COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State's Puwit Anupansuebsai (Nakhon Phanom, Thailand) has been named the Mountain West Men's Golfer of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. The junior became the sixth Aztec to win the MW Golfer of the Year award, joining Lars Johansson (2001), John Lieber (2002), Aaron Goldberg (2008), J.J. Spaun (2012) and Nahum Mendoza III (2016).
Anupansuebsai also made the all-Mountain West team with teammates Leo Oyo (Tokyo) and Christian Banke (Danville, Calif.). The three all-MW selections tied Colorado State for the most in the league and match the most by a SDSU team in program history (also 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017).
Last week, Anupansuebsai was named a third-team PING All-American. The junior, who last month was selected to represent the international team at the Arnold Palmer Cup, led San Diego Stage with a 69.59 scoring average for the 2019-20 season across 17 rounds. He also ranked second on the team in rounds in the 60s (6) and rounds below par (14). Anupansuebsai was one of three Aztec golfers to win an event last season and one of two to be named a MW Golfer of the Week.
In the spring, Anupansuebsai logged a pair of top-10 finishes before the season was cut short, finishing with a 70.33 stroke average. He opened the spring by tying for 10th at The Prestige at 4-under 209 before tying for fifth as SDSU's top golfer at the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic at 3-under 213, winning the MW Golfer of the Week award.
At the Bill Cullum Invitational in October, Anupansuebsai captured his first collegiate victory after firing a career-best 18-under 198 at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, where he led San Diego State to its first event title since 2016. Additionally, Anupansuebsai set a program record for lowest score in relation to par for a 54-hole event, while his card of 198 also established a new tournament standard which is also tied for second in school history, along with former SDSU All-Americans Todd Baek and J.J. Spaun. He finished the fall campaign with a team-low 69.18 scoring average.
Oyo, meanwhile, also received PING All-America accolades last week as an honorable-mention selection, ranking second on the team with a 70.35 scoring average in 20 rounds. A sophomore, Oyo also led San Diego State in rounds in the 60s (7) and rounds below par (16). Like Anupansuebsai, Oyo won an event and was a MW Golfer of the Week.
In the spring campaign, Oyo had the lowest scoring average (69.83), most rounds in the 60s (4) and the most rounds below par (5, tied). He won The Prestige at PGA West in dramatic fashion at 11-under 202, including a 5-under 66 in the final round. For his efforts, Oyo was named the MW Golfer of the Week. He also competed at the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic, tying for 24th at 1-over 217.
Oyo played in five tournaments in the fall with his best performance coming at the Bill Cullum Invitational, taking fifth at 10-under 206 to help SDSU to the team title. Oyo was also the Aztecs' top finisher at the Saint Mary's Invitational, tying for 26th with an even-par-213. His 70.57 scoring average in 14 rounds was second on the team behind Anupansuebsai.
Banke was the only Aztec to have his score count in every team event last season, posting a 1.000 count percentage (20/20). The junior ranked third on the team in stroke average (70.80), rounds in the 60s (4) and rounds below par (11), while tying for first in even-par rounds (3). Amazingly, over 20 rounds on the season for Banke, only six were over par with a worst round of 2-over.
Banke played in both team tournaments in the spring before the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cut the season short. He tied for 21st at The Prestige at 1-under 212 and finished the campaign with a T12 at the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic (-2).
In the fall, Banke played in all five team events, posting the third-best scoring average at 70.71, while tying for the most rounds played (14). In 14 rounds, only four were over par. He tied for 19th at even-par 144 over the rain-shortened Husky Invitational and had his best showing of the season (fall or spring) in the next tournament, tying for fourth of 92 competitors at the William H. Tucker Invitational with a 6-under 210. Included in the 210 was an opening round 5-under 67, tying for the best round of his collegiate career. Banke also was 29th at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational (-3), tied for 12th at the Bill Cullum Invitational (-5) and tied for 37th at the Saint Mary's Invitational (+2).