Oct. 10, 2016
Day One PDF Results | Live Results
FAIRFAX, Calif. - San Diego State's Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) fired a 10-under-par 132 on Monday to lead the Aztec men's golf team during the first two rounds of the Alister MacKenzie Invitational at the par-71, 6,734-yard Meadow Club.
The SDSU senior carded consecutive rounds of 66 and remains just two strokes off the pace in a three-way tie for third place with Oregon State's Conner Kumpula and Patrick Fishburn of Brigham Young heading into Tuesday's final round.
Mendoza drained a team-high 13 birdies on Monday, including five on his first seven greens in the morning session. During that stretch, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year recorded successful conversions on the par-4, 403-yard No. 3 and the par-4, 454-yard No. 6, which ranked among the top-five toughest holes of opening round. Despite three bogeys on the back nine in round two, the Francis Parker High alumnus still managed a sub-70 total after making eagle at the par-5, 505-yard 15th.
Arizona State's Ki Taek Lee shot a 12-under-par 130 to grab a slim one-stroke advantage over Sahith Theegala of Pepperdine (-11) on the leaderboard as the average score of the 79-player field dipped below par at 70.31 for the day.
As a team, Aztecs nursed a one-shot lead in the first round after carding a 16-under 268, but was unable to maintain the torrid pace in the afternoon, sinking into a tie for ninth with tournament host California at 15-under 553 on the heels of a 285 in round two.
Saint Mary's and Pepperdine share the top spot after each posted a 24-under 544 through 36 holes, while Arizona State and Oregon State are tied for the third position at 20-under, followed closely by North Carolina State (-19) and Minnesota (-18).
The rest of the SDSU contingent struggled comparatively in round two after lifting the Scarlet and Black to the top of the standings in the morning.
PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) was not immune to the trend, dropping into a tie for 28th at 3-under 139 following a second-round 75. The Aztec junior was tied for second in the morning after matching his career best with a 64, featuring seven birdies and no bogeys. However, Samiere was unable to duplicate the results in the second round, sinking just two additional birdies against two bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys.
Fellow classmate Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.) also experienced a reversal of fortune in the afternoon, slipping 16 places into a tie for 37th on the heels of a 73. The northern California native found himself in a tie for 21st after carding a 68 over the first 18 holes, offsetting one bogey with four birdies. However, Abercrombie was plagued by a slow start in the second round, carding one birdie against three bogeys on the front nine, which derailed his momentum.
Similarly, Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.) witnessed an inflated score of his own in the afternoon. The Aztec senior countered four bogeys with five birdies en route to a 70 in the opening round. Among the conversions was a successful make on the par-4 No. 6, which ranked as the third-most difficult hole on Monday. However, a double-bogey on his first green of the round two, the par-4 No. 3, was a harbinger of things to come, as Song settled for a 74, tumbling 19 spots into a tie for 57th at 2-over 144.
Meanwhile, Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) dropped two places into a tie for 63rd at 3-over 145 after posting rounds of 73-72. In his first collegiate varsity start, Norby notched seven birdies overall, including an impressive conversion on the par-3, 208-yard No. 14, which ranked as the toughest hole on Monday.
The Aztecs were also represented by Otto Vanhatalo (Espoo, Finland), an individual competitor who sits in a tie for 45th at even-par 142 after carding consecutive 71s. The SDSU sophomore posted five birdies on the day, including back-to-back drains on the first and second greens in round two.
San Diego State will tee off alongside California, Michigan State and Fresno State for the final round of the Alister MacKenzie Invitational on Tuesday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT on hole No. 10.
Alister MacKenzie Invitational
Day One Results
The Meadow Club
Fairfax, Calif.
Par 71, 6,734 yards
Team Scores (Top 5 of 15 teams + SDSU)
T1. Saint Mary's...270-254--544 (-24)
T1. Pepperdine...274-270--544 (-24)
T3. Arizona State...275-273--548 (-20)
T3. Oregon State...270-278--548 (-20)
5. North Carolina State...270-279--549 (-19)
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T9. San Diego State...268-285--553 (-15)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 79 players + SDSU)
1. Ki Taek Lee, Arizona State...66-64--130 (-12)
2. Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine...64-67--131 (-11)
T3. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU...66-66--132 (-10)
T3. Conner Kumpula, Oregon State...68-64--132 (-10)
T3. Patrick Fishburn, Brigham Young...66-66--132 (-10)
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T28. PJ Samiere, SDSU...64-75--139 (-3)
T37. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU...68-73--141 (-1)
T44. Otto Vanhatalo, SDSU*...71-71--142 (E)
T57. Brian Song, SDSU...70-74--144 (+2)
T63. Trevor Norby, SDSU...73-72--145 (+3)
competing as an individual