NCAA record in Hawaii, Oregon freshman wins yet again

Wenyi Ding won the Amer Ari Invitational last Saturday at Mauna Lani’s North Course on the Big Island, topping a field that included six of the top nine golfers in the NCAA individual rankings at the time, and he did so in record fashion. Ding shot 27-under 189, shattering the previous ASU record, Jon Rahm’s 21-under 192 at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational.

Not only is that an ASU record, the 189 is believed to be the lowest 54-hole total in the history of men’s college golf. College golf records are not perfectly kept, but the previously known low score was 192.

A reminder: Ding has played two college events, finishing second and first. He has risen to No. 1 in the NCAA college golf rankings, a spot Nick Dunlap previously held until he won a PGA Tour event and turned pro.

Ding is 44 under in his first six rounds of college golf, another unbelievable mark that’s hard to put into context. His sub-200 totals over his first two 54 holes tournaments are also believed to be the first time that has happened, according to college golf history guru College Golf Book on social media.

The stellar start has put Ding squarely in the conversation for the Haskins Award, and his addition to the Arizona State lineup has already bolstered one of the deepest, most experienced teams in college golf. The sky’s the limit for Ding the rest of the year, though it will be hard to follow up what he has done to begin his career.