Armed with three promising freshmen out of Hawai'i high schools, the University of Hawai'i men's golf team opens its season tomorrow in the William H. Tucker Invitational at University of New Mexico's Championship Course in Albuquerque. The event plays two rounds the first day and concludes with 18 holes Saturday.

The Warriors return five players from last year's team, which finished eighth in the Western Athletic Conference. Seniors Chase Bingham and Cody Pewarchuk are back for their final year, Robert Berton is a junior and Kamden Brakel and Daniel Soglanich sophomores.

Joining them are freshmen Jared Sawada (Mililani High), TJ Kua (Kamehameha) and Pono Calip (Kamehameha-Hawai'i). Sawada was a four-time OIA Golfer of the Year and Kua, nephew of Hawai'i Golf Hall of Famer David Ishii, is a four-time ILH champ. His state runner-up finish in 2007 helped Kamehameha capture the team title. Calip was third in the state that year — four behind Kua, who was four back of state champion Sean Maekawa, now at Oregon.

The Warriors are one of 16 teams competing in the second-oldest men's collegiate tournament in the country. In its 54th year, the Tucker Invitational is named for English golf course architect and former University of New Mexico groundskeeper William H. Tucker.

Next month, the Warriors will travel to the Sycuan Collegiate Invitational in San Diego, Calif. They return for the Kaua'i Collegiate Invitational, Nov. 3 to 5, at Puakea Golf Course, and the Turtle Bay Intercollegiate, Nov. 10 to 12, at Turtle Bay Resort.

In 2009, the Warriors host the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, Feb. 18 to 20, at Leilehua.

In March, Hawai'i will travel to Japan to compete in the Naris Cup in Okayama.