With a top 10 finish at Chambers Bay Golf Club, host of this June’s United States Open Championship, sophomore Patrick Sato (Bellevue, Wash.) has been named the Western Athletic Conference Male Golfer of the Week, announced Monday morning by the league office.
At the second annual Redhawk Invitational last week, Sato started the tournament by shooting 72 (+2) in the first round thanks to two birdies and 12 pars. He collected two birdies in the second round as he shot 77 (+7). In the third and final round, he posted the lowest score among the 92-player field, using three birdies and an eagle on the par-four 16th hole for a round of 69 (-1), moving up into a tie for eighth place in the final standings at 218 (+8).
With the final-round 69, Sato now leads the team with four rounds in the 60s, plus he is tied for second on the team with nine rounds at par or better. With a current scoring average of 73.7, he has cut over two strokes from last year’s scoring average and finished this year’s Redhawk Invitational 16 strokes better than the first annual edition of the tournament in 2014.
“I have always had very high hopes for Patrick, as I believe he has the potential to be one of the best players in collegiate golf,” Seattle U head men’s golf coach Marc Chandonnet said.
The Seattle University golf teams are preparing for the Western Athletic Conference Golf Championships, to take place April 20-22 at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz.