over 869. Troy's final two rounds were the best combined rounds among the 14 teams. Crocker, who had eight top 10 finishes last year, took second at 6-under 207 (69-68-70) while Hoey, who had six top 5s last year, was fourth at even 213 (74-70-69) as the pair picked up where they left off from their 2015 All-American seasons. Crocker eagled 3 and 15 in the final round to go with birdies on 11 and 16, though late bogeys on 17 and 18 cost him a chance at his second career win.
NIKE GOLF COLLEGIATE
Senior Andrew Levitt's final-round 67 and his tie for fifth were career bests while sophomore Jonah Texeira also tied for fifth to lead the USC men's golf team to a tie for second at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at Pumpkin Ridge Oct. 6. The Trojans combined for a 34-under 826 (272-276-278), tied for second with Duke, three behind winner Wake Forest. USC's counting four golfers were a combined 12-under on the back 9 to make it close, but Troy couldn't catch a Deamon Deacon team that led the entire tournament. Levitt (69-70-67) and Texeira (70-67-69) tied for fifth at 9-under 206. Levitt's three rounds were the three best of his Trojan career, spent mostly as a reserve. Levitt was even going out but 5-under during a blistering back 9 that included six birdies. Texeira was also hot coming home, going 4-under with four birdies. Sophomore Sean Crocker tied for 16th at 6-under 209 (67-68-74), junior Rico Hoey tied for 19th at 5-under 210 (69-73-68) and freshman Justin Suh tied for 39th at par 215 (67-71-77).
U.S. COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Junior Rico Hoey tied for fifth while sophomore Jonah Texeira tied for eighth, pacing the No. 7 USC men's golf team during the final round of the U.S. Collegiate Championship at The Golf Club of Georgia's Lakeside Course in Alpaharetta, Ga., on Oct. 18. The Trojans combined for a 7-over 871(298-287-286), finishing eighth in the 17-team field, 16 back of co-winners Auburn and Wake Forest. USC finished 3-under over its final 36 holes. Hoey posted his third consecutive top 20 to start the season thanks to a 5-under 211 (70-70-71) while Texeira notched his second straight top 10 at 4-under 212 (73-69-70). Hoey was 2-over going out on the back 9, but birdied 1, 2 and 3 to finish under par in each round in Georgia. Texeira, meanwhile, was 1-under going out with birdies on 10 and 11 and 1-under on his final 9.
EAST LAKE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH PLAY
The No. 3 USC men's golf team defeated LSU, 4-1, in the consolation match of the inaugural East Lake Cup at the East Lake G.C. in Atlanta on Nov. 3 after falling by the same score to Illinois in the semifinals. In an event that featured the 2015 NCAA Championships match play semifinalists, USC got a measure of redemption with its consolation win, defeating a Tiger team that edged the Trojans for the 2015 NCAA title. Freshman Justin Suh got USC on the board first with a 5&3 win over LSU's Nathan Jeansonne. He trailed briefly after 6 holes, but won four straight holes between 16 and 1 and took holes 5 and 6 to clinch the match. Sophomore Sean Crocker defeated Sam Burns, 3&2, leading for all but four holes, and junior Rico Hoey clinched the consolation final win with a 3&2 victory over LSU's Zach Wright. Hoey led the entire way. Sophomore Jonah Texeira also never trailed in his match against Eric Ricard and was credited with a 3&2 win while senior Andrew Levitt fell to Brandon Pierce, 2&1. In USC's semifinal loss to Illinois, Crocker earned Troy's only point with a 2&1 win over Nick Hardy. Troy's other four matches all came down to the final hole, but the Trojans finished on the wrong side of all of them.
AMER ARI INVITATIONAL
The Trojans came out victorious at the Amer Ari Invitational on Feb. 6 in Waikoloa, Hawaii at the Waikoloa Kings' Course. As a team, the Trojans combined for 29-under (278-275-282). UCLA closed in at second place, finishing at 27-under (279-272-286). Junior Rico Hoey fired a 14-under 202 (68-68-66) and took second place, which marks his season-best and fourth top-seven finish this year. Sophomore Jonah Texeria finished at 8-under 208 (70-67-71) and in seventh place. This is his third-straight top-10 finish. Freshman Justin Suh tied for 13th at 5-under 211 (70-69-72), a career-best.
THE PRESTIGE AT PGA WEST
Junior Rico Hoey polished off his fourth straight top 7 finish while sophomore Jonah Texeira matched Hoey's Wednesday output with a 3-under 68 to lead No. 7 USC men's golf on the final day of The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. The Trojans finished fifth at a combined 5-over 857 (285-293-279). LSU used a 19-under final round to win the event at 26-under 826, 18 strokes better than second-place Arizona State. Hoey made a run northward toward the top of the leader board during a final round that saw him go 5-under through 12 before he ultimately finished the tournament fifth at 6-under 207 (68-71-68). USC's most consistent player thus far this season turned in his fifth top 10 this year and broke 70 for the ninth time out of 18 rounds this year. Freshman Justin Suh tied for 29th at 4-over 217 (72-74-71) while Texeira scraped up to a tie for 34th at 5-over 218 (73-77-68) thanks to his fifth round in the 60s this year, second on the squad behind Hoey's total.
