VENTURA, Calif. – Men's and women's golf put together a nice start to the 2026-27 season with the men tying for third and the women placing fifth at the California State Intercollegiate tournament in Ventura at Olivas Links.
 
Two great storylines in the final day as the men and women both came roaring back to leap a SCIAC competitor.
 
On the men's side they trailed Redlands by three strokes with just a few holes to go. Owen Wolak – who placed fourth in the tournament and led the Tigers, shooting eight-under par across three rounds – Will Sires and Andy Liu each birdied 18 to tie the Bulldogs in third at nine-under for the tournament.
 
Sires and TJ Gibbons each shot under par, two-under and one-under respectively, for the day and Daniel Rowe finished two-under par for the tournament.\
 
It was a welcome sight for the Tigers who tied for third in the 2026 SCIAC Golf Championships as they carried momentum into the 26-27 slate.
 
On the women's side, they shot eight strokes better than Cal Lutheran to jump the Regals on their home course. After trailing by two shots following Monday's first round, Kimi Arabe and Faith Petrino each shot two-over 74s on the day. Arabe finished a team-best ninth.
 
The Tigers were just four shots behind Redlands who came in fourth.
 
TRENDS ON THE COURSE
On the men's side the teams combined to shoot a staggering -122 on par fives, but each team shot over par on par-four and three holes.
 
Where the women struggled on par-threes (shooting a tournament worst) the men thrived. Oxy men were two-over on the course's shortest holes, good enough for second in the tournament.
 
Oxy women made up for their struggles on par threes on longer holes, outpacing Redlands on par fives, then shooting true to their score on the fours.
 
Occidental women's golf is back in action in Washington on September 27 at the Pacific Lutheran Invite. The men head to Wisconsin on October 3 for the three-day Grand Intercollegiate at Grand Geneva Resort.
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