March 11, 2014
Final Results in PDF Format | Photo Gallery
CHULA VISTA, Calif. - San Diego State's Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.) fired a 5-under 67 on Tuesday to capture medalist honors following the final round of the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic at the par-72, 7,033-yard San Diego Country Club. The Aztec sophomore completed the two-day, 54-hole tournament with a combined score of 11-under 205 for his second collegiate victory and first on The Mesa.
As a team, SDSU was unable to maintain its second-round lead, slipping into second place at 5-under 859 after posting a collective 289 over the final 18 holes. Conversely, USC (-12) carded a tournament-low 280 on Tuesday to rocket past the Aztecs by seven strokes and claim the title.
Schauffele sank a team-high six birdies on the day, including three straight on holes 4-6, to fend off a challenge by USC's Rico Hoey (-9), who finished in the runner-up position, while Danny Guise of Wake Forest and the University of San Diego's Taylor Schmidt tied for third at 6-over.
The Aztecs also received a fifth-place performance from freshman Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.), who posted his lowest collegiate score with a combined 3-under 213. The Francis Parker High alumnus offset four bogeys with five birdies of his own, including three straight on Nos. 14-16, to finish with a final-round 71. Mendoza also had a birdie make at the par-3, 236 yard No. 3, which played as the fourth-toughest hole on Tuesday.
However, the remainder of the SDSU starting lineup was unable to replicate the success of Schauffele and Mendoza, including freshman Ricky DeSantis (Carlsbad, Calif.), who tumbled out of a seventh-place tie into the 19th spot. Despite logging his fourth top-20 showing of the year, the Carlsbad High product was unable to get his putter working during the final round, notching six bogeys compared to just one birdie en route to a 77.
In addition, sophomore Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) and senior Austin Kaiser (Atascadero, Calif.) had their progress stymied on the individual leaderboard after both golfers landed in a tie for 28th at 7-over 223. Michelini tumbled three places from Monday following his second consecutive 75 that featured back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6-7. Kaiser, meanwhile, dropped seven spots after carding a 76, highlighted by a lone birdie at the par-4, 461-yard No. 10, which was rated as the fourth most difficult hole of the final round.
The Aztecs also had five golfers compete as individuals at their sole home tournament of the 2013-14 campaign, featuring a top-10 finish by redshirt freshman Gunn Yang (Pyeong Chang, South Korea). The Torrey Pines High alumnus showcased his talents in his first event of the season, tying for eighth after finishing with a collective 1-under 215. Yang fired a 71 over the final 18 holes, highlighted by three birdies and just two bogeys to climb three spots from Monday.
SDSU was also represented by sophomore Michael Koeneke (San Diego, Calif.), who tied for 32nd at 8-over 224, followed closely by redshirt freshman Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.), who ended the tournament one stroke back in a tie for 35th at 225. Rounding out the Aztec delegation were junior James Holley (Chatsworth, Calif.), who tied for 52nd at 15-over 231, while redshirt freshman Ben Rogers (Rosebud, Australia) landed in the 59th spot with a 17-over 233.
SDSU will resume its busy schedule this week when it heads to the desert for the Don Puckette National Invitational Tournament, March 14-16, in Tucson, Ariz.
Lamkin Grips San Diego ClassicSan Diego Country ClubChula Vista, Calif.Par 72, 7,033 yardsFinal Results
Team Results (Top 5 of 13 schools)1. USC 286-286-280--852 (-12)2. San Diego State 283-287-289--859 (-5)3. Wake Forest 292-286-284--862 (-2)4. Michigan 291-286-294--871 (+7)5. San Diego 287-293-293--873 (+9)
Individual Results (Top 5 of 83 players + SDSU)1. Xander Schauffele, SDSU 67-71-67--205 (-11)2. Rico Hoey, USC 71-69-67--207 (-9)T3. Danny Guise, Wake Forest 71-70-67--210 (-6)T3. Taylor Schmidt, San Diego 71-69-70--210 (-6)5. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU 73-69-71--213 (-3)----T8. Gunn Yang, SDSU* 70-74-71--215 (-1)T19. Ricky DeSantis, SDSU 70-73-77--220 (+4)T28. Austin Kaiser, SDSU 73-74-76--223 (+7)T28. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU 73-75-75--223 (+7)T32. Michael Koeneke, SDSU* 76-72-76--224 (+8)T35. Brian Song, SDSU* 72-74-79--225 (+9)T52. James Holley, SDSU* 76-75-80--231 (+15)T59. Ben Rogers, SDSU* 79-75-79--233 (+17)
*-competed as an individual