Alum John Chin qualifies for PGA’s Sony Open

Golfer John Chin, who graduated from UCI in 2010 with a degree in sociology, shot a 4-under 68 on Jan. 9 to qualify for this weekend’s Sony Open, the PGA Tour’s first full-field event of the year. His round in Monday’s qualifier included four birdies and an eagle at Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Chin earned one of four qualifying spots. The Sony Open will be held at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu from Thursday, Jan. 12, through Sunday, Jan. 15, with the Golf Channel covering all four days of the competition. Chin was a 2010 Golfweek and Ping All-America first team selection (the first in UCI’s NCAA Division I history), and he was named to the 2010 All-Nicklaus Team. He’s a three-time Big West Conference Player of the Year (2008, 2009 and 2010) and two-time medalist at the Big West Championship, including in 2010, when he won the 54-hole tournament by nine shots. As a senior at UCI, Chin was ranked No. 1 in the final 2010 Golfstat Cup with a 70.05 average and finished first in four tournaments. He was a member of the 2010 U.S. Palmer Cup team that defeated Europe, 13-11, in Northern Ireland. Chin won the 2015 Reno Open and played primarily on the Canadian tour last year.