By Andrew Hartley (@andrewhart1ey) – Spear Reporter
The Amer Ari Invitational was canceled Thursday for the first time in its 32-year history due to high wind levels making golf conditions unplayable.
The Spartans had been competing in the tournament for over 15 years and were ready to go after finishing last in their tournament last week.
Hosted at the Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii, winds of 40 mph not only forced the close of the tournament, but a statewide wind advisory.
“We are extremely disappointed to have had to cancel the Amer Ari,” said host school’s Hawai’i Hilo University assistant coach and tournament director Kevin Ginoza. “But the weather is out of our control and with the strong wind gusts, we couldn’t do anything about it.”
The ceaseless wind led to plants being blown backward, shirts rippling against golfers, and most importantly, golf balls flying awry.
While the common person views a week in Hawai’i as a vacation, the Spartans lost a crucial tournament in its season.
“It’s very unfortunate,” said SJSU golf Head Coach John Kennaday. “This is not a vacation, it’s one of the best tournaments of the year that we’re missing out on now.”
With 10 teams being ranked inside the top 25 in the nation participating in this tournament, the Spartans lose one of their biggest opportunities to showcase their talent.
And at this time of the year, Kennaday lamented the difficulty to find another potential tournament to supplement this loss.
The team is not scheduled to compete again until March 12th at the Bandon Dunes Championship.
