WAILUA — The scores are out there, said University of Hawaii Coach Ronn Miyashiro. The boys need to go out there and find them. University of Hawaii, fielding two teams, is host to 16 collegiate golf teams who will tee
WAILUA — The scores are out there, said University of Hawaii Coach Ronn Miyashiro. The boys need to go out there and find them.
University of Hawaii, fielding two teams, is host to 16 collegiate golf teams who will tee off in an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start Wednesday at the Wailua Golf Course.
The tournament, playing 54 holes over three days, is open to the public.
Miyashiro also welcomed the weather after last year’s course was shortened due to flooding and heavy rain.
“We look like good weather for most of the tournament, except maybe Thursday,” Miyashiro said.
Sixteen teams, Arizona, Long Beach State, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Brigham Young University, BYU-Hawaii, University of Texas-El Paso, University of Hawaii, University of Hawaii-Hilo, Virginia, California, New Mexico, Washington State, Colorado State, Santa Clara, Fresno State and Texas A&M, make up the field for this year’s tournament.
“There are a lot of good teams out here this week,” said Scotty Yamashita, a University of Hawaii golfer.
California, defending four-time champion of the John A. Burns Tournament, is looking for its fifth consecutive title after finishing last year with a team total 560, nine strokes ahead of runners up Texas A&M and BYU.
Its defending individualist, Joel Stalter, was defeated by BYU’s Justin Keiley, who finished the rain-shorted play at 10-under 134 over Stalter’s 6-under 138.
Miyashiro said he is looking for his golfers to be consistent in the tournament.
“We can have a player shoot 69 on one day and turn around with an 81,” he said.
Miyashiro said he is not as concerned about where the team will finish in the field as much as he’s hoping the players will break out of their mentality of being happy with just one day’s performance.
“They need to move on beyond the good round,” Miyashiro said.
Following the tournament, UH is on the road for the rest of the season.
“Hopefully, we can use this tournament to build some momentum,” Miyashiro said. “The scores are out there. The boys know they are. They just need to put it all together.”
