April 2, 2016
Live Results | Day One PDF Results
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The 22nd-ranked San Diego State men's golf team remains in third place after firing a combined 15-under par 553 on Saturday during the first two rounds of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational at the par-71, 7,013-yard Karsten Golf Course.
The Aztecs posted the lowest team score of round two with a 13-under 271, shaving 11 strokes off their opening-round total of 282 to climb two places in the standings.
With its results, SDSU sits just two shots in back of tournament host Arizona State (-17) and three strokes behind first-place Iowa State (-18) heading into Sunday's final round. California and Iowa are also in hot pursuit after each registered a 14-under 554, while UC Davis is sixth at 9-under 559.
Individually, the Aztecs were paced by Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.), who finds himself alone in fifth place after recording a 7-under 135. The Palmer Cup candidate was one of four SDSU golfers to reduce their scores between the morning and afternoon sessions, carding a second-round 66 on the heels of a 69. The Aztec junior tied for the team lead with 11 birdies overall, highlighted by a successful conversion in round two on the par-4, 471-yard 18th, which ranked as the third-toughest hole Saturday.
With his effort, Mendoza remains five strokes behind front-runner Jon Rahm of Arizona State, who fired a blistering 12-under 130 to grab a narrow two-shot advantage over Iowa State's Denzel Ieremia (-10), while K.K. Limbhasut of California (-9) occupies the third position, followed by UC Davis' Patrick Soli (-8).
Joining Mendoza on a crowded leaderboard is Ryann Ree (Redondo Beach, Calif.), who sits in a four-way tie for sixth at 6-under 136 on rounds of 70-66. The SDSU senior drained 11 birdies of his own, including seven in the afternoon to offset two bogeys. Ree also sank four birdies against one bogey in round one; however, a double at the par-3 16th prevented a loftier perch. Still, the Redondo Union High alumnus managed to climb 10 spots up the ladder, one shot behind Mendoza.
In addition, Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) displayed upward mobility between rounds on Saturday, vaulting 11 places into a tie for 14th at 2-under 140. The Aztec captain was unable to generate momentum early on, sinking just one birdie against two bogeys en route to an opening-round 72. However, the native Italian caught fire in the afternoon with a 68, highlighted by seven birdies, including four on his first six greens.
Elsewhere, Gunn Yang (Pyeongchang, South Korea) and Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.) find themselves in a tie for 30th after each shot a 2-over 144. Despite three birdies in round one, Yang was plagued by a pair of double-bogeys and had to settle for a 73. However, the SDSU sophomore trimmed his score to a 71 in the afternoon thanks to an eagle on the par-5, 540-yard No. 10 to go with a birdie-4 at the 14th.
Conversely, Song experienced the exact opposite fate with rounds of 71-73. After logging four birdies in the morning session, the Aztec junior posted only two in the second round while becoming the third SDSU player to suffer a double-bogey on the par-3 16th.
The Scarlet and Black was also represented by sophomore Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.), an unattached golfer who sits in a tie for 22nd at even-par 142 after firing a 69-73. The Aztec sophomore finished with eight birdies overall, including a successful make in the opening round on the par-4, 457-yard No. 15, which ranked as the fourth-most difficult hole of the entire day.
The ASU Thunderbird Invitational concludes on Sunday when San Diego State tees off Iowa State and Arizona State for the final round, beginning at 9:05 a.m. PT on hole No. 1.
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
Day One Results
Karsten G.C.
Tempe, Ariz.
Par 71, 7,013 yards
Team Scores (Top 5 of 13 schools)
1. Iowa State ... 274-276--550 (-18)
2. Arizona State ... 277-274--551 (-17)
3. San Diego State ... 282-271--553 (-15)
T4. California ... 281-273--554 (-14)
T4. Iowa ... 277-277--554 (-14)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 72 players + SDSU)
1. Jon Rahm, Arizona State ... 66-64--130 (-12)
2. Denzel Ieremia, Iowa State ... 64-68--132 (-10)
3. K.K. Limbhasut, California ... 66-67--133 (-9)
4. Patrick Soli, UC Davis ... 68-66--134 (-8)
5. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU ... 69-66--135 (-7)
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T6. Ryann Ree, SDSU ... 70-66--136 (-6)
T14. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU ... 72-68--140 (-2)
T22. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU* ... 69-73--142 (E)
T30. Brian Song, SDSU ... 71-73--144 (+2)
T30. Gunn Yang, SDSU ... 73-71--144 (+2)
* - competing as an individual