March 15, 2016
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CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Buoyed by three top-10 individual performances, the 21st-ranked San Diego State men's golf team finished in third place at the Lamkin San Diego Classic on Tuesday after carding an even-par 288 during the final round at the par-72, 7,033-yard San Diego Country Club.
With their score, the Aztecs climbed one notch in the standings, completing the ninth annual tournament with a 54-hole total of 4-over 868 for their third consecutive third-place result of the spring and seventh top-five of the 2015-16 campaign in as many events.
Texas, the No. 12 squad in the nation heading into the week, captured the team title with a 12-under 852, shooting a final-round 278 to keep runner-up New Mexico (-3) safely in its rear-view mirror, while sixth-ranked Arizona State (+7) landed in the fourth spot behind SDSU, followed by Cal State San Marcos (+23), which finished a distant fifth.
Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) was the Aztecs' No. 1 golfer for the second straight tournament, tying for the third position at 3-under 213 after logging a final-round 71. The SDSU junior offset three bogeys with four birdies, including back-to-back conversions on the seventh and eight greens en route to his fourth top-10 placement of the season and ninth of his career.
With his effort, Mendoza landed in the third position with Gavin Hall of Texas, finishing five strokes in back of another Longhorn competitor, No. 1-ranked Beau Hossler, who held off a late charge by New Mexico's Sam Kim to capture medalist honors at 8-under 208. Kim (-6) carded a tournament-low 66 on Tuesday to vault eight places into the runner-up spot.
The Aztec fortunes also received a boost from seniors Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) and Ryann Ree (Redondo Beach, Calif.), who both tied for ninth at 1-over 217.
Michelini jumped eight places on the leaderboard after logging SDSU's low score of the final round with a 70, overcoming a trio of bogeys with five birdies, including consecutive makes on holes 4 and 5 to complete his fifth top-10 of the year and 11th in a Scarlet and Black uniform.
Ree also drained five birdies en route to a 72 on Tuesday; however, four bogeys on the back nine prevented a loftier perch. Despite his afternoon struggles, the Redondo Beach product still managed his fifth consecutive top-10 finish and sixth of the year.
Conversely, Gunn Yang (Pyeongchang, South Korea) was not as fortunate, slipping five places into a tie for 28th at 8-over 224 after shooting a final-round 76. The Aztec sophomore opened with two birdies, but quickly lost momentum after recording a bogey and two double-bogeys on his next four holes. Despite sinking two more birdies on No. 7 and No. 16, Yang was unable to complete the recovery after notching three additional bogeys on the back nine.
Rounding out the SDSU starting lineup was PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii), who ended the tournament in a tie for 34th at 10-over 226. The Aztec sophomore was just 1-over for the day after carding a birdie on the par-5, 603-yard 16th, but had to settle for a 75 after closing with consecutive bogeys. Nevertheless, Samiere still leaped five places up the ladder.
San Diego State also featured a group of five golfers participating as individual competitors on Tuesday, including Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.), who tied for 18th at 5-over 221 after firing a final-round 75. The Aztec junior rebounded from a double-bogey on the par-3 13th by making eagle on his very next hole, the par-5, 485-yard No. 14. However, Song was unable to sustain the momentum, suffering four straight bogeys, which stymied his advance on the leaderboard.
On the flip side, Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.) saved his best for last, catapulting 18 places into a tie for 28th after posting a 72 on Tuesday. The SDSU sophomore countered two bogeys with a pair of birdies while adding 14 pars to finish the week at 8-over 224, one stroke ahead of fellow classmate Pablo Matesanz (Irun, Spain), who shot a 78.
Matesanz was 2-under through eight holes thanks to a pair of birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-3 13th, which ranked as the third-toughest hole on Tuesday. However, five bogeys and a triple down the stretch short-circuited his momentum.
The Scarlet and Black was also represented by senior Michael Koeneke (San Diego, Calif.), who climbed 16 places into a tie for 55th at 15-over 231 after logging a 74, while freshman Otto Vanhatalo (Espoo, Finland) landed in the 70th position at 20-over 236 on the heels of a final-round 78.
San Diego State returns to the fairways next week when it plays host to its second home tournament of the year at the Barona Collegiate Cup, scheduled for March 21-22 at Barona Creek Golf Club in Lakeside, Calif.
Lamkin San Diego Classic
Final Results
San Diego C.C.
Chula Vista, Calif.
Par 72, 7,033 yards
Team Scores (Top 5 of 15 schools)
1. Texas ... 285-289-278--852 (-12)
2. New Mexico ... 291-285-285--861 (-3)
3. San Diego State ... 286-294-288--868 (+4)
4. Arizona State ... 287-287-297--871 (+9)
5. Cal State San Marcos ... 287-297-295--887 (+23)
Individual Leaders (Top 7 of 92 players + SDSU)
1. Beau Hossler, Texas ... 69-70-69--208 (-8)
2. Sam Kim, New Mexico ... 75-69-66--210 (-6)
T3. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU ... 70-72-71--213 (-3)
T3. Gavin Hall, Texas ... 71-74-68--213 (-3)
T5. Dylan Healey, Cal State San Marcos ... 68-75-71--214 (-2)
T5. Jon Rahm, Arizona State ... 72-72-70--214 (-2)
T5. Taylor Funk, Texas ... 70-72-72--214 (-2)
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T9. Ryann Ree, SDSU ... 72-73-72--217 (+1)
T9. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU ... 69-78-70--217 (+1)
T18. Brian Song, SDSU* ... 74-72-75--221 (+5)
T28. Gunn Yang, SDSU ... 75-73-76--224 (+8)
T28. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU* ... 77-75-72--224 (+8)
T32. Pablo Matesanz, SDSU* ... 70-77-78--225 (+9)
T34. PJ Samiere, SDSU ... 75-76-75--226 (+10)
T55. Michael Koeneke, SDSU* ... 77-80-74--231 (+15)
T70. Otto Vanhatalo, SDSU* ... 77-81-78--236 (+20)
* - competed as an individual