The BYU-Hawaii Men’s Golf Team enjoyed one of its best seasons since the late 1980s, which concluded with the team going to the NCAA Division II championships in Denver, Colo., from May 17-21. The team tied for 12th place with Tiffin University, according to a BYUH Sports Information press release. The head coach, Bob Owan, said he was very proud of his team’s performance this semester. “Our main goal was to win the PacWest. We were in second place, and that’s great, but we qualified for the regional, which is one of the biggest things we wanted to do to get into post season play.” Earlier in May, the team competed in the regional championships in New Mexico, making fifth place out of the 20 teams present, just enough to qualify the team for nationals. “We’re playing against Chico State, which won five times already this year, and our biggest obstacle was that regional [match], just hanging in there,” described Dalton Stanger, a sophomore from Utah studying psychology. “We qualified by one shot.” This is Stanger’s first semester at BYUH, and according to him, improvement is the theme of the team’s season. “The team was ranked 130th when we got here. Now we’re up to 12th.” Looking forward to the finals, many of the team members were apprehensive about what was to come. “I have a little anxiety,” remarked Inoka Kahawaii, a senior form Laie studying interdisciplinary studies. “I’m excited to compete again and see how far we can go in the national championship. That’s really the goal every year once you start the season: to try to get there.” Despite the individual nature of golf as a sport, the Seasiders make it very much a team effort. “We pick up on each other’s vibes when we play, and we always have each other’s backs when we’re out there,” commented Kahawaii. “We can compete with anybody. We’re fighters.” Brent Grant, a sophomore from Hawaii majoring in marketing, noted that “Golf is interesting because it starts off as an individual sport. It’s pretty difficult to pinpoint one thing that the team does to hold itself together. In between rounds we are really supportive of each other; we are honest with each other about what the course is doing for us and what it isn’t.” Playing golf for the school is a huge commitment, they say. “This semester we’ve travelled every other week, so we’ve been gone for 5-6 days at a time, then we’ll be home for 5-6 days at a time, and then we’ll leave again. This will be our eighth trip,” said Kahawaii. Stanger said it is vital to maintain a positive attitude. “It’s really easy to get down on yourself out there, but the truth of it is that no one really cares.If you make a bogey on one hole, you gotta come back and make a birdie on the next hole. Our team leads the field almost every tournament in birdies.” In the concluding championships, BYUH Sports Information reported, “Herrera recorded birdies on three of the back nine to tie for 27th on the individual scoreboard with a final score of even par. Grant started the round with three consecutive birdies, but a double-bogey on hole eight slowed him down. His 2-over 218 was tied for 41st on the leaderboard.” Throughout the semester, the team underwent extensive training and practice with Coaches Bob Owan and Ryan Acosta. “We’ve done some homework on the course already, and we kind of know what the course is asking for,” said Acosta about the championship course. “I’m here to oversee their practice routines and help each player individually improve certain aspects of their games to be ready for the national championship.” After celebrating one of their best seasons in years, the sports program will be closing down next year. To Coach Owan and much of the team, this comes across as rather disappointing. “It is what it is,” Owan said. “A lot of people are disappointed. I am somewhat disappointed, but I think that decisions have been made and we just gotta move on.” Owan continued, “ We have one more year to plan and think about the team and what they are going to do. I’m excited for the ending of this season and for next year too. We’ll finish out with a big bang, but I’ve accepted that we are going to close.” BYUH’s sports program was an excellent way to spread awareness about the school and the church, according to Stanger. “I think the sports program is a great beacon to go out and reach communities that have never heard about BYUH. With golf especially, I talk the gospel with every guy that I play with, and they ask me questions. I’ve had some great opportunities as a BYUH player to share the gospel, and take the BYUH spirit into a bunch of communities that wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for the sports program.”
Writer: Zeph McKee
