Men’s Golf Finishes Third at Western Intercollegiate

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- The San Diego State men's golf team moved up four places to finish third after a 2-under-par 348 on the final day of the 74th annual Western Intercollegiate presented by Topgolf Wednesday at the historic par-70, 6,615-yard Pasatiempo Golf Club. The Aztecs finished at 20-over 1,070 for the tournament, moving up seven places over the final two rounds.
 
SDSU (+20), which is 23rd in the latest Golfstat rankings, passed No. 43 Washington (+24) and Brigham Young (+27) in the final round. No. 7 Pepperdine won the tournament at 4-under 1,046, while No. 37 Stanford was the runner-up at +7.
 
Puwit Anupansuebsai rode a hot start en route to a 4-under 66 to force a third straight playoff at the Western Intercollegiate with Pepperdine's Joe Highsmith and Brigham Young's Carson Lundell, as all three finished regulation at 5-under 205. After each golfer recorded pars on the first two playoff holes (both the par-3, 181-yard 18th), Anupansuebsai's drive found the thick rough on the left on the par-4, 440-yard 10th and he was eliminated following a triple bogey. Highsmith went onto win on the fourth playoff hole with a par on the par-4, 363-yard 17th.  
 
Anupansuebsai caught fire through the first nine, making the turn at 3-over 32 despite a double-bogey on the par-5, 502-yard ninth hole. Anupansuebsai started the round with three straight birdies and, following a bogey on the par-4, 378-yard fourth and a par on the par-3, 194-yard fifth, birdied the next three holes. He ended up getting to 5-under following consecutive birdies on the par-4, 373-yard 12th and the par-5, 527-yard 13th, but bogeyed the par-4, 426-yard 14th before finishing with four straight pars to match his best round of the season. Altogether, he had eight birdies in Wednesday's final round and 15 for the tournament, the most in the 90-player field. He also tied for the top scoring average on par 3s (2.87). It was his second straight runner-up finish.
 
Callum Bruce was the next Aztec finisher, tying for 26th at 7-over 217 following an even-par 70 in today's final round. It was the best round of the tournament for Bruce, who started with a 1-over 71 on Monday and then shot a 6-over 76 on Tuesday. Bruce had three birdies in the first nine, including the par-4, 493-yard second, the par-3, 217-yard third, and, following a bogey on the par-3, 177-yard eighth, another on No. 9. Bruce, however, was unable to convert a birdie on the back nine and bogeyed the par-4, 391-yard 11th and the par-4, 373-yard 12th for his 70.
 
Youssef Guezzale and Zihao Jin, meanwhile, tied for 34th at 8-over 218. Guezzale shot a 1-under 69 to move up 22 places on the leaderboard, recording five birdies and two bogeys, but unfortunately double-bogeyed No. 18. Jin got to 1-under for the round following birdies on No. 11 and the par-5, 527-yard 13th, but three bogeys down the stretch led to a 2-over 72. Jin's 4.33 scoring average on the par 5s were tied for the fifth best of the tournament.
 
Joey Moore and Steve Sugimoto were each just one shot behind Guezzale and Jin in a tie for 40th at 9-over 219. Moore finished today at 1-over 71, sinking four birdies in his first eight holes, but none over the final 10. Sugimoto matched his Tuesday score at 2-over 72, getting to even par with birdies on No. 8 and No. 10, but bogeying the par-3, 141-yard 15th and No. 18 to card a 72.
 
SDSU finished with a tournament-high 57 birdies.
 
San Diego State next plays in the Mountain West Championship, set for April 30-May 1 on the Catalina Course at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club in Arizona.
 
Western Intercollegiate
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Day Three Results
Pasatiempo Golf Club
Par 70, 6,615 yards
 
Team Standings (Top 5 of 23 teams + SDSU)
1. No. 7 Pepperdine…354-348-344—1,046 (-4)
2. No. 37 Stanford…358-353-347—1,057 (+7)
3. No. 23 San Diego State…367-355-348—1,070 (+20)
4. No. 43 Washington…350-358-366—1,074 (+24)
5. Brigham Young…361-350-366—1,077 (+27)
 
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 90 players + SDSU)
T1. Joe Highsmith* (Pepperdine)…72-66-67—205 (-5)
T2. Puwit Anupansuebsai (San Diego State)…69-70-66—205 (-5)
T2. Carson Lundell (Brigham Young)…68-66-71—205 (-5)
T4. Clay Feagler (Pepperdine)…72-70-66—208 (-2)
T4. Derek Hitchner^ (Pepperdine)…69-71-68—208 (-2)
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T26. Callum Bruce (San Diego State)…71-76-70—217 (+7)
T34. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…76-73-69—218 (+8)
T34. Zihao Jin (San Diego State)…76-70-72—218 (+8)
T40. Joey Moore (San Diego State)…78-70-71—219 (+9)
T40. Steve Sugimoto (San Diego State)…75-72-72—219 (+9)
* won on fourth hole of playoff
^ - competed as an individual