OU’s Jaxson Dowell leads individual field at -8
MAUI, Hawai‘i – One year after the state’s most devastating natural disaster, 21 teams from 17 states rallied together to travel and compete in the 2024 Kā‘anapali Classic while raising money for Maui’s wildfire victims.
Motived by a worthy cause, the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (-22) had four players finish in the top 10 of the 123-player field. They lead by two shots over North Florida (-18), LSU (-16), Indiana (-16), Kansas (-15), Colorado (-14) and East Tennessee State (-13).
Royal Kā‘anapali’s fifth green overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
“With the trade winds down, we understood the importance of a strong start,” said Oklahoma head golf coach, Ryan Hybl, the fourth winningest active coach in NCAA Division I. “Today’s performance was really good. We also know that anything can happen across 54 holes. To continue this momentum, we can’t get over our skis. Smart course management and executing each shot are needed to fuel future success.”
The Sooners are back-to-back Kā‘anapali Classic champions and have won four titles on Maui since 2015. Oklahoma’s transition this fall to the SEC has been seamless. They have already captured wins at the Valero Texas Collegiate and Ben Hogan Collegiate.
“Finishing our fall season in Hawai‘i is something that our players, parents and fans really enjoy,” added Hybl. “We feel blessed to be at Kā‘anapali with so many quality programs and people.”
North Florida, who qualified for the 2024 NCAA DI Men’s Golf Championship and finished T4 in 2023 on Maui, is two shots back. Three Ospreys finished the first round in the top ten.
No. 5 LSU, Indiana, Kansas and Colorado are close behind.
In a stacked Individual leaderboard, 17 players are within three shots of the lead.
Oklahoma redshirt senior Jaxson Dowell carded Saturday’s low round of 63 (-8) as an Individual. Last season, the Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection secured three straight top-20 finishes. Dowell is joined by teammates Matthew Troutman (-7) in second and Jase Summy (-6) in fifth.
Oklahoma’s Matthew Troutman eyes his tee shot on the drivable par-4 seventh hole.
Nipping at Dowell’s heels is the No. 9-ranked player, LSU’s Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson. This fall, he won The Blessings Collegiate Invitational, two strokes ahead of Tiger teammate Algot Kleen. Prior to the Kā‘anapali Classic, Sveinsson tied for second in the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational.
Also tied for second is Colorado senior Justin Biwer (-6).
Notably, UC Irvine’s Jason Tang carded a hole-in-one on his second hole of the day (hole eight) which plays 185 yards.
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- LSU’s Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson watches his drive on hole 14 on Royal Kā‘anapali.
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- Colorado’s Justin Biwer observes his tee shot on hole 14 on Royal Kā‘anapali.
The second round begins on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. HST. Attendance is free for walking spectators.
Following Sunday’s round at 3 p.m., Hawai‘i men’s golf coach Scott Simpson and his team will host a clinic for the Maui Junior Golf Association and Lahaina Junior Golf Association students. They will speak about college recruiting, offer swing lessons and more.
All team and individual scores can be found here: SCOREBOARD
Team Leaderboard
| Place | School | Rd. 1 |
| 1 | Oklahoma | -20 |
| 2 | North Florida | -18 |
| T3 | LSU | -16 |
| T3 | Indiana | -16 |
| 5 | Kansas | -15 |
| 6 | Colorado | -14 |
| 7 | East Tennessee State | -13 |
| 8 | San Jose State | -10 |
| T9 | Liberty | -9 |
| T9 | Georgia | -9 |
| 11 | Sacramento State | -8 |
| 12 | TCU | -7 |
| 13 | Louisiana Tech | -2 |
| 14 | Gonzaga | -1 |
| 15 | Connecticut | E |
| T16 | Boise State | +2 |
| T16 | UC Irvine | +2 |
| T16 | CSU Northridge | +2 |
| T19 | Wyoming | +3 |
| T19 | Hawai‘i | +3 |
| 21 | Southern Illinois | +4 |
Top Individuals
| Place | Player | School | To Par | Rd. 1 |
| 1 | *Jaxson Dowell | Oklahoma | -8 | 63 |
| T2 | Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson | LSU | -7 | 64 |
| T2 | Justin Biwer | Colorado | -7 | 64 |
| T2 | Matthew Troutman | Oklahoma | -7 | 64 |
| T5 | Ethan Flynn | Gonzaga | -6 | 65 |
| T5 | Filippo Serra | North Florida | -6 | 65 |
| T5 | Jase Summy | Oklahoma | -6 | 65 |
| T5 | Kristian Bressum | East Tennessee State | -6 | 65 |
| T5 | Maximilian Jelinek | Kansas | -6 | 65 |
| T10 | *Parker Paxton | Colorado | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Danny Erickson | North Florida | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Cole Starnes | Indiana | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Chase Carroll | North Florida | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Bradley Chill Jr. | Indiana | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Camden Smith | Georgia | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Ryder Cowan | Oklahoma | -5 | 66 |
| T10 | Jed Dy | San Jose State | -5 | 66 |
*Competing as Individual
TOURNAMENT INFO
Dates: November 2 – 4, 2024
Venue: Royal Kā‘anapali
Location: Lahaina, Maui
Yardage (Par): 6,700 (71)
Format: 54 holes; 18 holes each day; 5-count-4
Tee Times: 8:30 a.m. HST shotgun each day
Donation Link: 2024 Kā‘anapali Classic invites you to support families of Maui wildfires
About Kā’anapali Golf Courses
Built on 300 acres of land once home to Hawaiian royalty, Kā‘anapali Golf Courses present golfers with pristine conditions and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and West Maui Mountains.
Opened in 1962 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the par-71, 6,700-yard Royal Kā‘anapali Course features wide fairways and undulating greens which make it both distinctive and demanding. The tournament-tested layout played host to the Champions Tour Kā‘anapali Classic for 14 years, Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the Canada Cup and LPGA Kemper Open, welcoming Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Jan Stephenson, Betsy King and other legends.
Complementing the Royal Kā‘anapali Course is the modernized Kā‘anapali Kai Course, which hosted Golf Channel’s “Big Break Kā‘anapali” in 2008. Extensively renovated in 2005, the 6,400-yard, par-70 layout boasts an array of strategically placed bunkers, contoured fairways and resurfaced greens.
More information: www.kaanapaligolfcourses.com and 808-661-3691.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 900-plus locations in 45-plus states and 35-plus countries, including operational responsibility for 575-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, Casa Verde Golf, ICON Management and Eventive Sports. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com, TroonMagazine.com or connect with Troon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Troon Chronicles, Press Room, and via The Turn Podcast.
MEDIA CONTACT
Pate Clarson
pclarson@kaanapaligolfcourses.com
