HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i women's golf team will host the 40^th Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational presented by OUTRIGGER, Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 at Pearl at Kalauao in 'Aiea, O'ahu.
 
The tournament, which is the longest running women's golf tournament in program history, returns to O'ahu this year. The event was supposed to be played at the Kāne'ohe Klipper Golf Course on Marines Corps Base Hawai'i where the tournament was held for 33 years but the base was recently closed to non-military personnel forcing the relocation to Pearl.
 
The tournament will serve as the final home event for seniors Wendy Song, Emiko Sverduk, and Maline Kraus. Song, a Hsinchu, Taiwan native, hasn't competed since September after nursing an injury. The fourth-year senior has a career scoring average of 77.79. Sverduk, a Long Beach, Calif., native, has competed in every tournament during her three years in Mānoa. Kraus, a Düsseldorf, Germany native, was an honorable mention all-Big West selection last season, her first at UH.
 
Celebrating its 40^th anniversary, the "Donnis" will be held at the 6,246-yard, par-72 track, after spending the past two years on the neighbor islands – Kaua'i in 2024 and Maui last year. The course also hosted the UH men's Pearl at Kalauao Invitational last November.
 
Formerly named Pearl Country Club, Pearl at Kalauao underwent a major renovation and fully re-opened in February. Renovations included all new greens and additional fairway bunkers and new tee boxes at select holes.
 
This year's 13-team field is headlined by No. 2 USC and 13^th-ranked North Carolina. Other Top 75 ranked teams include No. 23 Arizona State, No. 57 Texas State, No. 70 Sacramento State, and No. 74 Louisiana-Monroe. ASU has three Donnis titles while USC and Sac State are two-time champions.
 
Also competing are California Baptist, Hawai'i Pacific, Montana State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, and Northern Colorado.
 
Participants will play at total of 54 holes, 36 on Tuesday and 18 on with an 8:00 a.m., shotgun start each day. UH, which posted its lone Donnis Thompson title in the inaugural year in 1986, will feature a line-up of Sverduk, Kraus, Sofina Firouzi, Chloe Ku, and Jasmine Wong. In addition, Song and Kaydence Kim will compete as individuals.
 
In 1999, the previously named the Rainbow Wahine Invitational was re-named the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, in honor of UH's first women's athletics director. An avid supporter of women's equality, Dr. Thompson was inducted into the school's Sports Circle of Honor in 1988 for her tremendous achievements and many contributions to UH Athletics. She passed away in 2009 at the age of 75.
   
Tournament Facts
Date: March 17-18, 2026
Format: 54 Holes (36-18); 5-count-4
Time: 8:00 a.m. HT shotgun start each day
Course: Pearl at Kalauao
Location: 'Aiea, O'ahu
Yardage (Par): 6,013 yards (72)
Participating Teams (13): Hawai'i, Arizona State, California Baptist, Hawai'i Pacific, Louisiana-Monroe, Montana State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Carolina, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State, Texas State, USC