First-Year Derek Kim Wins Individual GCU Invite Title

Friday, March 15

Phoenix, Ariz/GCU Golf Course

8:00 AM

Columbia University

GCU Invitational

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics

First-Year Derek Kim Wins Individual GCU Invite Title

3/16/2019 7:41:00 PM | Men's Golf

Final Golfstat Scoring Final GCU Invite Results (PDF)Team Leaderboard Individual Leaderboard Team/Player Leaderboard Team/Player Statistics

Kim shares Grand Canyon University Invitational title after shooting an eight-under-par 70-67-68-205, becomes first Columbia first-year to win an invitational and first Lion since Brandon Jowers in 2014 to capture a title.

PHOENIX, Ariz.—First-year Derek Kim fired an eight-under-par 70-67-68-205 to tie for the individual championship Saturday at the Grand Canyon University Invitational held at the GCU Golf Course. Kim, playing as an individual, becomes the first Columbia freshman to ever win an invitational. He is also first Columbia men's golfer to win an invitational since Brandon Jowers last won the John Dallio Memorial on Oct. 4-5, 2014.

Kim shared the title with Missouri-Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt (eight-under-par, 69-68-68-205).

Final scoring for the 54-hole tournament is available via Golfstat at this link. The 7,219-yard GCU Golf Course plays to a par-71.

Kim's total score (eight-under-par, 205) ranked as the third-best low 54-hole score in school history behind Brandon Jowers' 10-under-par 200 score at the Doc Gimmler on Sept. 14-15, 2013 and Jowers' six-under-par 204 at the Doc Gimmler on Sept. 12-13, 2014.

Kim entered the final round and 18 holes in seventh place but just three strokes behind individual leader Jamie Stewart of Missouri, who finished day one at eight-under-par. On Saturday, he carded eight birdies including five on the back nine. He fired three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15. He led the entire field with 17 birdies and par-3 scoring as he averaged a 2.75 (3-under-par) and ranked sixth in pars with 38.

In Friday's first two rounds, Kim used four pars to shoot a 70 in the first round then followed it up with five birdies for a career-low 67 in the second round. He finished the day with nine birdies and 23 pars. He was especially effective in the second round as he carded three birdies and six pars on the front nine.

Kim was one of 10 Columbia golfers competing in Phoenix his weekend. First-year Daniel Core and junior Cullen Chung both finished in 48^th place. Core shot a four-over-par 72-73-72-217 and Chung finished with a four-over-par 73-70-74-217. Core finished with 12 pars including five in Saturday's final round. Chung tallied seven pars on the weekend.

Junior Nick Brisebois moved up 21 spots from Friday's two rounds into 54^th place after carding a five-over-par 76-72-70-218. He shot four birdies in Saturday's final round including three consecutive on holes 13, 14 and 15.

Other Columbia scorers included sophomore John Robertson, who finished in 84^th place at 11-over-par 75-75-74-224, sophomore Youn Sung Kim in 97^th place at 14-over-par 80-74-73-227, first-year Pat Healy (97^th place, 78-75-74-227), sophomore Arjun Puri (101^st place, 75-75-79-229), sophomore Dan Terrell (105^th place, 76-77-79-2320 and senior Sunny Yan (107^th place, 74-80-81-235).

As a team, Columbia finished the weekend tied for 17^th place at 41-over-par 298-297-298-893. Missouri-Kansas City won the team competition with a 23-under-par 282-271-276-829 score.

Hosted by Grand Canyon University, 18 teams and 21 additional individuals are competing in the event. Along with Columbia, competing golfers from various teams include Gand Canyon, Missouri, Wyoming, UMKC, UTEP, Pacific, Northern Colorado, Wichita State, Hawaii, UC-Riverside, North Dakota State, Omaha, UT-Rio Grande Valley, Sacramento State, Idaho, Western Carolina, Samford, and Colorado State.

The event is the third tournament that the Lions will compete in this spring. After this week's competition, Columbia will take its spring break trip to California where it will play a head-to-head dual match vs. Menlo College in Palm Springs.