SDSU MEN'S GOLF FINISHES FOURTH AT MW CHAMPIONSHIP

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Aztec senior Gunn Yang ties for third individually     

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

April 23, 2017 (Tucson) - The San Diego State men’s golf team finished in fourth place at the 2017 Mountain West Championship on Sunday after carding a 6-under-par 282 during the final round at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club.

The Aztecs, who completed the 54-hole tournament at 15-under 849, led by as many as two shots on the back nine, but were unable to hold off UNLV (-18), which captured its second straight conference championship with a narrow one-shot victory over Colorado State (-17), while Boise State (-16) landed in the third spot on a crowded leaderboard.

Gunn Yang (Pyeongchang, South Korea) was SDSU’s No. 1 golfer, posting his highest collegiate finish with a tie for third place at 7-under 209 following a final-round 69.  The Torrey Pines High alumnus caught fire after the turn where he recorded five of his six birdies on the day, including three straight on holes 12-14. After another successful drain at No. 16, which put him into a tie for the individual lead, Yang finished with a par and a triple-bogey to drop out of contention.

Despite the stumble, Yang logged his lowest three-round total of the season, finishing in a three-way tie for third with Ryan Wallen of Wyoming and Andre Garcia of New Mexico, while Boise State’s Brian Humphreys (-12) took home medalist honors after edging Bronco teammate Donny Hopoi (-10) by two strokes the par-72, 7,194-yard Catalina Course.

Elsewhere, Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) recorded the Aztecs’ biggest gain of the day, vaulting 13 places into a tie for 28th at 2-over 218 after matching Yang with a 69. The SDSU senior sank four birdies against one bogey to shave 10 strokes off his score from the previous round.

PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) also displayed upward mobility on Sunday, climbing seven notches into the 14th position at 2-under 214 following a final-round 70. The Aztec junior played spot-free golf for the first 13 holes, sinking four birdies, including back-to-back drains at No. 10 and No. 11. However, bogeys on the 14th and 17th greens prevented a steeper ascent.

Conversely, Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) lost ground on the leaderboard, slipping seven places into a tie for 22nd at 1-over 217. The SDSU redshirt freshman carded four birdies of his own; however, three bogeys on the front nine following a double on the par-4 No. 1 proved too much to overcome.

Rounding out the SDSU starting lineup was Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.), who tumbled 13 places into a tie for 28th with Mendoza after shooting a final-round 75. The Aztec junior was 2-over for the day after making a double-bogey on the par-5 10th, before rebounding with four consecutive pars and a birdie on the par-5, 610-yard No. 16. However, a pair of ill-timed bogeys on the final two holes stymied his momentum.

The Aztecs will await word of their postseason fate when NCAA regional bids are announced on Thursday, May 4 at noon ET/9 a.m. PT on the Golf Channel. This year’s regional sites are Stanford, Calif. and Auburn, Wash., while West Lafayette, Ind., Austin Texas, Baton Rouge, La., and College Grove, Tenn.

2017 Mountain West Championship

Final Results

OMNI Tucson National Golf Club

Catalina Course

Tucson, Ariz.

Par 72, 7,194 yards

Team Scores

1. UNLV                               281-284-281—846 (-18)

2. Colorado State                283-280-284—847 (-17)

3. Boise State                      279-286-283—848 (-16)

4. San Diego State              279-288-282—849 (-15)

5. New Mexico                    288-287-275—850 (-14)

6. Nevada                            296-284-286—866 (+2)

7. Air Force                          296-286-289—871 (+7)

8. Wyoming                        289-287-296—872 (+8)

T9. San José State               301-289-287—877 (+13)

T9.  Utah State                    293-296-288—877 (+13)

11. Fresno State                 296-289-299—884 (+20)

Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 55 players + SDSU)        

1. Brian Humphreys, Boise State                    67-68-69—204 (-12)

2. Donny Hopoi, Boise State                            69-70-67—206 (-10)

T3. Gunn Yang, SDSU                                       69-71-69—209 (-7)

T3. Ryan Wallen, Wyoming                             67-70-72—209 (-7)

T3. Andre Garcia, New Mexico                        71-71-67—209 (-7)

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14. PJ Samiere, SDSU                                      70-74-70—214 (-2)

T21. Trevor Norby, SDSU                                70-73-74—217 (+1)

T28. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU                     70-79-69—218 (+2)

T28. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU                      73-70-75—218 (+2)

Day three results


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