Sept. 8, 2017
Gopher Invitational Live Results
Gopher Individual Live Results
SAN DIEGO ââ'¬" For the second year in a row, the San Diego State men's golf team will travel to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for its season opener when the Aztecs compete in the Gopher Invitational, Sept. 10-11, in Independence, Minnesota.
The first two rounds of the 54-hole event will commence on Sunday with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. CT/7 a.m. PT, while the final 18 holes are slated for a Monday completion at the par-71, 7,368 yard Windsong Farm Golf Club. A live scoring link courtesy of Golfstat will be available on GoAztecs.com.
The Aztecs, who received votes in last month's Bushnell/Golfweek preseason poll, will battle eight squads at the Gopher Invitational that qualified for the 2017 NCAA Championships, including defending national champion Oklahoma, Baylor, Kent State, New Mexico, Penn State, Pepperdine and Purdue. In addition, SDSU will square off against three other Big Ten Conference schools in host Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan State, while Arkansas, Charlotte, Virginia Tech and St. John's (Minn.) round out the 14-team field.
Head coach Ryan Donovan, who is entering his 15th year at San Diego State, will accompany seven golfers to the Upper Midwest next week, including the starting lineup of seniors PJ Samiere and Blake Abercrombie, sophomores Trevor Norby and Eric Ghim, along with freshman Puwit Anupansuebsai.
In addition, senior Pablo Matesanz and junior Otto Vanhatalo will participate in the auxiliary individual tournament to be contested on the par-72, 6,953-yard Pioneer Creek Golf Course in nearby Maple Plain, Minnesota.
The Aztecs are coming off their school-record 19th consecutive postseason appearance, finishing eighth out of 14 teams at the NCAA Washington Regional. SDSU returns three-fifths of its rotation from last May's regional squad, including Samiere, who garnered PING All-West Region accolades for the first time in his career to go with all-Mountain West recognition.
Samiere led the Aztecs with a 72.11 scoring average during the 2016-17 campaign, posting a team-best 19 rounds at or below par. In addition, the Kailua, Hawaii, native enjoyed a productive summer, winning the prestigious California State Amateur Championship at the historic Olympic Club in San Francisco last June to go with an appearance in the U.S. Amateur Championships after capturing medalist honors at his sectional qualifier in Kapolei, Hawaii.
Abercrombie also received all-conference recognition for the first time in an Aztec uniform last season, logging a 72.64 stroke average. The Rocklin, California, product was the Aztecs' No. 1 finisher in three events, including SDSU's own Lamkin San Diego Classic, where he tied for second to earn MW Golfer of the Week honors. Last weekend, he emerged victorious at the California State Fair Amateur Championship in Sacramento, carding a winning total of 16-under 200, highlighted by an opening round 64.
Norby, meanwhile, started the final three events for the Aztecs last year, including the Mountain West Championship, where he tied for 22nd at 1-over 217. In addition, the former San Marcos High standout helped SDSU to its second team title of the season last October after firing a collegiate-best 69 in the final round of the Saint Mary's Invitational in Pebble Beach, California.
The Aztecs occupied the runner-up spot in their initial appearance at the Gopher Invitational last year with a collective 13-over-par 865, finishing five strokes behind two-time defending tournament champion Oklahoma (+8), while Michigan State (+14) took third, followed by Kent State (+20) and New Mexico (+22).
Abercrombie is SDSU's top returning finisher from last season's opener, where he tied for seventh at 2-over 215, while Samiere landed in the 23rd position at 6-over 219. In addition, Ghim made his Aztec debut at the event, tying for 61st with a 17-over 230.
Oklahoma's Grant Hirschman will be aiming to defend his individual title last year after shooting a 3-under 210. Also back in the mix is another Sooner golfer in Blaine Hale (T-5th), Iowa's Matthew Walker (T-7th), Kent State's Ian Holt (T-7th), Pepperdine's Sahith Theegala (T-11th) and New Mexico's Andre Garcia (T-11th).
Following the Gopher Invitational, SDSU will look to defend its team title at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, set for Sept. 22-23 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.