March 23, 2018
Live Results | Day One PDF Results
PALM DESERT, Calif. -- The San Diego State men's golf team finds itself in seventh place at the Bighorn Invitational after shooting a combined 1-over-par 577 during the first two rounds Friday on the par-72, 7,000-yard Canyons Course at Bighorn Golf Club.
After languishing in the 11th spot courtesy of an opening-round 294, the Aztecs shaved 11 strokes off their collective total in round two, carding a 283 to move up four notches in the standings, where they trail fifth-place Colorado (-12) by 13 shots heading into Saturday's final round.
With three golfers among the top six, Illinois (-20) grabbed a four-stroke lead over Mississippi State after 36 holes, while Notre Dame (-13) and Brigham Young are tied for third.
Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) is the lone SDSU representative among the top-20 thus far, finishing the day in a tie for 14th at 3-under 141 after posting rounds of 72-69. The Aztec freshman sank a team-high eight birdies Friday, including five in round two. Among his drains in the morning featured a successful conversion on the par-4, 434-yard No. 2, which ranks as the fourth-toughest hole of the tournament thus far.
With his total, Anupansuebsai sits just four shots behind front-runners Michael Feagles of Illinois (-7) and Taylor Bibbs of Mississippi State (-7) on a congested leaderboard, while Colorado's Yannick Paul and Notre Dame's Ben Albin are tied for third at 6-under, along with two additional Fighting Illini players Dylan Meyer and Brian Baumgarten.
Elsewhere, SDSU senior PJ Samiere (Kailua, Hawaii), sophomore Trevor Norby (Carlsbad, Calif.) and freshman Steve Sugimoto (San Diego, Calif.) remain five strokes in back of their Aztec teammate after each logged a 2-over 146.
Samiere completed the opening round in a tie for 19th on the heels of a 72, but tumbled 14 places after firing a 74 in the afternoon. Despite finishing strong with six pars and two birdies in round two, the defending California State Amateur champion was unable to overcome an earlier rough patch with four bogeys and a double over an eight-hole span.
Conversely, Norby and Sugimoto both climbed 14 places after the second round thanks to identical cards of 75 and 71. The two golfers also made eagle on the same hole in round two at the par-5, 538-yard No. 6.
Rounding out the SDSU starting five was Blake Abercrombie (Rocklin, Calif.), who ended the day in a tie for 44th at 4-over 149. The Aztec senior suffered a plague of eight bogeys en route to a 77 in round one before righting the ship in the afternoon with a 72 that featured four birdies, including three on the front nine.
The Bighorn Invitational concludes with the final round on Saturday when San Diego State tees off alongside Indiana and South Alabama, starting at 8:54 a.m. PT on hole No. 10.
Bighorn Invitational
Palm Desert, Calif.
Day One Results
Bighorn G.C.
Canyons Course
Par 72, 7,000 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 12 teams)
1. Illinois...279-277--556 (-20)
2. Mississippi State...279-281--560 (-16)
T3. Brigham Young...284-279--563 (-13)
T3. Notre Dame...281-282--563 (-13)
5. Colorado...283-281--564 (-12)
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7. San Diego State...294-283--577 (+1)
Individual Leaders (Top 6 of 66 players + SDSU)
T1. Taylor Bibbs, Mississippi State...67-70--137 (-7)
T1. Michael Feagles, Illinois...70-67--137 (-7)
T3. Bryan Baumgarten, Illinois...70-68--138 (-6)
T3. Ben Albin, Notre Dame...69-69--138 (-6)
T3. Dylan Meyer, Illinois...67-71--138 (-6)
T3. Yannick Paul, Colorado...65-73--138 (-6)
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T14. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU...72-69--141 (-3)
T33.Trevor Norby, SDSU...75-71--146 (+2)
T33. Steve Sugimoto, SDSU...75-71--146 (+2)
T33. PJ Samiere, SDSU...72-74--146 (+2)
T44. Blake Abercrombie, SDSU...77-72--149 (+5)