March 12, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - The San Diego State men's golf team got off to a torrid start on Monday, shooting a 12-under par 564 to take the lead after the first two rounds of the Fresno State Lexus Golf Classic in Fresno, Calif. After carding an impressive 12-under 276 over the first 18 holes, the Aztecs fired an even-par 288 during the afternoon, maintaining a five-stroke advantage over second place UC Irvine (-7) at the 6,950-yard, par-72 Sunnyside Country Club. Nevada (+11) ended the day in a distant third, while Hawai'i (+12) and host school Fresno State (+14) rounded out the top five.
Junior Aaron Goldberg (Encinitas, Calif.) and sophomore Adam Porzak (Poway, Calif.) led way for SDSU as both players fired a combined 3-under 141 to finish in a three-way tie atop the individual leaderboard along with Jay Choe of UC Irvine. Porzak caught fire early, draining seven birdies en route to an opening-round 68, which tied his collegiate best. Even after sputtering to a 1-over 73 during the second round, the Pepperdine transfer held on to a share of the lead along with fellow teammate Goldberg, who was a model of consistency throughout the day. The La Costa Canyon High graduate posted scores of 71 and 70 for his team-leading 16th and 17th rounds below par.
Despite encountering some difficulty during the afternoon, two other Aztec golfers remain in contention for Tuesday's final round. Junior Ryan Citarella (Santa Ana, Calif.) finds himself two strokes behind the leaders in a tie for seventh, while senior Cory Segall (La Jolla, Calif.) sits just three shots off the pace tied for the ninth spot. Citarella sank fives birdies during the opening round for an SDSU-best 3-under 69. However, the Santiago Canyon College transfer was unable to maintain his early momentum, settling for a combined 1-under 143 after carding a second-round 74.
Segall notched five birdies of his own during the first round en route to a season-best 4-under 68. However, the La Jolla High alumnus carded a 76 over the next 18 holes, undone by four bogeys and a double-bogey to finish with a combined even-par 144.
Meanwhile after a morning round of 75, junior Jamie Puterbaugh (Carlsbad, Calif.) rebounded nicely in the afternoon with a 1-under 71, finishing at 2-over 146 in a tie for 15th. Rounding out the Aztec delegation was junior Chad Moscovic (Stockton, Calif.), who ended the day in a tie for the 33rd position with a combined 6-over 150.
The third and final round of the Fresno State Lexus Classic gets underway on Tuesday with an 8 a.m. tee time. A live scoring link will be available at www.GoAztecs.com.
Fresno State Lexus Golf Classic At Fresno, Calif. Sunnyside C.C. (6,950 yards, par 72)
Second Round Team Scores (Top 10)1. San Diego State 276-288 - 5642. UC Irvine 283-286 - 5693. Nevada 292-295 - 5874. Hawai'i 300-288 - 5885. Fresno State 298-292 - 5906. New Mexico State 297-295 - 592T7. Texas-El Paso 299-295 - 594T7. Pacific 298-296 - 5949. Oregon 305-292 - 59710. Kansas State 294-304 - 598
Second Round Individual Leaders (Top 12 + SDSU)T1. Aaron Goldberg, SDSU 71-70 - 141T1. Adam Porzak, SDSU 68-73 - 141T1. Jay Choe, UC Irvine 68-73 - 141T4. Brian Edick, UC Irvine 74-68 - 142T4. Thomas Petersson, Pacific 71-71 - 142T4. Roscoe Valentine, San Jose State 68-74 - 142T7. Ryan Citarella, SDSU 69-74 - 143T7. John Chin, UC Irvine 71-72 - 143T9. Cory Segall, SDSU 68-76 - 144T9. Kyle Walters, Hawaii 76-68 - 144T9. Matthew Ryan, Fresno State 73-71 - 144T9. Freddy Esparza, New Mexico State 70-74 - 144T15. Jamie Puterbaugh, SDSU 75-71 - 146T33. Chad Moscovic, SDSU 76-74 - 150