PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The San Diego State men's golf team wrapped up its fall schedule on Wednesday with a seventh-place finish at the Saint Mary's Invitational after shooting an even-par 284 during the final round at Poppy Hills Golf Club.
The Aztecs managed to jump two places over the final 18 holes, completing the three-day tournament with an aggregate 4-over 852 on the par-71, 7,002 course layout.
With its total, SDSU ended the week four shots behind fifth-place Oregon State and three strokes in back of sixth-place Saint Mary's.
Despite dropping 17 places on the leaderboard, Leo Oyo (Tokyo, Japan) finished as the Aztecs' top starter, tying for 26th at even-par 213 after firing a 74. The SDSU sophomore drained two birdies on the day at the par-5, 527-yard No. 1 and the par-3, 202-yard 11th, the latter of which ranked as the third-toughest hole of the final round. However, a trio of bogeys coupled with a double bogey at the par-4 No. 14 proved too much to overcome.
Conversely, Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) continued his furious recovery after carding a team-best 69, climbing an additional 15 places into a tie for 37th at 2-over 215. The Aztec junior sank a team-high five birdies, including four on his first six holes on the back nine, which helped ease the sting of three bogeys.
Christian Banke (Danville, Calif.) also landed in the 37th position, moving up two notches after logging an even-par 71. The SDSU junior held steady at 2-under for the round after converting back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th greens followed by four straight pars. Despite an additional birdie on the par-4 17th, three bogeys down the stretch prevented a steeper ascent.
On the other hand, Steve Sugimoto (San Diego, Calif.) was able to make up more ground, vaulting 15 places into a tie for 45th at 4-over 217 after completing his best score of the week with a 70. The Rancho Bernardo High product found himself at 2-over for the day following a bogey at the par-4 14th. However, the Aztec junior regrouped with aplomb, carding birdies on three of his last four holes, including the par-5, 535-yard 18th.
Junior transfer Callum Bruce (Banff, Scotland) was not as fortunate as the rest of the SDSU contingent, slipping 19 places into a tie for 83rd with a 16-over 229 after stumbling to a final-round 81 despite birdies on the first and 17th greens.
Ironically, the highest finish by an Aztec was registered by Zihao Jin (Beijing, China), an individual competitor who tied for sixth with a 4-under 209, which marked the second-best total of his career. The SDSU junior shot a 71 on Wednesday, offsetting three bogeys with a trio of birdies, including an impressive conversion on the par-4, 421-yard No. 3, which ranked as the third-toughest hole of the tournament.
Colorado State, which led wire-to-wire, captured the team title with a collective 25-under 827, outlasting second-place Brigham Young (-20) by five shots, while Arizona (-16) finished in third, followed by New Mexico (-11).
BYU's Peter Kuest (-11) successfully defended his individual crown after posting a four-shot victory over Arizona's Trevor Werbylo (-7), while Colorado State teammates Davis Bryant and Parathakorn Suyasri finished one stroke behind in a tie for third at 6-under, along with Oregon State's Carson Barry.
The Aztecs will take a three-month break from competition before re-convening for their 2020 spring schedule at The Prestige at PGA West, Feb. 17-19, in La Quinta, California.
Saint Mary's Invitational
Final Results
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Poppy Hills G.C.
Par 71, 7,002 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 of 16 squads)
1. Colorado State...267-280-280—827 (-25)
2. Brigham Young...276-278-278—832 (-20)
3. Arizona...278-275-283—836 (-16)
4. New Mexico...279-278-284—841 (-11)
5. Oregon State...280-291-281—852 (E)
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7. San Diego State...286-286-284—856 (+4)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 100 players + SDSU)
1. Peter Kuest, Brigham Young...67-68-67—202 (-11)
2. Trevor Werbylo, Arizona...72-67-67—206 (-7)
T3. Carson Barry, Oregon State...69-71-67—207 (-6)
T3. Davis Bryant, Colorado State...64-74-69—207 (-6)
T3. Parathakorn Suyasri, Colorado State...68-66-73—207 (-6)
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T6. Zihao Jin, SDSU^...69-69-71—209 (-4)
T26. Leo Oyo, SDSU...69-70-74—213 (E)
T37. Puwit Anupansuebsai, SDSU...76-70-69—215 (+2)
T37. Christian Banke, SDSU...72-72-71—215 (+2)
T45. Steve Sugimoto, SDSU...73-74-70—217 (+4)
T83. Callum Bruce, SDSU...72-76-81—229 (+16)
^ - competed as an individual
Men's Golf Finishes Seventh at Saint Mary's Invite
