April 3, 2016
Final Results | 
Final PDF Results
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 22nd-ranked San Diego State men's golf team finished in third place at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational on Sunday after firing a collective 2-under par 282 on during the final round on the par-71, 7,013-yard Karsten Golf Course.
The Aztecs entered the final hole with a share of the lead, but combined for three bogeys and a triple-bogey to drop back into third at 17-under 835. Despite the stumble, SDSU still registered its seventh top-three team placement in nine tournaments this season.
Riding the momentum of four birdies on the 17th hole, second-round leader Iowa State rallied to capture the team title with a 20-under 832 to edge California (-19) by one stroke, while the Aztecs, tournament host Arizona State (-16) and Iowa (-13) rounded out the top five.
Individually, the Scarlet and Black was paced by Ryann Ree (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.), who both tied for fourth on the leaderboard with a 9-under 204.
Ree posted SDSU's lowest round of the day with a 68, highlighted by a team-high six birdies, including three straight conversions holes 8-10. The Aztec senior added another birdie at No. 14, but faltered down the stretch, finishing with a double-bogey, par and bogey on his final three greens. Despite the hiccup, Ree managed his fourth top-five performance in five starts this spring.
Mendoza was also cruising on Sunday, draining five birdies against no bogeys, including a successful conversion on the par-5, 581-yard 17th to get to 5-under for the afternoon. However, an untimely triple-bogey on the par-4 No. 18, which ranked as the third-toughest hole for the entire tournament, spoiled his round. Still, the SDSU junior finished with a 69 for his sixth top-10 effort of the year and 11th of his career.
In addition, the Aztecs had three golfers, Gunn Yang (Pyeongchang, South Korea), Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) and Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.), tie for the 24th position at 2-over 215.
Yang registered his second straight 71 to climb six spots in the standings from the previous round. The SDSU sophomore offset three bogeys with a trio of birdies, highlighted by an impressive make on the par-4, 457-yard No. 15, which ranked as the fifth-most difficult green on Sunday.
However, Michelini experienced the opposite fate, dropping 10 places on the leaderboard on the heels of a final-round 75. Despite two birdies on the back nine, the Aztec senior captain was unable to overcome the sting of six bogeys, including three straight on holes 4-6.
Abercrombie, meanwhile, also slipped two spots on the ladder after shooting a 73 over the final 18 holes. Competing as an unattached competitor, the SDSU sophomore started strong with a birdie on the par-5, 540-yard No. 10, one of his three on the day, but could not generate consistency as five bogeys stymied his progress.
Elsewhere, Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.) figured in the Aztecs' final tally after carding a final-round 74. The SDSU sophomore was 3-over for the day after notching three straight bogeys on holes 5-7. Song appeared to right the ship with two pars and two birdies on his next four greens. However, bogeys on No. 15 and 16 hastened a drop of three places into a tie for 33rd at 5-over 218.
Arizona State's Jon Rahm became the first three-time medalist in the tournament's 44-year history after firing a 68 to finish at 15-under 198, while Nick Voke of Iowa State (-12) came up three strokes short, followed by California's K.K. Limbhasut (-10), who took third.
San Diego State will have one last tune-up before the Mountain West Championships when it competes in the historic Western Intercollegiate, April 11-13, at Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz, Calif.
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
Final Results
Karsten G.C.
Tempe, Ariz.
Par 71, 7,013 yards
Team Scores (Top 5 of 13 schools)
1. Iowa State ... 274-276-282-832 (-20)
2. California ... 281-273-279-833 (-19)
3. San Diego State ... 282-271-282-835 (-17)
4. Arizona State ... 277-274-285-836 (-16)
5. Iowa ... 277-277-285-839 (-13)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 72 players + SDSU)
1. Jon Rahm, Arizona State ... 66-64-68-198 (-15)
2. Nick Voke, Iowa State ... 68-68-65-201 (-12)
3. K.K. Limbhasut, California ... 66-67-70-203 (-10)
T4. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU ... 69-66-69-204 (-9)
T4. Ryann Ree, SDSU ... 70-66-68-204 (-9)
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T24. Riccardo Michelini, SDSU ... 72-68-75-215 (+2)
T24. Gunn Yang, SDSU ... 73-71-71-215 (+2)
T24. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU* ... 69-73-73-215 (+2)
T33. Brian Song, SDSU ... 71-73-74-218 (+5)
* - competed as an individual