Sept. 24, 2013
SAN DIEGO - Former San Diego State men's golf standout Johan Carlsson carded a 5-under par 67 on Sunday to win the Kazakhstan Open at Nurtau Golf Club in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Carlsson, who played for the Aztecs from 2007-11, finished the European Challenge Tour event with a collective score of 18-under par 270, outdistancing England's Tyrrell Hatton (-11) and Adrian Otaegui of Spain (-11), who both tied for the runner-up position.
With his performance, Carlsson claimed his professional victory, earning a winning prize of ?64,000 (approximately $86,200) and almost assured himself a spot on The European Tour next year, according to www.europeantour.com. In addition, the Gothenburg, Sweden, native vaulted from 39th to fifth in the Challenge Tour rankings after completing two developmental tiers of European pro golf in just two years after graduation.
Carlsson has competed in 15 events on the Challenge Tour so far this season, posting five top-10 finishes, including his triumph in Kazakhstan.
During his collegiate playing days on The Mesa, Carlsson earned four varsity letters and recorded 10 top-five finishes, helping the Aztecs qualify for the NCAA championship series in 2008 and 2011.
San Diego State, under the direction of head coach Ryan Donovan, returns to the course this weekend, Sept. 27-28, for the William H. Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.