FAIRFAX, Calif. – The San Diego State men's golf team tied for seventh at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational after carding a 3-under-par 281 on Tuesday during the final round at the exclusive Meadow Club north of San Francisco.
The Aztecs and Mountain West adversary San José State shared the seventh position after completing the tournament with 54-hole total of 17-under 835 to finish five shots behind fifth-place Long Beach State (-22) on the par-71, 6,734-yard track.
Pepperdine (-43) cruised to the team title at the 16th annual event, outdistancing host California (-27) by 16 strokes, while Saint Mary's (-26) landed in the third spot followed by Boise State (-23).
Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhom Phanom, Thailand) was SDSU's top golfer after shooting a final-round 70 to tie for 12th at 7-under 206. The Aztec junior sank six birdies to climb two places, highlighted by a successful make on the par-4, 436-yard No. 7, which ranked as the fifth-toughest hole of the tournament. However, two double bogeys on the par-4 No. 4 and the par-4 17th prevented a steeper ascent.
As a result, Anupansuebsai finished the week nine shots off the pace behind Pepperdine's Sahith Theegala (-16), who edged San José State's Sean Yu (-15) and San Diego's (-15) Harrison Kingsley for medalist honors by one stroke, while Ethan Farnam of Saint Mary's (-14) took fourth on a crowded leaderboard.
In addition, Leo Oyo (Tokyo, Japan) tied for the 17th with a career-best 6-under 207 after firing a final-round 69. The SDSU sophomore registered six birdies of his own, including an impressive drain on the par-4, 464-yard No. 9, which ranked as the most difficult hole of the week. He also notched three straight conversions on the 11th, 12th, 13th greens to climb four spots in the standings.
Christian Banke (Danville, Calif.) also made a modest gain on Tuesday, moving up three spots into a tie for 29th at 3-under 210 thanks to his third consecutive 70. The Aztec junior played spot-free golf through 10 holes, sinking birdies on the first and 10th greens. He later posted two additional birdies at No. 16 and No. 18, but a trio of bogeys hindered his advance on the leaderboard.
Conversely, Steve Sugimoto (San Diego, Calif.) lost ground over the final 18 holes, slipping nine places into a tie for 41st at even-par 213 after shooting a 73. The SDSU sophomore was 3-over after making bogey on the par-3, 208-yard No. 14, but managed to finish strong with a birdie at No. 15, followed by three consecutive pars.
Menawhile, Callum Bruce (Banff, Scotland) wound up in the same spot where he started the day, tying for 51st with a 2-over 215 after completing his second straight 72. The Aztec junior endured three bogeys on the front nine but encountered smoothing sailing after turn, closing with nine pars as well as a birdie on the par-5, 543-yard 13th.
The Aztecs were also represented by Newport Laparojkit (Montebello, Calif.), an individual competitor who tied for 17th at 6-under 207 after posting his lowest card in a Scarlet and Black uniform with a 67. The SDSU senior completed a bogey-free round on Tuesday, sinking four birdies, including back-to-back conversions on the 10th and 11th greens. He also tied for second in the field with 39 pars for the week.
San Diego State will have a quick turnaround for its next tournament when it heads to the Greater Los Angeles area to compete in the Ben Cullum Invitational, Oct. 14-15, at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, California.
Alister MacKenzie Invitational
Final Results
Fairfax, Calif.
Meadow Club South Course
Par 71, 6,734 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 16 squads)
1. Pepperdine...273-266-270—809 (-43)
2. California...274-272-279—825 (-27)
3. Saint Mary's...269-275-282—826 (-26)
4. Boise State...273-276-280—829 (-23)
5. Long Beach State...277-273-280—830 (-22)
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T7. San Diego State 276-278-281—835 (-17)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 84 players + SDSU)
1. Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine...66-64-67—197 (-16)
T2. Sean Yu, San José State...61-66-71—198 (-15)
T2. Harrison Kingsley, San Diego...66-67-65—198 (-15)
4. Ethan Farnam, Saint Mary's...65-67-64—199 (-14)
5. Matthew McCarty, Santa Clara...65-68-67—200 (-13)
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T12. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU...69-67-70—206 (-7)
T17. Leo Oyo, SDSU...68-70-69—207 (-6)
T17. Newport Laparojkit, SDSU^...70-70-67—207 (-6)
T29. Christian Banke, SDSU...70-70-70—210 (-3)
T41. Steve Sugimoto, SDSU...69-71-73—213 (E)
T51. Callum Bruce, SDSU...71-72-72—215 (+2)
^ - competed as an individual
Men's Golf Ties for Seventh at Alister MacKenzie Invite
