Feb. 18, 2014
LA QUINTA, Calif. - San Diego State's Ricky DeSantis (Carlsbad, Calif.) landed in a tie for second-place on the individual leaderboard after firing a 2-under par 69 on Tuesday during the second round of The Prestige at PGA WEST. However, SDSU slipped three spots into a tie for fifth in the team standings at even-par 568, following a 4-over 288 performance on the 7,070-yard, par-71 Greg Norman Resort Course.
After an inauspicious bogey on the opening hole, DeSantis drained five birdies on day, giving him 10 for the tournament, which ranks third among the field of 71 participants. Among the highlights for the Carlsbad High alumnus was a birdie on the par-4, 440-yard No. 2, which played as the second-toughest hole on Tuesday. With his effort, DeSantis has now posted back-to-back rounds in the 60s for the first time as collegian and remains deadlocked with Stanford's Maverick McNealy (-5) in the runner-up spot, four strokes behind another Cardinal golfer Patrick Rogers (-9).
The Aztecs' remaining contingent was unable to match DeSantis' success as three individuals fell out of the top 20 on Tuesday. Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) carded a 72, but tumbled nine spots into the 24th position at 1-over 143. The SDSU sophomore weathered a shaky front nine that featured four bogeys and two birdies, before regrouping in the afternoon with two additional birdies but just one bogey to go with six pars.
Junior Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.) experienced a reversal of fortune as well, slipping from a 12th-place tie into 31st at 2-over 144. The Scripps Ranch High product found birdies elusive on Tuesday, settling for 15 pars along with a trio of bogeys en route to a 74.
Meanwhile, freshman Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) suffered the most precipitous drop for the Scarlet and Black, falling out of the 15th position with Michelini into a tie for 41st with a collective 4-over 146. The Francis Parker High alumnus registered 14 pars on the day, but was hampered by a pair of double-bogeys and a bogey, before finishing on a positive note with a birdie on the 18th for a second-round total of 75.
Despite their struggles, the aforementioned Aztec trio remains just six shots out of the top 10, heading into the final round on Wednesday.
On the flip side, Austin Kaiser (Atascadero, Calif.) made his second round count towards SDSU's team score after firing a 73 on Tuesday. The Aztec senior shaved eight strokes off Monday's tally, closing strong with two birdies and seven pars on the back nine to wind up in the 65th spot at 12-over 154.
Stanford (-19) maintained its stranglehold on the lead in the team standings, while Washington (-5) climbed into the runner-up position on the strength of a second-round low of 277, followed by Oregon (-2), LSU (-1), SDSU (E) and UCLA (E).
The Prestige at PGA WEST concludes on Wednesday, with the Aztecs scheduled to tee off for the final round alongside UCLA and LSU, beginning at 7:33 a.m. PT.
The Prestige at PGA WESTGreg Norman CourseLa Quinta, Calif.Par 71, 7,070 yardsSecond Round Results
Team Results (Top 6 of 12 schools + SDSU)1. Stanford 269-280--549 (-19)2. Washington 286-277--563 (-5)3. Oregon 285-281--566 (-2)4. LSU 286-281--567 (-1)T5. San Diego State 280-288--568 (E)T5. UCLA 282-286--568 (E)
Individual Results (Top 5 of 71 players + SDSU)T1. Patrick Rodgers, Stanford 65-68--133 (-9)T2. Ricky DeSantis, SDSU 68-69--137 (-5)T2. Maverick McNeely, Stanford 65-72--137(-5)T4. Max Rottluff, Arizona State 69-69--138 (-4)T4. Cameron Wilson, Stanford 68-70--138 (-4)----T24. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU 71-72--143 (+1)T31. Xander Schauffele, SDSU 70-74--144 (+2)T41. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU 71-75--146 (+4)65. Austin Kaiser, SDSU 81-73--154 (+12)