Oct. 11, 2016
Final Results | Final PDF Results
FAIRFAX, Calif. -- San Diego State men's golfer Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) tied for fourth place at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational on Tuesday after shooting a 3-under-par 68 during the final round at the historic par-71, 6,734-yard Meadow Club.
With his score, the Aztec senior completed the 54-hole tournament with a career-best 13-under 200 and posted three rounds below 70 in the same event for the first time since the ASU Thunderbird Invitational last April.
Mendoza, who led the 78-player field with 19 birdies for the week, recorded six more drains on Tuesday, including five on his front nine after opening with a bogey on the No. 10 green. Despite notching a pair of additional bogeys on two of his last five holes, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year still managed his seventh top-five placement in a Scarlet and Black uniform, finishing just one stroke in back of California's Collin Morikawa (-14) for third place and two shots behind co-medalists Ki Taek Lee of Arizona State and Oregon State's Conner Kumpula (-15).
As a team, San Diego State climbed three places into a tie for sixth with Washington at 22-under 830 after recording a final-round 277. Arizona State (-31) ended Cal's seven-year reign at the Golden Bears' home event, outpacing another Pac-12 squad Oregon State (-25), while Saint Mary's and North Carolina State (-24) tied for third, followed by fifth-place Pepperdine (-23).
Each of the remaining Aztec starters improved their standing on the individual leaderboard from the previous day, including Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.), who catapulted 14 spots into a tie for 23rd with a combined 4-under 209 after firing a final-round 68. The SDSU junior opened with eight pars and a bogey, but shifted into overdrive on the back nine, sinking four birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-4, 454 No. 6, which ranked as the second-toughest hole of the week.
Fellow classmate PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii) also made birdie on the aforementioned green and added four more drains to offset three bogeys and a double en route to a final-round 71. With his total, the 2016 Southwestern Amateur champion tied for the 28th position, one shot in back of Abercrombie with a collective 3-under 210.
Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) finished strong in his varsity start as an Aztec, vaulting 11 places into a tie for 52nd at 2-over 215 after notching a 70 over the final 18 holes. The SDSU redshirt freshman played spot-free golf on the front, draining two birdies to go along with seven pars. Norby encountered some difficulty with three bogeys after the turn, but minimized the damage with birdies on the par-4 No. 3 and the par-4 No. 9, which ranked as the sixth-most difficult hole of the tournament.
Rounding out the Aztec rotation was Brian Song (Beverly Hills, Calif.), who landed in the 54th spot, one stroke behind Norby at 3-over 216 on the heels of a final-round 72. The SDSU senior was 2-over for the day after making bogey on the No. 1 green, but held steady the rest of the way, logging seven pars to go with a birdie on the par-4, 404-yard No. 3.
The Aztec delegation also included Otto Vanhatalo (Espoo, Finland), an unattached golfer who shot a 72 on Tuesday to tie for 48th at 1-over 215. Despite three birdies, the SDSU sophomore was unable to make up ground in the field as four bogeys thwarted his progress.
San Diego State wraps up its fall schedule in two weeks when it looks to defend its team title from a year ago at the Saint Mary's Invitational, Oct. 24-26, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Alister MacKenzie Invitational
Final Results
The Meadow Club
Fairfax, Calif.
Par 71, 6,734 yards
Team Scores (Top 5 of 15 teams + SDSU)
1. Arizona State...275-273-273--821 (-31)
2. Oregon State...270-278-279--827 (-27)
T3. Saint Mary's...270-274-284--828 (-24)
T3. North Carolina State...270-279-279--828 (-24)
5. Pepperdine ...274-270-285--829 (-23)
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T6. San Diego State...268-285-277--830 (-22)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 78 players + SDSU)
T1. Ki Taek Lee, Arizona State...66-64-68--198 (-15)
T1. Conner Kumpula, Oregon State...68-64-66--198 (-15)
3. Collin Morikawa, California...64-69-66--199 (-14)
T4. Nahum Mendoza III, SDSU...66-66-68--200 (-13)
T4. Jared duToit, Arizona State...68-65-67--200 (-13)
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T23. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU..68-73-68--209 (-4)
T27. PJ Samiere, SDSU...64-75-71--210 (-3)
T48. Otto Vanhatalo, SDSU*...71-71-72--214 (+1)
T52. Trevor Norby, SDSU...73-72-70--215 (+2)
T54. Brian Song, SDSU...70-74-72--216 (+3)
* - competed as an individual