UC Irvine Opens Season at UTA/Waterchase Invitational

Sept. 18, 2009

IRVINE, Calif. --- The UC Irvine men's golf team opens its 2009-10 schedule in the UTA/Waterchase Invitational at Waterchase Golf Club in Fort Worth, Tex., Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 21-22).

Coach Paul Smolinski's Anteaters join host UT Arlington in a field that includes Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, New Orleans, Nicholls State, North Texas, Oklahoma Christian, Rice, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, UC Riverside, UTSA, Western Kentucky and Wichita State.

The Waterchase course is a par-72 layout spanning 7,304 yards.

UCI has competed in an NCAA regional eight of the past nine years, including an 11th-place finish in the NCAA West Regional last season.

Two-time Big West Conference Player of the Year John Chin leads the Anteaters after posting a 71.39 stroke average last season with six top-10 finishes. The senior was a finalist at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Senior Tim Cha was a redshirt last year after earning All-Big West first team honors in 2007-08. Cha and Chin competed at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Joining those two in UCI's lineup next week are juniors Bryan Harris (74.21 average last season) and Max Greil (75.33), along with freshman Jerry He (Bradenton, Fla., Prep).

Following next week's season-opening tournament, the Anteaters return to action Oct. 12-13 in The MacKenzie at The Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif.