WALNUT CREEK – If they don’t already have something on the schedule, the rest of the men’s golf teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) ought to put together a tournament to take advantage of the long break the Chico State team just started. That may be the only way someone else wins a CCAA Golfer of the Week award this season.
Chico State’s Kyle Souza claimed his fourth consecutive CCAA Golfer of the Week award Wednesday following his win at the Sonoma State Invitational at Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club in Rohnert Park on Tuesday. Souza shot a 1-under par 212 to finish two shots ahead of Stanford’s Andre DeDecker and claim his third individual title in four fall events. The Wildcats’ All-American carded rounds of 71-71-69 as the Chico State also claimed its third title in four fall tournaments.
The senior from Livermore opened the 2011-12 season with a victory at the Grand Canyon Fall Invitational on Oct. 4 and followed that performance with a first-place showing at the Lindsay Olive Wildcat Classic on Oct. 18. He finished second at the Otter Invitational on Oct. 25. Souza has now claimed six CCAA Golfer of the Week awards in his career. Former Sonoma State golfer Jarin Todd holds the conference record with 10 such honors.
Souza’s three victories have him just one shy of J.J. Jakovac’s school record for wins in a season, set in 2003-04, which is also the year he claimed his second NCAA Championship crown.
Souza, who has at least six tournaments this spring to attempt to tie the record, is the defending NCAA Champion.
Already ranked 19th among individuals across all NCAA Divisions prior to this week’s performance, Souza already stood atop Division II in the
Golfstat Cup standings.
The Wildcats are now off until the spring portion of their season. They’ll be back in action at the Amer Ari Invitational at Waikoloa Kinds Course in Hawaii Feb. 1-3.
2011-12 CCAA Men's Golfers of the Week:
Oct. 3-9: Kyle Souza (Chico State); Oct. 17-23: Kyle Souza (Chico State); Oct. 24-30: Kyle Souza (Chico State); Oct. 31 - Nov. 6: Kyle Souza (Chico State).
