Aztecs Lead after First Day of Mountain West Championship

CRESWELL, Ore. – Three-time defending Mountain West champion San Diego State fired a 19-under-par 269 to open a nine-shot lead after the first round of the 2025 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Men’s Golf Championship Friday in Creswell, Oregon. All five starters for the Aztecs shot in the 60s on the par-72, 7,123-yard Emerald Valley Golf Club.

SDSU, which is 17th in the latest Scoreboard powered by clippd computer rankings, leads No. 47 New Mexico (-10) by nine strokes, while San Jose State (-9), No. 35 UNLV (-8) and Fresno State (-5) round out the top 5 through the first of three rounds.

Junior Tyler Kowack (San Diego/Canyon Crest Academy) is tied for the lead in the 55-player field following a 6-under 66 on Friday. Kowack sank seven birdies with his lone bogey coming on the par-4, 405-yard fourth hole. Fresno State’s Joseph Lloyd shares the lead with Kowack.

Senior Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) is a shot behind Kowack in a tie for third with New Mexico’s Wyatt Provence and San Jose State’s Zubair Firdaus at -5. Hastings eagled the par-4, 300-yard eighth hole, and added six birdies and three bogeys for his 67.

Competing in their first Mountain West Championship, sophomore Nathan Sampson (Temecula, Calif.) and freshman Harry Takis (Brisbane, Australia) are each tied for sixth at 4-under. Sampson had eight birdies and four bogeys for his 68. On the back nine, he had only one par, while recording six birdies and two bogeys. Takis had six birdies and two bogeys for the round, and was bogey-free on the back nine.

Junior Chanachon Chokprajakchat (Bangkok, Thailand) made it five Aztecs in the top 10 as his 69 was good enough for a tie for ninth. Chokprajakchat made five birdies against three bogeys.

SDSU will play the second round with New Mexico and San Jose State, beginning at 10:40 a.m. PT Saturday.

Mountain West Championships
Day One Results - April 25, 2025
Emerald Valley Golf Club - Creswell, Ore.
Par 72, 7,123 Yards

Team Standings (top 5 out of 11 teams)
1. No. 17 San Diego State…269 (-19)
2. No. 47 New Mexico…278 (-10)
3. San Jose State…279 (-9)
4. No. 35 UNLV…280 (-8)
5. Fresno State…283 (-5)

Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 55 players + SDSU)
T1. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…66 (-6)
T1. Joseph Lloyd (Fresno State)…66 (-6)
T3. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…67 (-5)
T3. Wyatt Provence (New Mexico)…67 (-5)
T3. Zubair Firdaus (San Jose State)…67 (-5)
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T6. Nathan Sampson (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T6. Harry Takis (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T9. Chanachon Chokprajakchat (San Diego State)…69 (-3)