The University of Hawai'i men's golf team heads to Maui to host the 12th annual Kā'anapali Classic by OUTRIGGER, running Monday, Oct. 26, through Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Royal Kā'anapali Golf Course. The 54-hole tournament marks the first of two local events the Rainbow Warriors will host to close out their fall schedule.
The three-day event features a loaded 20-team field featuring eight nationally ranked programs. Hawai'i will compete against Boise State, CSUN, No. 26 Clemson, No. 38 Colorado, No. 8 East Tennessee State, No. 12 Georgia, Gonzaga, Houston, No. 18 Kansas, North Florida, No. 22 Oklahoma, No. 19 Purdue, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Southern Illinois, No. 25 TCU, UC Irvine, UConn, and Wyoming
.
This year's field is highlighted by six-time tournament champion No. 22 Oklahoma, who returns to the Valley Isle seeking a fifth consecutive team title after breaking the tournament scoring record last year with a 789 total
. No. 25 TCU and No. 12 Georgia also return after posting program-best performances to finish second and third, respectively, in last year's event.
While defending individual champion Ryder Cowan of Oklahoma will miss the tournament to compete in a PGA TOUR event, the field features NCAA's No. 2-ranked player in Georgia sophomore JD Culbreth. Culbreth returns to Maui after tying the Royal Kā'anapali course record with a 10-under 61 in round two of the 2025 event.
Hawai'i's starting five for the week features
Campbell Kerr,
Dane Watanabe,
Josh Hayashida,
Troy Gadalla, and
Cameron Combado.
Alec Hilgers,
Stryker Leick, and Maui native
Chris Salem will also compete for the Rainbow Warriors as individuals. The event will serve as a homecoming for several players who grew up in the islands, including Hawai'i's Salem, Hayashida, and Watanabe.
The Rainbow Warriors look to build momentum heading into the winter break after opening the year with a pair of mainland tournaments. Hawai'i finished tied for 13th at the season-opening CDA National Reserve Invitational in Idaho, followed by a 12th-place finish at the inaugural Tall City Classic in Texas. Freshman
Campbell Kerr has paced the UH lineup as the top scorer in both events.
Hawai'i has annually hosted a fall tournament since the late 1990s. Each year since, the Rainbow Warriors have hosted at least one tournament in the fall and in some seasons, have hosted two, including this season as the team will host the Pearl at Kalauao Invitational, Nov. 4-5 on O'ahu to close out the fall season.
Tournament #3
What: Kā'anapali Classic by OUTRIGGER
When: Monday, Oct. 26 - Wednesday, Oct. 28
Where: Royal Kā'anapali; Lahaina, Maui
Format: Three-days; 54 holes (18 each day); 5-count-4
Host: Hawai'i
Field (20 teams): Hawai'i, Boise State, Cal State Northridge, Clemson, Colorado, East Tennessee State, Georgia, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, North Florida, Oklahoma, Purdue, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Southern Illinois, TCU, UC Irvine, UConn, Wyoming
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