June 1, 2015
BRADENTON, Fla. - The San Diego State men's golf team had its season come to a disappointing end after finishing 15th Monday at the NCAA Championships. The Aztecs posted an 18-over-par 306 during the final round of stroke play for a 72-hole total of 41-over 1193 at the Concession Golf Club. SDSU was one of seven squads to miss the cut as the top eight teams advance to the quarterfinals of match play on Tuesday.
Things got off to an ominous start for the Aztecs, who were unable to recover after three players combined to go 5-over on the first hole, the par-4, 412-yard 10th.
"We knew we had to put some good numbers up early on and we kind of did the opposite of that," said SDSU head coach Ryan Donovan. "Trying to press out here (is something) you just can't do. It was our fifth round in a row on one of the toughest courses we've played. With the pin placements and the way the greens were, it was just too tough to make up shots."
For the second straight day, the Aztecs were paced by Ryann Ree (Redondo Beach, Calif.), who recorded a 75 to finish the tournament in a tie for 36th at 7-over 295. Despite a team-high four birdies, the SDSU junior was plagued by a pair of double-bogeys, including an untimely mishap on the par-3, 237-yard No. 4 after draining a birdie on the previous green to get to 1-over for the day. The Oregon transfer soon rebounded with three pars and a birdie at No. 6, but a bogey on his finishing hole, the par-4 ninth, tempered his round. Still, Ree finished with the Aztecs' lowest 72-hole total in stroke play at the NCAA Championships since 1982.
Playing in his final collegiate tournament, Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.) ended the day two shots in back of Ree at 9-over 297 after logging a 76. The SDSU senior captain completed his round with back-to-back birdies, but was unable to generate early momentum after carding a double-bogey and two bogeys on three of his first five holes. Schauffele responded with four consecutive pars, but three bogeys on the back nine ultimately saddled him with his fourth consecutive round over par.
In addition, PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) completed his second straight 77 to tie for 54th at 12-over 300. The Aztec freshman was 1-under through six holes thanks to a pair of birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-3 11th, but was unable to remain in red figures after recording bogeys at Nos. 16 and 18. Samiere followed with five straight pars, before running out of gas with two bogeys and a double over his final four holes.
Elsewhere, Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) rounded out SDSU's team score on Monday with a 78. The Aztec junior tallied a team-high 15 pars, but came up empty on birdies, while a double-bogey on the par-3 14th and a triple at the par-4 No. 16 stalled his advance on the leaderboard. With his effort, Michelini finished the tournament in the 74th position at 19-over 307.
The Aztec lineup also included Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.), who tied for 71st with an 18-over 306. The SDSU sophomore was plagued by eight bogeys en route to his second straight 80.
Illinois (+3), Vanderbilt (+5), Georgia (+6) and Texas (+6) locked up the top four seeds for match play and will square off against UCLA (+20), LSU (+17), South Florida (+16) and USC (+9), respectively, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Bryson Dechambeau of SMU (-8) captured the individual national championship, surviving a late charge by Washington's Cheng-Tsung Pan (-7), while Hunter Stewart of Vanderbilt (-6) and Illinois' Thomas Detry (-6) tied for third.
San Diego State completed another successful season, capturing its third Mountain West Championship in the last five years to go with a runner-up finish at the NCAA New Haven Regional. Donovan, the 2015 MW Coach of the Year, loses just one senior from this season's national championship lineup.
"It's huge to have that momentum with four guys returning next year," Donovan added. "They're going to be sick to their stomach a little bit and hungry coming back, knowing what they need to work on." With the (new) guys coming in, they can train them and talk from the experience this week. I think it's a huge value to have four guys returning next year."
2015 NCAA ChampionshipsFinal Stroke Play ResultsThe Concession G.C.Bradenton, Fla.Par 72, 7,483 yards
Team Scores (Top 8 schools advance to match play)1. Illinois 286-291-286-282--1155 (+3)2. Vanderbilt 301-284-287-285--1157 (+5)T3. Georgia 288-293-286-291--1158 (+6)T3. Texas 301-284-287-284--1158 (+6)5. USC 289-285-296-291--1161 (+9)6. South Florida 294-291-292-291--1168 (+16)7. LSU 292-289-290-298--1169 (+17)8. UCLA 294-304-280-294--1172 (+20)9. Georgia Tech 293-295-290-297--1175 (+23)10. TCU 296-293-291-299--1179 (+27)11. Florida State 298-292-293-298--1181 (+29)12. Auburn 301-290-296-296--1183 (+31)13. South Carolina 301-298-288-300--1187 (+35)14. SMU 296-303-298-302--1192 (+40)15. San Diego State 290-299-298-306--1193 (+41)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 84 players + SDSU)1. Bryson Dechambeau, SMU 70-67-72-71--280 (-8)2. Cheng-Tsung Pan, Washington* 72-69-69-67--281 (-7)T3. Hunter Stewart, Vanderbilt 74-69-71-68--282 (-6)T3. Thomas Detry, Illinois 68-71-73-70--282 (-6)5. Paul Dunne, UAB* 72-69-69-73--283 (-5)---T38. Ryann Ree, SDSU 73-76-71-75--295 (+7)T45. Xander Schauffele, SDSU 73-75-73-76--297 (+9)T54. PJ Samiere, SDSU 74-72-77-77--300 (+12)T71. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU 70-76-80-80--306 (+18)T74. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU 74-78-77-78--307 (+19)
* - competed as an individual