The 2024 Big West Men’s Golf Championship took place April 28-30, at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California. The Highlanders concluded their season, as they did not qualify for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I Men’s Golf Championship.
In the Individual Tournament, senior Mark Gao led the way for the Highlanders, shooting +8 in the three day, 54-hole tournament, 74-74-76.
Chanhee Ryu, sophomore, and Josh Hu, fifth-year, round out the top three scorers for the Highlanders, shooting +12 and +13 respectively.
Cal State Fullerton’s Tegan Andrews took home the individual title at La Quinta Community College, finishing 14-under par, four strokes clear of runner-up, Clay Seeber of LBSU. “It was a tough battle, [and] Clay Seeber is a great competitor,” Andrews said following his win. “I think the thing it took was taking note of my breathing, not getting too quick and taking big, deep breaths. That kept me in it, kept me poised, kept me centered, [and] I was able to hit some really good drives and clutch shots in the right moments.”
Long Beach State successfully defended their championship in 2023 by taking home the team championship in 2024, as they shot a cumulative 14-under par over the 54 holes. Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly SLO round out the top three, shooting 10-under and 2-under par respectively. “I’m just proud of the team, everyone fought,” Seeber said following his individual runner-up at the tournament. “Me personally, I had a good week, [you] always want to win, but second isn’t horrible and we have some stuff we need to improve.”
The Beach will get the opportunity to showcase their improvements, along with individual champion, Tegan Andrews, as they qualified for the NCAA Regional Qualifying Tournaments.
The Beach will tee it up at the Chapel Hill Regional, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Tegan Andrews will take his talents to San Diego, competing in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional. Both Regionals will take place May 13-15, and will determine who moves onto the finals, being held May 24-29 at Omni LaCosta Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA.
Quotes via The Big West Youtube Channel.
