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SANTA CRUZ, Calif. \u2014 The University of Hawai’i men’s golf team opened play at the 79th Western Intercollegiate on Monday, navigating the historic and newly restored Pasatiempo Golf Club. \ud83c\udf99 – Nathan talks about his Round 1 performance on Monday#GoBows<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yRNbsKVWZo<\/a><\/p>\n
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\nIn a premier field featuring eight top-50 programs and national television coverage on the Golf Channel, the Rainbow Warriors battled through the opening 18 holes of the three-day, play-six, score-five event . Hawai’i currently sits in 14th place with a team total of 380 (+30), holding a 14-stroke lead over Big West rival UC Irvine.
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\nCalifornia holds the 18-hole lead after firing a 7-under-par 343, maintaining a narrow one-stroke advantage over UNLV . Individually, Arizona’s Taishi Moto and Chattanooga’s Evan Rogers are deadlocked for the lead after both carded opening-round 65s (-5).
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\nNathan Szpakowicz<\/a> provided the day’s highlight for the Rainbow Warriors, turning in a resilient performance on the par-70 Alister MacKenzie design . After a steady start, Szpakowicz ignited a mid-round surge, going 4-under-par over a critical 11-hole stretch. That run propelled him to 2-under-par through 14 holes, briefly moving him within just one stroke of the individual lead before he finished the day in a tie for 36th with a 71 (+1).
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\n\u2014 Hawaii Golf (@UHawaiiGolf) April 14, 2026<\/a>
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\nThe tournament marked a significant milestone for freshmen Alec Hilgers<\/a> and Chris Salem<\/a>, who both made their Western Intercollegiate debuts . Hilgers is currently tied for 75th after carding a 76 (+6), while Salem is tied for 80th following a round of 78 (+8). Junior Dane Watanabe<\/a>, making his third career appearance at Pasatiempo, is tied for 69th after an opening-round 75 (+5).
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\nRounding out the Hawai’i scoring, James Whitworth<\/a> is tied for 88th with an 80 (+10) and Quinn Murray<\/a> is in 96th place after a 93 (+23). As the longest-running collegiate tournament west of the Mississippi, the Western Intercollegiate continues a storied tradition that has featured past champions such as Johnny Miller and Scottie Scheffler.
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\nHawai’i will return to the course Tuesday for the second round as they look to climb the leaderboard before Wednesday’s finale . Following this week’s action in Santa Cruz, the Rainbow Warriors will head to the Big West Conference Championship later this month
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\n14. Hawai’i \u2014 380
\nT-36. Nathan Szpakowicz<\/a> \u2014 71 (+1)
\nT-69. Dane Watanabe<\/a> \u2014 75 (+5)
\nT-75. Alec Hilgers<\/a> \u2014 76 (+6)
\nT-80. Chris Salem<\/a> \u2014 78 (+8)
\nT-88. James Whitworth<\/a> \u2014 80 (+10)
\n96. Quinn Murray<\/a> \u2014 93 (+23)<\/p>\n
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