The University of Hawai'i men's golf team travels to Napa, Calif., to compete in the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational at Silverado Country Club, March 23-24, which is part of the PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression program.
 
The individual medalist from this tournament will earn an exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour's 2026 Blue Championship this July.
 
The 14-team field includes defending champion Tohoku Fukushi University from Japan and 2024 winner BYU. Other top-tier NCAA Division I programs UConn and Cal Poly alongside elite HBCU teams such as Howard and North Carolina A&T are also competing in the tournament, which provides professional-level atmosphere provided by Bridgestone and the PGA TOUR.
 
Beyond the leaderboard, the event serves as a cornerstone of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, which is dedicated to creating more equitable access to professional golf opportunities. This alignment with the PGA TOUR provides the student-athletes with not just high-level competition, but exposure to tangible career development resources and mentorship.
 
The Rainbow Warriors enter the week looking to find their rhythm after a 14^th place finish at the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate in Tucson earlier this week, where the team posted a three-round total of 926. Despite the tough team result in the desert, Nathan Szpakowicz continued his role as a reliable anchor for the rotation, leading the UH contingent in Arizona following a steady 2-over-par performance at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in February.
 
Along with Szpakowicz, the rest of the UH contingent includes Dane Watanabe, James Whitworth, Alec Hilgers, and Chris Salem who will compete at the historic Napa venue.
 
This trip marks a significant return to the Napa Valley for the Rainbow Warriors, who last competed on the Silverado Resort's storied grounds in 2017 during the Silverado Showdown. While the Rainbow Warriors are making their debut in the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational field, they are no strangers to high-level competition on the mainland this spring, having already faced top-100 programs in Arizona and California.
 
Silverado Country Club serves as a world-class backdrop for the tournament, famously known as a long-standing host for the PGA TOUR's Procore Championship (formerly the Fortinet Championship) . The course is renowned for its narrow, tree-lined fairways and demanding greens that reward precise ball-striking and disciplined course management.
 
The final stretch of the 2025-26 season includes the Western Intercollegiate, April 13-15 in Santa Cruz, Calif., and the Big West Championship, May 3-5 in La Quinta, Calif.
 
Tournament #8
Dates: March 23-24, 2026
Format: Two-days; 54 holes (36-18)
Course: Silverado Country Club
Location: Napa, Calif.
Yardage (Par): 7,138 (72)
Live Scoring: Scoreboard.Clippd.com
Participating Teams (14): Hawai'i, BYU, Cal Poly, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Florida A&M, Howard, North Alabama, North Carolina A&T, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Tohoku Fukushi (Japan), UC Davis, UConn