The Chaminade University men's golf team made steady progress throughout their 2023-24 season. Gaining confidence as the spring progressed, the season culminated in a first for the university.
The Silverswords, who had finished last in several tournaments, albeit against some of the top teams and individuals in the west and southwest regions, persevered and played their best golf in April.
At the Pacific West Conference Championship on the Big Island, the 'Swords had a fourth-place finish, their highest in tournament history. Individually, freshman
Ky Stopp (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) was in contention for the PacWest's individual title for two rounds, ultimately finishing seventh overall which earned him all-conference second team honors.
Fellow freshman
Jack Yeager's (San Clemente, Calif./JSerra Catholic) strong final round resulted in a 10th-place finish.
But the Silverswords weren't quite done. An invitation to the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championships at the famed TPC Sawgrass in Florida was still on the docket in early May. (The PWCC is for minority-serving institutions such as HBCUs while Chaminade is a Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander-serving institution.)
Playing in "the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf," the Silverswords used their momentum at the conference championships and were in contention from the opening round. In the final round, the 'Sword moved into the top spot and held on to capture the title, winning the university's first national championship in any sport.
Individually,
Ethan Alexander (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) had a standout tournament, staying in contention for medalist honors but settled for a runner-up finish just two shots behind the winner.
Overall, the team put together a solid campaign that saw them break several records. Their 883 and to-par score of 19-over in April's RGJA Palm Valley Classic in Goodyear, Arizona, set 54-hole program marks.
Their average scoring per round of 304.3 is the lowest in head coach
Renee Yuen's 11 years as head coach while the 'Swords' national ranking of 149 is the best since 2015-16.
Individually, Stopp finished with a team-low season-average of 75.8, the lowest by a Silversword since 2015-16.
Zachary DuBourdieu's (Carlsbad, Calif./Sage Creek) 70 in the final round in the RGJA tournament is tied for the third-lowest in program history.
The 'Swords also got a significant contribution from
Blake Buonopane (Rowley, Mass./St. John's Prep) who played his best golf in April, shooting under 80 in five of his final nine rounds of the season.
