MORGAN HILL, Calif. – Washington State men's golf senior Pono Yanagi is set to head to the Golden State next week to play in the 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional. The NCAA Regional will take place May 15-17 at The Institute LLC Golf Club.
Tournament Information
The 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional is co-hosted by San Jose State and the San Jose Sports Authority. It will be held at The Institute LLC Golf Club, an ultra-exclusive course located in Morgan Hill, California. The Institute is a 7,561-yard course that plays as a par 72. Teams will play one 18-hole round per day with tee times for each round getting underway at 7:30 a.m. PT.
The 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional will feature 13 teams and 10 individuals hoping to advance to the 2023 NCAA Men's Golf Championship. The top five teams and the top individual not on an advancing team will advance from each regional to the national championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, May 26-31.
The Field
Teams that will be playing at the 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional will be No. 1-seed Pepperdine, No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 4 Arizona, No. 5 Louisville, No. 6 Baylor, No. 7 Missouri, No. 8 BYU, No. 9 NC State, No. 10 California, No. 11 Charlotte, No. 12 Grand Canyon, and No. 13 Northern Colorado.
Schools that will have individuals playing at the NCAA Morgan Regional will be Fresno State, LMU, Utah, Southern California, Santa Clara, San Jose State, Sacramento State, and Washington State.
Pono Yanagi Earns NCAA Regional Bid
Yanagi is just the third WSU men's golfer to play in an NCAA Regional as an individual. The Hilo, Hawaii native is also the first Coug to earn an NCAA Regional selection since Kevin Tucker, who went in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010. Yanagi joins Tucker and Ryan Witz (2006) as the only WSU golfers to play in an NCAA Regional as an individual. Washington State did qualify for the NCAA Regionals as a team in 2002.
"I am so excited to be able to go and compete at the NCAA Regionals," said Yanagi. "It is something that we all work for and I am very fortunate to be able to go and represent WSU. I know that this will be an amazing opportunity and experience for me. I can't wait to go and soak it all in."
Yanagi had one of the more impressive single-season campaigns for the Cougars in 2022-23. The senior led the team in scoring average at 71.42 strokes per round, collected four top-10 finishes, and posted three top-five placements. Yanagi recently set the program record for the best finish at the Pac-12 Men's Golf Championship, as he concluded the 2023 Pac-12 Championship in third place. He collected the lowest score by a Coug at the Pac-12s by carding 12-under 268 at the Stanford Golf Course. Yanagi's season scoring average of 71.42 this season is the second-lowest average in program history, while his four top-10 finishes in 2022-23 are the seventh-most in a season in school history.
Yanagi's NCAA Morgan Hill Regional Schedule
Monday, May 15 (First Round): 9:31 a.m. PT – 1st Tee
Tuesday, May 16 (Second Round): Set after the first round
Wednesday, May 17 (Third Round): Set after the second round
Live Results
Fans can follow all the action at the 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional via live results at GolfStat.com.
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For more information on the Washington State men's golf team, follow @WSUCougarMGolf on Instagram and Twitter.
