Feb. 27, 2017
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. ââ'¬" The San Diego State men's golf team remains tied for seventh place at the Southwestern Invitational after second-round action was suspended Monday due to darkness at the par-72, 6,992-yard North Ranch Country Club.
The event is scheduled to resume on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. PT, with the final round to commence with tee times at approximately 8:15 a.m. PT based on current standings.
The Aztecs (+10) find themselves six shots in back of Michigan (+4) for sixth place, along with Augusta, while Lipscomb and SMU are tied for the fourth position at even-par. Tournament host Pepperdine (-21) has opened up a sizable 15-stroke advantage over USC (-6) in the team standings, while Washington State (-5) occupies the third spot.
Five of the six SDSU golfers completed their second round on Monday with the exception of Eric Ghim, who sits alone in fifth place at 6-under on the individual leaderboard with two holes left to play in his suspended session. The Aztec freshman shot a 71 in the morning, highlighted by four birdies as well as an eagle on the par-5, 526-yard No. 12. However, five bogeys stymied his advance.
Unfazed, Ghim went back to work in round two, draining eight birdies, including five straight at one stretch on holes 9-14. With his effort, the Glendale, Ariz., native remains six shots behind front-runner Sahith Theegala of Pepperdine (-12), while fellow Wave teammate Clay Feagler (-7) is tied for second, along with USC's Rico Hoey and SMU's Alex Higgs. In addition, Aztec senior Nahum Mendoza III is currently tied for 22nd at 1-over 145 on rounds of 74-71. The 2016 Arnold Palmer Cup participant notched six birdies overall, including four in round two.
The SDSU delegation also featured junior Blake Abercrombie, who ended the day in a tie for 44th at 6-over 150 after notching a 78 and 72. After an opening round marred by a pair of double-bogeys, the Rocklin, Calif., product regrouped in the afternoon, offsetting five bogeys with five birdies, including a successful drain on the par-4, 415-yard No. 2, which ranked as the fifth-toughest hole of the day.
Meanwhile, fellow classmate PJ Samiere sits three shots in back of Abercrombie in a tie for 60th at 9-over 153, along with sophomore Otto Vanhatalo, who is competing as an unattached golfer. Samiere completed rounds of 78-75, highlighted by four birdies. On the other hand, Vanhatalo carded scores of 77-76, with the latter round featuring an eagle at the par-5, 474-yard No. 15.
Rounding out the Aztec starting lineup was senior Brian Song, who regrouped with a 75 after posting an opening-round 83. With his totals, the Beverly Hills, Calif., native finds himself tied for 74th at 14-over 158.