Feb. 17, 2014
LA QUINTA, Calif. - The San Diego State men's golf team finds itself in second place after posting a season-low 4-under par 280 Monday during the opening round of the The Prestige at PGA WEST. The Aztecs were led by freshman Ricky DeSantis (Carlsbad, Calif.), who fired a 3-under 68 on the 7,070-yard, par-71 Greg Norman Resort Course.
DeSantis offset two bogeys with a team-best five birdies, including three in a row on holes 14-16, to land in four-way tie for third with Ben Corfee of UC Davis, LSU's Curtis Thompson and Cameron Wilson of Stanford. With his performance, the Carlsbad High product registered the best round of his collegiate career and trails co-leaders Maverick McNealy (-6) and Patrick Rodgers (-6), both of Stanford, by just three strokes heading into Tuesday's second round.
Three of SDSU's four remaining starters also cracked the top 20 on the individual leaderboard after the first day of competition, including junior Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.), who fired a 1-under 70 to tie for 12th. Schauffele, who earned a No. 79 ranking by Golfstat this spring, overcame a double-bogey on the seventh hole with four birdies on the back nine and now sits just five shots off the pace.
In addition, sophomore Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) and freshman Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) find themselves in a 10-way logjam for 15th place after each carded an opening-round 71. Michelini regrouped following consecutive bogeys on Nos. 7-8, closing with nine pars as well as a birdie on the par-4 14th, his second of the day.
Meanwhile, Mendoza III enjoyed a prolific start in his first-ever varsity appearance for the Scarlet and Black, draining four birdies, including the par-4 No. 2, which played as the toughest hole on Monday. However, the Francis Parker High alumnus was unable to maintain the momentum following the turn, notching three bogeys on his final eight holes. Despite the stumble, Mendoza III remains in contention with teammate Michelini six strokes in back of the leaders.
The SDSU delegation also included senior Austin Kaiser (Atascadero, Calif,), who posted an uncharacteristic 82 to finish the day in 69th.
Stanford vaulted to the top of the team standings after recording a collective 15-under 269, grabbing an 11-shot lead over the Aztecs, while UCLA (-2) landed in the No. 3 spot, followed by Oregon (+1), Washington (+2) and LSU (+2).
The Prestige at PGA WEST resumes on Tuesday, with San Diego State scheduled to tee off for the second-round alongside Arizona State and Washington, starting at 8:45 a.m. PT.
The Prestige at PGA WESTGreg Norman CourseLa Quinta, Calif.Par 71, 7,070 yardsFirst Round Results
Team Results (Top 6 of 12 schools + SDSU)1. Stanford 269 (-15)2. San Diego State 280 (-4)3. UCLA 282 (-2)4. Oregon 285 (+1)T5. LSU 286 (+2)T5. Washington 286 (+2)
Individual Results (Top 5 of 71 players + SDSU)T1. Maverick McNeely, Stanford 65 (-6)T1. Patrick Rodgers, Stanford 65 (-1)T3. Ricky DeSantis, SDSU 68 (-3)T3. Ben Corfee, UC Davis 68 (-3)T3. Curtis Thompson, LSU 68 (-3)T3. Cameron Wilson, Stanford 68 (-3)----T12. Xander Schauffele, SDSU 70 (-1)T15. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU 71 (E)T15. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU 71 (E)69. Austin Kaiser, SDSU 81 (+10)