SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – San Diego State's Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) fired a combined 15-under-par 129 on Monday to lead the Aztec men's golf team during the first two rounds of the Bill Cullum Invitational at Wood Ranch Golf Club.
The SDSU junior posted cards of 63 and 66 to take over the top spot on the leaderboard heading into Tuesday's final round on the par-72, 6,944-yard course layout.
With his 63, Anupansuebsai established a career-best and tied for the third-lowest 18-hole score in program history. Fellow classmate Zihao Jin (Beijing, China), who is entered as an individual competitor this week also recorded a 63 of his own in round two, vaulting 36 places into a tie for third at 9-under 135 after opening with a 72.
Collectively, the Aztecs find themselves in first place at 30-under 546, while Utah State (-13) remains a distant second, followed by Grand Canyon (-11), San Diego (-9) and Weber State (-7).
SDSU shot a 267 in the morning session to tie for the second-best 18-hole team total on the school's all-time list, before posting a 279 in round two.
All five Aztecs starters finished the day among the top 20, including Anupansuebsai, who led the field with 17 birdies, including 10 in the first round alone. The 2019 all-Mountain West selection set the tone early with conversions on his first four holes and later added four more drains on his final five greens of the morning. He notched just two bogeys for the day, one on the par-4 eighth in round one and the other at the par-4 No. 10 in the afternoon.
As a result, Anupansuebsai opened a five-stroke lead over Grand Canyon's Trevor Lampson, while a trio of individuals remain tied for third at 9-under, including SDSU's Jin, USC's Leon D'Souza and Pepperdine's Dylan Menante.
In addition, the Aztecs' Leo Oyo (Tokyo, Japan) completed the first 36 holes in a tie for eighth at 6-under 138 on cards of 70-68. In round one, the SDSU sophomore managed to ease the pain of three bogeys with five birdies, including an impressive make on the par-4, 431-yard No. 5, which ranked as the fourth-toughest hole of the day.
The 2019 U.S. Amateur participant later played spot-free golf in the afternoon, climbing 12 places on the leaderboard after sinking four more birdies to tie his season-low score.
Making his first varsity start of the year, Newport Laparojkit (Montebello, Calif.) finds himself in a tie for 16th at 3-under 141 after logging a 70-71. In round one, the Aztec senior offset a double bogey at No. 11 and a bogey at No. 1 with five birdies, including his finishing hole at the par-5, 526-yard No. 2. He subsequently countered three afternoon bogeys with four additional birdies, featuring a successful make at the par-5, 537-yard No. 15.
Elsewhere, Callum Bruce (Banff, Scotland) and Christian Banke (Danville, Calif.) both started strong before slipping into a seven-way logjam for 20th at 2-under 142.
Bruce opened with a 66, highlighted by an incredible trio of eagles on par-5 sixth, 15th and 18th. The junior transfer also sank birdies at No. 5 and No. 8 to offset bogeys on the ninth and 10th greens. Despite another eagle at No. 18 in round two and three more birdies, Bruce dropped 17 places in the standings after stumbling to a second-round 76 that was plagued by five bogeys as well as a triple bogey at the par-4 11th.
Banke, meanwhile, sailed through his opening round without a blemish, draining four birdies en route to a 68. Among his conversions was an impressive drain on the par-4, 434-yard No. 9, which ranked as the fifth-most difficult hole of the day. However, the SDSU junior slid 12 places down the leaderboard on the heels of a second-round 74. Despite three additional birdies, a trio of bogeys as well as a double bogey at No. 10 hastened his drop.
Along with Jin, the Aztec delegation featured one additional individual in Ambrose Abbracciamento (Newtown, Pa.), who ended the day in a tie for 31st with an even-par 144 on rounds of 69-75.
Jin began with a steady 72 that featured 16 pars and a birdie at No. 15, which offset a bogey on the 10th green. The Rancho Bernardo High alumnus then ramped up his performance in the afternoon thanks to a bonanza of eight birdies as a well as eagle on the par-5, 521-yard No. 2 to tie Anupansuebsai with a 63.
Abbracciamento opened with nine pars on his first 10 holes before sinking five birdies on his final eight greens of the morning. Among his makes was a successful drain on the par-4, 418-yard No. 10, which ranked as the toughest hole of the day. The Aztec senior was unable to sustain the momentum in the afternoon, however, as three bogeys and two double bogeys proved too much to overcome.
The Bill Cullum Invitational concludes on Tuesday when San Diego State tees off for the final round with Utah State, Grand Canyon and USD in a shotgun start, commencing at 8 a.m. PT.
Bill Cullum Invitational
Day One Results
Simi Valley, Calif.
Wood Ranch G.C.
Par 72, 6,944 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 13 schools)
1. San Diego State...267-279—546 (-30)
2. Utah State...276-287—563 (-13)
3. Grand Canyon...282-283—565 (-11)
4. San Diego...275-292—567 (-9)
5. Weber State...280-289—569 (-7)
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Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 100 players + SDSU)
1. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU...63-66—129 (-15)
2. Trevor Lampson, Grand Canyon...65-69—134 (-10)
T3. Zihao Jin, SDSU^...72-63—135 (-9)
T3. Leon D'Souza, USC...69-66—135 (-9)
T3. Dylan Menante, Pepperdine...66-69—135 (-9)
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T8. Leo Oyo, SDSU...70-68—138 (-6)
T16. Newport Laparojkit, SDSU...70-71—141 (-3)
T20. Christian Banke, SDSU...68-74—142 (-2)
T20. Callum Bruce, SDSU...66-76—142 (-2)
T31. Ambrose Abbracciamento, SDSU^...69-75—144 (E)
^ - competing as an individual
Strong Showing for Men's Golfers at Bill Cullum Invite
