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Aztec freshman Puwit Anupansuebsai ties for 28th individually
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo: P.J. Samiere (left) tied Blake Abercrombie for the Aztecs' lowest score on Tuesday with a 72 during the final round. Courtesy goaztecs.com
January 30, 2018 (Tucson) - The San Diego State men's golf team finished in a tie for 10th place at the Arizona Intercollegiate on Tuesday after shooting a combined 6-over-par 290 during the final round at Sewailo Golf Club. With their score, the Aztecs completed their opening event of the spring with a 54-hole total of 46-over 898 on the par-71, 7,292-yard course layout.
Host Arizona (+10) fired a tournament-low 15-under 269 over the final 18 holes to edge runner-up Texas A&M (+12) by two shots, while second-round leader Baylor (+14) slipped into third, followed by Saint Mary’s (+23) and Brigham Young.
SDSU climbed into the eighth spot early in the morning after the conclusion of round two, which was suspended on Monday due to darkness. However, the Scarlet and Black slipped two notches into the 10th position with Santa Clara, finishing seven strokes behind New Mexico and UTSA, which tied for eighth and four shots in front of 12th-place Washington (+50).
Despite individual scoring averages dropping by another stroke from 74.34 to 73.14 between the second and third rounds, the Aztecs were unable to keep pace as four of five starters lost ground on the individual leaderboard. The 92-golfer field averaged a whopping 79.97 shots in round one on Monday due to windy conditions in the Tucson area.
Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) was SDSU’s top finisher, tying for 28th with five other players at 10-over 228 after carding a final-round 73. The Aztec freshman recorded 11 pars and four birdies on the day, including a successful conversion on the par-5, 584-yard No. 14, which ranked as the sixth-most difficult green of the week. However, two bogeys and a quadruple-bogey on the par-4 18th, the first hole of his back-nine, hastened his drop of eight places on the ladder.
Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.) tied for SDSU’s lowest score of the final round with a 1-over 72, but still slipped two notches into a tie for 38th at 12-over 225. The Aztec senior managed to ease the sting of five bogeys with four birdies, including an impressive make on his finishing hole, the par-5, 593-yard No. 8,
In addition, sophomore Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) and junior Otto Vanhatalo (Espoo, Finland) ended the tournament in a tie for 45th at 12-over 227. Norby recorded his low round of the week with a 73 on Tuesday, highlighted by a trio of birdies. The San Marcos High alumnus registered one of his conversions at the par-4, 407-yard No. 4, which ranked as the second-toughest hole of the event. However, Norby was unable to avoid a modest four-place slide after logging five bogeys.
Vanhatalo experienced a more precipitous fall tumbling 18 places from the 27th spot on the heels of a final-round 75. The Torrey Pines High product carded a team-low 70 in the second round, but could not duplicate the feat on Tuesday after suffering a wobbly start that featured three bogeys and a double against only one birdie. The native Finn quickly regrouped, however, reeling off 12 straight pars to close his round.
PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) was the lone Aztec to display upward mobility on Tuesday, matching Abercrombie with a 72 to climb 14 places into a tie for 56th at 17-over 230. The SDSU senior was 3-over for the round after making a bogey-6 on No. 14, but experienced just one blemish the rest of the way on the par-4 sixth, finishing with nine pars and three birdies, including an impressive make of his own at No. 4.
Baylor’s Braden Bailey (-3) took home the individual title after holding off a final-round charge from George Cunningham of Arizona (+1), who shot a 65 on Tuesday to vault into second place past UTSA’s Zander Lozano, UTEP’s Charles Corner, LMU’s Riley Elmes and Texas A&M’s Dan Erickson, who all tied for third at 2-over.
The Aztecs also had four golfers compete in the auxiliary Arizona Medalist Intercollegiate individual tournament, held at the nearby par-72, 6,902-yard Randolph North Course.
Freshman Steve Sugimoto (San Diego, Calif.) tied for fourth at even-par 216 after carding a final-round 69, highlighted by six birdies. With his round, the Rancho Bernardo High alumnus finished four strokes behind winner Colin Kober of Baylor (-4), while Brandon Jacobs of Saint Mary’s and Collin Clark of UTSA tied for second at 1-under.
Elsewhere, junior Christian Banke (Danville, Calif.) climbed into a tie for sixth at 4-ver 220 after firing a 67 on Tuesday, highlighted by a pair of eagles on the No. 3 and No. 17 greens. In addition, freshman Zihao Jin (Beijing, China) landed in the 22nd position at 11-over 227 thanks to a final-round 71, while senior Pablo Matesanz (Irun, Spain) was two shots behind in a tie for 28th with a 13-over 229 after notching a 75.
San Diego State returns to the fairways in three weeks when it heads to the Coachella Valley for The Prestige at PGA West, Feb. 21-23 in La Quinta, Calif.
Arizona Intercollegiate
Final Results
Sewailo G.C.
Tucson, Ariz.
Par 71, 7,292 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 18 teams + SDSU)
1. Arizona 313-280-269—862 (+10)
2. Texas A&M 307-279-278—864 (+12)
3. Baylor 303-281-282—866 (+14)
4. Saint Mary’s 304-288-283—875 (+23)
5. Brigham Young 322-290-271—883 (+31)
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T10. San Diego State 325-283-290—898 (+46)
Individual Leaders (Top 6 of 92 players + SDSU)
1. Braden Bailey, Baylor 72-69-69—210 (-3)
2. George Cunningham, Arizona 78-71-65—214 (+1)
T3. Zander Lozano, UTSA 74-71-70—215 (+2)
T3. Charles Corner, UTEP 74-69-72—215 (+2)
T3. Riley Elmes, LMU 73-72-70—215 (+2)
T3. Dan Erickson, Texas A&M 80-67-68—215 (+2)
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T28. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU 84-66-73—223 (+10)
T38. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU 79-74-72—225 (+12)
T45. Trevor Norby, SDSU 80-74-73—227 (+14)
T45. Otto Vanhatalo, SDSU 82-70-75—227 (+14)
T57. PJ Samiere, SDSU 85-73-72—230 (+17)
Arizona Medalist Intercollegiate
Final Results
Randolph North G.C.
Tucson, Ariz.
Par 72, 6,902 yards
SDSU Individual Scores Only
T4. Steve Sugimoto, SDSU 74-73-69—216 (E)
T6. Christian Banke, SDSU 74-79-67—220 (+4)
T22. Zihao Jin, SDSU 74-82-71—227 (+11)
T28. Pablo Matesanz, SDSU 76-78-75—229 (+13)
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