For the first time, the 38th annual Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational (March 17–19) – the University of Hawai‘i’s storied women’s golf tournament – will move from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i. Hawai‘i’s “Garden Isle” will host 15 teams from 12 states on the Ocean Course at Hōkūala.
Teams participating include Arizona State, Boise State, Fresno State, Hawai‘i, Long Beach State, Mercer, Morehead State, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rutgers, Sacramento State, San Francisco, Texas State, Tulane and Washington. 10 teams are ranked in this week’s NCAA Division I Top 100 (per SCOREBOARD), led by No. 19 Arizona State and No. 29 North Carolina. Last week, the Sun Devils were red-hot against a deep field, defeating 11 of the top 25 teams in the country to win the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina). In October 2023, the Tar Heels won the inaugural St. Andrews Links Collegiate on the famed Old Course. Their victory in last month’s UCF Challenge (Orlando, Florida) over an 18-team field was their second team championship in as many starts. Two-time defending champion Sacramento State seeks their third straight Dr. Donnis Thompson Intercollegiate title. The Hornets will fly high to Kaua‘i after capturing last month’s Causeway Invitational (Sacramento, California).
FUN INDIVIDUAL FACTS:
Washington senior Camille Boyd is projected to be the top-ranked player at Hōkūala. The two-time collegiate winner will arrive on Kaua‘i after tying for first place in last week’s Juli Inkster Meadow Club Intercollegiate (Fairfax, California). Boyd’s Huskie teammate, senior Stefanie Deng, won the Lady Bulldog Invitational (Athens, Georgia) in January. Arizona State’s Ashley Menne, a three-time Arizona Women’s Amateur Champion, aims to cap off her senior season with a historic feat: becoming just the fourth four-time All-American in program history.Twin sisters Jasmine and Janae Leovao will tee it up for Long Beach State. Jasmine earned 2022-23 Big West Freshman of the Year honors after qualifying for last year’s NCAA postseason. O‘ahu native and Hawai‘i Pacific University junior transfer, Kellie Yamane, will look to lead the Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine in her home state.
Hawaiʻi junior Kellie Yamane follows through on her approach shot during the first round of the Pac-12 Preview on Feb. 19, 2024, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. (Photo by Hawaiʻi Athletics)
TOURNAMENT FACTS
Dates: March 17–19, 2024
Venue: Ocean Course at Hōkūala
Location: Lihu‘e, Kaua‘i
Yardage (Par): 5,929 (72)
Format: 54 holes; 18 holes each day; 5-count-4
Tee Times: 9:00 a.m. HST shotgun start each day
Live Scoring: SMART Golf
Host: Hawai‘i
Defending Team Champion: Sacramento State (882)
Defending Individual Champion: Angelina Kim, Long Beach State (218)
VENUE
The Ocean Course at Hōkūala is part of Timbers Kaua‘i, a beautiful 450-acre resort property surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Kalapaki Bay and Hā‘upu Mountain Range.
EVENT HISTORY
In 1999, the Rainbow Wahine Invitational was re-named in honor of the University of Hawai‘i’s first women’s athletic director, Dr. Donnis Thompson, who was introduced into Hawai‘i’s Sports Circle of Honor in 1988 for her numerous contributions to UH Athletics. Notable individual champions include Annika Sorenstam (Arizona, 1991 and ’92), Janice Moodie (San Jose State, 1994 and ’97), Krissie Register (Arizona, 1996 and ’99) and Kim Welch (Washington State, 1994 and ’95). Of the 32 individual medalists, five have successfully defended their titles the following year.
Tournament attendance is free for walking spectators. Parking is available on-site. The Ocean Course at Hōkūala is a five-minute drive from Lihue Airport (LIH).
“To win any golf tournament is special. Then to defend a title successfully is very gratifying. I try to not think about defending and just focus on doing my best each round,” noted World Golf Hall of Fame member and two-time Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational winner, Annika Sorenstam.
“The beauty of the surroundings is something that I have always remembered. It is hard not to be grateful when you’re playing in Hawai‘i,” reflected Sorenstam on her time in the Aloha State.