Grand Canyon favorite to claim 2009 Hawaiian Airlines PacWest Men's Golf Championship

ANTIOCH, CA - Grand Canyon University has been selected as the team to beat at the 2009 Hawaiian Airlines Pacific West Conference Men's Golf Championship.

The two-day, 36-hole event will take place this Monday and Tuesday, April 20-21, at the par-72 Roddy Ranch Golf Club in Antioch, CA. The distance of the course is more than 6,900 yards.

In a pre-tournament vote designed to predict the order of finish, Grand Canyon was the top votegetter followed by #2 Dixie State and #3 Notre Dame de Namur. Hawai‘i Hilo, the 2008 champion, was picked fourth, while Hawai‘i Pacific and newcomer Academy of Art tied for fifth. BYU-Hawaii was slotted seventh and Chaminade predicted to finish eighth.

Last year in Turtle Bay, Hawai‘i Hilo rallied from three strokes behind Grand Canyon to overtake the Antelopes by six strokes. Dixie State also surged by Notre Dame de Namur for third place, while BYU-Hawaii, Hawai‘i Pacific and Chaminade finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

The individual title came down to a playoff between eventual winner Zady Ari of Hawai‘i Hilo and Terence Daniels (Smith's, Bermuda/Scottsdale Desert Mountain) of Grand Canyon.

The pair began the final day of competition tied for first place and, after shooting identical rounds of 73, went to a sudden-death playoff on the 18th hole. It took three times playing the hole before Ari chipped in an 80-yard shot for an eagle to capture the championship.

Daniels is back this season and is expected to battle for a championship. He finish 22^nd at the University of Wyoming Cowboy Classic this season. The Antelopes were the only Division II squad in the 20-team field.

GCU senior Mike Krahe (Flagstaff, AZ/Sinagua) could be a key contributor in the tournament as well. He led all Grand Canyon golfers at the GCU Invitational with a 6-under par 210 to finish 11^th overall. He also was sixth at the UC San Diego Invitational.

Freshman Tyler Wooldridge (Carefree, AZ/Cactus Shadows) placed 16^th and was the top Grand Canyon player at the Cal State Bakersfield Invitational.

Ari and junior Stephen Zane (Pukalani, HI/Baldwin), who earned a medal at the Naris Cup College Student Friendship Tournament this season, will lead the Vulcans, while junior Charlie Renfro (Lake Havasu City, AZ) will be a player to watch for Hawai‘i Pacific.

Notre Dame de Namur will get a surge from sophomore Ryan Sheffer (Tucson AZ, Salpointe Catholic) who finished fourth at last year's tournament. He also was named the 2008 PacWest Freshman of the Year.

Dixie State will be led by junior Cameron Crawford (Sandy, UT/Jordan) who recorded six top 15 finishes for the Red Storm this year.