KOHALA COAST, Hawai'i – Facing a crowded field on its own island, the Hawai'i Hilo Men's Golf Team finished No. 6 at the Southwest Airlines HPU Sharks Shootout this past week at the Mauna Lani Golf North Course on the west side of the Big Island.
Junsu Im led the Vulcans with a five-way tie for 12th place with a one-under finish. The sophomore totaled eight birdies and two eagles, starting off the final round with just three shots on a par-5 Hole 2 as he finished with his lowest total of 70.
Competing as an individual, Nicholas Gomez improved on his second-round score by 10 strokes to post a lowest-round of 69 in the final 18. Gomez birdied on four consecutive holes as he finished plus-three at a four-way tie for 24th place.
Hawai'i Hilo started strong with a 285 (minus-three) Round-1 score but ultimately slid back two slots for a sixth-place finish.
UT Permian Basin took the team win at minus-11 finish. CSU Dominguez Hills' Francis Bautista defeated Sonoma State's Colin Huang — both nine-under — in a playoff for the individual win.
2023 HPU Sharks Shootout
| NAME |
PLACE |
SCORE |
RD TOTALS |
NOTES |
| J. Im |
No. T12 |
-1 |
71–74–70 (215) |
2 Eagles
8 Birdies |
| *N. Gomez |
No. T24 |
+3 |
71–79–69 (219) |
1 Eagle
10 Birdies |
| K. Yamashita |
No. T30 |
+5 |
74–71–76 (221) |
14 Birdies |
| D. Bercan |
No. T30 |
+5 |
72–74–75 (221) |
7 Birdies |
| D. Park |
No. T34 |
+6 |
70–73–79 (222) |
11 Birdies |
| B. Crinella |
No. T34 |
+6 |
74–72–76 (222) |
7 Birdies |
| *J. Sato |
No. 77 |
+19 |
76–82–77 (235) |
6 Birdies |
| *E. Hironaga |
No. T88 |
+42 |
82–94–82 (258) |
- |
*Competed as an Individual
HPU Sharks Shootout Team Leader Board
| TEAM |
TO PAR |
RD SCORES |
TOP SCORER |
| 1. UT Permian Basin |
-11 |
291–276–286 (853) |
4 – K. Kaikaew
4 – T. Nunya |
| 2. Colorado Christian |
-3 |
292–283–286 (861) |
6 – X. Bighaus |
| 3. Cal State East Bay |
+5 |
289–291–289 (869) |
12 – M. Backstrom
12 – E. Hether |
| T4. CSU Dominguez Hills |
+7 |
285–306–280 (871) |
1 – F. Bautista |
| T4. CSU Monterey Bay |
+7 |
290–291–290 (871) |
6 – T. Tao |
| 6. Hawai'i Hilo |
+10 |
287–290–297 (874) |
12 – J. Im |
| 7. Stanislaus State |
+15 |
286–306–287 (879) |
6 – C. Chomyn |
| 8. Sonoma State |
+16 |
281–305–294 (880) |
2 – C. Huang |
| 9. CSU San Bernardino |
+17 |
297–294–290 (881) |
3 – J. Kim |
| 10. HPU |
+19 |
292–296–295 (883) |
12 – S. Suzuki |
| 11. Northwest Nazarene |
+26 |
290–296–304 (890) |
28 – L. Rynearson |
| 12. CSU San Marcos |
+27 |
295–298–298 (891) |
9 – P. Jaksch |
| 13. Chaminade |
+35 |
306–302–291 (899) |
34 – J. Yeager |
| 14. Saint Martin's |
+36 |
303–301–296 (900) |
39 – K. Eriwin
39 – M. Turnquist |
| 15. Westminster |
+37 |
298–307–296 (901) |
28 – B. Hirabayashi |
| 16. Western Washington |
+37 |
306–303–301 (910) |
39 – N. Yocam |
| 17. Jessup |
+71 |
311–319–305 (935) |
60 – D. Johnson
60 – M. Shimizu |
