USC Wins Amer Ari Invitational
Amer Ari Champions USC (Courtesy USC men's golf)
WAIKOLOA, Hawaii -- The USC Trojans have captured their first victory of the 2015-16 season at the Amer Ari Invitational.
USC trailed UCLA by two shots entering the final round and were neck and neck with the Bruins all day. USC junior Rico Hoey was the one to create the separation, firing a 5-under 31 on the back-nine capped off by an eagle on the par-5 18th.
Hoey's back-nine run led to a two-shot victory over UCLA. In addition, Hoey's final round 66 gave him solo second at 14-under par. USC also received a strong performance from sophomore Jonah Texeria who turned in three under-par rounds for a solo 7th finish.
Oregon's Aaron Wise took individual honors after an incredible final round 64. The sophomore from Lake Elsinore, Calif. began his round with a bogey but followed it with nine birdies. He finished at 16-under par, two ahead of Hoey and three clear of Stanford's Maverick McNealy.
Look out for the Trojans this spring as they returned four out of their five starters from last year's 2nd place team and added freshman Justin Suh who has already been an impact player this season.
ABOUT THE
The Amer Ari Intercollegiate -- hosted by the
University of Hawaii-Hilo -- has brought some of the best golfers in the nation to the west side of the Big Island annually since its inception in 1992. From Tiger Woods to Jordan Spieth to Matt Kuchar, the Amer Ari Intercollegiate has hosted a myriad of players through the years who have gone on to professional stardom.
The event was originally played at Hapuna Golf Course at Mauna Kea Resort before moving to the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The Amer Ari returned to Hapuna during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the event was moved to Mauna Lani. The Amer Ari is a 54-hole collegiate men's event with individual and team competitions.
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