Clemson, SC—The Clemson men’s golf team will travel to Hawaii this week to compete in the ninth Ka’anapali Classic at Royal Ka’anapali Golf Course in Lahaina, Hawaii. The Tigers will be one of 20 teams in the tournament that will run October 26-28 on the par 71 course that measures 67-yards.
Clemson is one of three teams in the field to win this tournament in recent years. The Tigers were the 2016 champions, while Kansas won in 2021 and Oklahoma won last year.
Making up the rest of the field are Air Force, Boise State, Colorado, CSUN, Denver, East Tennessee State, Georgia, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Liberty, Louisiana, Mount St. Mary’s, North Florida, Sacramento State, San José State, UConn, and Wyoming.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament begins each day with an 8:30 a.m. (Hawaii time) with a shotgun start . The course was built in 1962 and is one of only two courses in Hawaii designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
Leading the Tigers will be Andrew Swanson who was the medalist at this event last year. The current junior shot a record setting 195, 18-under-par in leading Clemson to a second-place finish out of 20 teams with a 29-under-par team score of 829. His performance included a final round 63, his career best. So far this year Swanson is third on the team in stroke average with a 73.00 average.
Jonathan Nielsen will play the number-one position in the Clemson order this week thanks to his team best 71.50 stroke average. The senior has posted consecutive top 10 finishes, a sixth place at The Blessings and an eighth place at the Golf Club of Georgia where he had a final round 66, best by a Tiger so far this year.
Thomas Higgins is a sophomore who will make his first appearance in Hawaii. The native of Ireland has a 74.50 stroke average so far this year in starting all three tournaments for the Tigers thus far.
Kian Rose also has a 74.50 stroke average this year and is coming off his best round of the year, a 69 in the third round at the Golf Club of Georgia. Rose shot a seven-under-par 206 at the Ka’anapali Classic last year in finishing in 13th place.
Freshman Will Baker will be in the lineup for the second time this year. He played in the season opening event at the Visit Tennessee Collegiate where he had a 221 score for 54 holes, including a second round 70.
Alberto Dominguez and Calahan Keever will play the event as individuals.
Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.com.
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