Kelowna, B.C. – The UBCO men's golf team is set to go up against 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-I teams at the prestigious Canadian Collegiate Invitational at the Oviinbyrd Golf Club in Foot's Bay, Ont., from Sunday, Sept. 13, to Tuesday, Sept. 15. 

"This is the biggest tournament our golf program has ever competed in," said head coach Clay Stothers. "The opportunity to play against some of the best programs in college golf is a dream. I'm just so excited to provide the opportunity for our boys to see where we stack up against the best in the world." 

To qualify for this event, the Heat won the 2026 Canadian University/College Championship in June, where they finished 10 strokes ahead of the second-place finishing Montréal Carabins and 13 strokes clear of the UBC Thunderbirds, the bronze medallists. Kelowna native Oakley Mayner led UBCO, finishing eight under to earn a silver medal and All-Canadian honours.

Mayner will be back and will be joined at the championship by eighth-place finisher Andrew Rouble (-3), Ryan Gillis (-2), and Chris Jo (+13), who all gained valuable experience at last year's national tournament. The roster is rounded out by rookie Jackson Murphy, who will be competing in his home province.

The Heat will have to contend with multiple top NCAA Division-I schools at the competition. In the current Preseason 2026-27 Bushnell/Golfweek DI Coaches Poll, the New Mexico Lobos, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Santa Clara Broncos all received additional votes and are sitting just outside the Top 25.

Last season, New Mexico finished as the 21st-ranked team in the country, while Mississippi State made the NCAA Championship, where they ultimately placed 17th. Another school to watch is the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, the reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) men's champions.

More information about the tournament can be found online, and fans can follow live results scoreboard.clippd.com.