No. 6 USC Set For Western Intercollegiate, To Be Aired On Golf Channel

The No. 6 USC men's golf team, a three-time winner this season among six top 2 finishes and led by world amateur No. 1 Justin Suh, completes the regular season at the upcoming 73^rd Western Intercollegiate, Monday through Wednesday (April 15-17), at the Pasatiempo G.C. in Santa Cruz, Calif.

The venerable event will be televised by Golf Channel, the only regular-season men's tournament to be televised this year. Golf Channel will provide live from 4-7pm PT on April 15-16 and from 1-4pm PT on April 17.

The 13-team field includes host San Jose State, USC, Arizona, California, Colorado State, Hawaii, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Diego State, Stanford, UC Irvine, UTEP and Washington. Results will be available at Golfstat.com. Action will start beginning at 9:30 a.m. off 1 on Monday and Tuesday and at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday off 1 and 10.

FALL/SPRING RECAP
The Trojans won their final two events of Fall play, claiming the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational and the Saint Mary's Invitational, and won the Southwestern Invitational for their first spring title.

At Saint Mary's, USC erased a 17-stroke deficit to start the final round and a double-digit disadvantage at the turn to win by 13 strokes. The Trojans closed with a final round 265, its best effort in over 13 years, winning the tournament at 21-under 831 (290-276-265), leapfrogging three teams over the final 18 holes, including second-round leader BYU. Issei Tanabe led USC with a second-place finish at 8-under 205 (72-68-65) while Kyle Suppa tied for fourth and Kaito Onishi tied for ninth.

USC also came from behind to capture its first tournament of the year in Georgia, winning by a stroke at 22-under 842 (278-280-284). Justin Suh won his and the Trojans' first individual crown of the season, taking first at 14-under 202 (67-67-68), winning by four strokes.

The Trojans lost and then reclaimed the final round lead en route to a one-stroke win at the Southwestern Invitational. Suh birdied 18 to break a stalemate with Cal and give USC the win at 4-under 860 (284-285-291). Suh also won the individual title by five strokes at 12-under 204 (68-68-68), his eighth career title.

The Trojans finished second in their season opener at the Fighting Illini Invitational at 7-over 847 (287-281-279), Onishi leading USC in third at 3-under 207 (68-69-70). USC again finished second at the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., at 29-under 835 (279-270-286) while Suh led USC with a second-place finish at 16-under 200 (66-64-70). Troy followed it with another second at The Goodwin at 10-over 850 (286-279-285), led by Kaito Onishi's tie for third.

TROJAN NOTES
* USC features three players ranked in Golfweek's top 100 (as of March 25). Suh is fourth, Onishi is 35th, Tanabe is 83rd.

* Suh has started his senior year with eight top 15 finishes, including six in the top 10 and five in the top 4. In addition to his wins at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational at 14-under 202 (67-67-68) and at the Southwestern Invitational at 12-under 204 (68-68-68), he tied for fourth at the Fighting Illini Invitational at 2-under 208 (73-67-68), tied for 10^th at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at 1-under 209 (70-69-70), tied for 15^th at the Saint Mary's Invitational at 1-under 212 (75-70-67), tied for fourth at the Amer Ari Invitational at 13-under 203 (68-64-71) and was second by a stroke at 16-under 200 (66-64-70) at the N.I.T.

Suh, who missed the Southern Highlands Collegiate while competing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (he missed the cut), leads the Trojans with a 68.79 stroke average over 22 rounds, including 15 rounds of 69 or better.

His stroke average is just over his school record he set last year (68.73). He has posted par or better in 20 of 24 rounds, including in 12 of the past 14. Suh took over the top spot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in mid-October.

Suh was ranked fifth in the fall Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings for the U.S. squad and moved up to third in the first spring rankings, but declined consideration for this year's team. Suh is also on the 2019 Ben Hogan Award Watch List.

He is coming off one of the top seasons in USC history. The senior from San Jose, Calif., won a USC-record five tournaments, capped by the Pac-12 Championships individual title. He also broke USC's season records for stroke average (68.73), lowering Jamie Lovemark's 2007 mark (70.10). Suh's 21 rounds under 70 in 2018 also broke Lovemark's school standard of 20 from the same season.

In addition to his 21 rounds in the 60s last year, he had 23 rounds under par and 28 of par or better in 33 rounds.

Suh was one of five finalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award, among 10 semifinalists for the 2018 Ben Hogan Award and was among the top 3 all season on the 2018 Haskins Award Watch List. He also played on the 2018 Palmer Cup Team and represented the U.S. at the 2018 World Amateur Team Championships, helping the American squad to second place and tied for third overall.

* Sophomore Kaito Onishi is second on the team in stroke average at 70.83 in 24 rounds with 10 rounds in the 60s, tied for second most on the team. He has posted a quartet of top 10 finishes this year, including his third at the Fighting Illini Invitational at 3-under 207 (68-69-70) and a tie for third at The Goodwin at 2-under 208 (69-66-73). He was also 3-under with a tie for ninth at the Saint Mary's Invitational (210=73-71-66), even (216=69-72-75) to tie for 10^th at the Southwestern Invitational and was 3-under with a tie for 15^th at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational (213=70-74-69).

Onishi was ranked fifth in the fall Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings for the international squad and fifth in the recent spring rankings.

Onishi was second on the squad last year in stroke average (71.85) and rounds in the 60s (eight). Included in the early-season Arnold Palmer Cup rankings for the international team (15^th), he had a pair of top 4 finishes, four top 20s and seven results in the top 28.

* Junior Kyle Suppa has five top 19 finishes this season, is fourth on the team with a 72.63 stroke average and has six rounds under 70. He tied for fourth at 5-under 208 (73-68-67) at the Saint Mary's Invitational – a career-best effort – and tied for seventh at 5-under 211 (70-67-74) at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational. He then tied for 12^th at the Amer Ari Invitational at 7-under 209 (71-65-73) and also tied for sixth at the Sonoran Showdown at 3-under 207 (67-67-73).

* Sophomore Issei Tanabe is third on the Trojans with a stroke average of 71.33 in 24 rounds, including 10 rounds in the 60s, tied for second-best on the team. He has four top 13 finishes, including a USC career-best second in Troy's come-from behind win at the Saint Mary's Invitational at 8-under 205 (72-68-65). He also tied for fourth at the Bill Cullum Invitational at 6-under 209 (69-74-66), tied for 12^th at the Amer Ari Invitational at 7-under 209 (69-68-72) and tied for 13^th at the National Invitational Tournament at 6-under 210 (75-66-69)

* Freshman Charlie Reiter has started six of USC's events. He had three rounds in the 60s and a stroke average of 71.58 in fall play. He posted a season-best tie for 23^rd at the Nike Golf Collegiate at 4-over 214 (69-72-73).

* Senior Sam Kim has seen action in six events, including his best result as a starter when he tied for 19^th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate at 1-under 215 (74-67-74). He tied for 41^st at the Bill Cullum Invitational and, in his first start this year in USC's win at the Southwestern Invitational, he provided two counting scores. He has four rounds under 70.

* Junior Ryan Slater has played once. Also available are sophomore reserve Owen Calvin-Smith and freshman Cameron Henry, a 2017 U.S. Amateur qualifier.

* The Trojans lost two members of the squad after the fall semester. Junior starter Cheng Jin left the program to join the PGA Tour China, which he qualified for in the spring. Junior walk-on Ing Ratanavadi has also left the squad.

HEAD COACH CHRIS ZAMBRI
Chris Zambri, a former USC All-Pac-10 performer and longtime Nationwide Tour veteran, is in his 13th year as USC's men's golf head coach, establishing himself as one of the top coaches in the nation with a recent string of three consecutive NCAA Championships quarterfinal match-play appearances – including one final and one semifinal berth -- among 11 total trips to the NCAA Championships final week.

Zambri's teams have won 32 events, including conference titles in 2007, 2011 and 2018 and NCAA Regionals in 2008, 2012 and 2017. His 2015 team was a program-best NCAA Championships runner-up, followed up by an NCAA semifinal finish in 2016 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2017. His 2008 team came within three strokes of first place at the NCAAs. Trojan golfers have also won 30 individual crowns under Zambri.

Zambri's Trojans put together a streak of 11 consecutive NCAA final appearances that was tied for the nation's longest streak before it ended in 2018. Troy had also been one of only three schools to advance out of NCAA regional play each season since it was split into six sections in 2009. Troy's streak of three straight top 8 finishes between 2015-17 was its best since five top 7 results in a row between 1973-77.

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Players Mentioned

Owen Calvin-Smith

Cameron Henry

Cheng Jin

Sam Kim

Kaito Onishi

Ing Ratanavadi

Charlie Reiter

Ryan Slater

Justin Suh

Kyle Suppa

Issei Tanabe