Men’s Golf Wins Wyoming Cowboy Classic

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Bolstered by four top-20 individual finishes, including a runner-up showing by Puwit Anupansuebsai, the San Diego State men's golf team stormed its way to the team title at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic Tuesday with a tournament-record total of 33-under-par 831 at Whirlwind Golf Club.
 
Leading by 14 strokes entering the day, the Aztecs cruised to a 5-under 283 during the final round to capture their second team title of the season (also the Southwestern Invitational from Jan. 25-27) and third in their last nine team events. SDSU also tied for the 10th-best 54-hole score in program history, a day after an opening round 267 tied for the second-lowest 18-hole score in school history.
 
San Diego State won the tournament by six strokes, followed by TCU (-27), Colorado (-20), Loyola Marymount (-20) and No. 36 Stanford (-19). The 831 bested the previous record of 26-under 838, set by McNeese State in 2015 and bettered by TCU (837) today.
 
Individually, Anupansuebsai tied for second with two others at 12-under 204 for his best finish of the season. Anupansuebsai carded a 4-under 68 on Tuesday, buoyed by four birdies in the first eight holes, including a three-hole stretch from No. 6-to-No. 8, and six for the day. Is only blemish was a double bogey on the par-4, 431-yard ninth hole. The reigning Mountain West Men's Golfer of the Year finished with 16 birdies for the tournament, while tying for first in the 104-player field in par-4 scoring (3.80) and tying for third in par-3 scoring (2.82). It was his highest finish in a spring while with the Aztecs and best finish since a win at the 2019 Bill Cullum Invitational.
 
Not to be outdone, Callum Bruce was just a shot behind Anupansuebsai at 11-under 205, which tied for fifth. It was the best finish of his Division I career, while the 205 also shaved eight strokes off his previous best 54-hole score. He matched his second-round total with a 4-under 68 today. Bruce birdied four of the first 12 holes before recording bogeys on the par-4, 441-yard 13th and the par-4, 428-yard 16th. He rebounded with consecutive birdies to finish on the par-5, 560-yard 17th and the par-4, 450-yard 18th. Bruce's 17 birdies for the tournament matched the second most in the field.
 
Youssef Guezzale, meanwhile, tied for 14th at 5-under 211 following a 1-under 71 in today's final round for his third top-20 finish in five tournaments this season. Starting on the second hole, Guezzale played his first 17 holes without a bogey, while birdieing the par-4, 337-yard fifth and No. 16, before recording a bogey on the par-4, 413-yard first. His 3.80 scoring average on par 4s matched Anupansuebsai and four others for the best in the field.
 
Steve Sugimoto tied for 17th at 4-under 212 after a 4-over 76 today. Sugimoto, who was in a tie for third entering today, started out with two straight birdies on No. 1 and the par-5, 567-yard second hole. The senior, however, only had one more birdie the rest of the day (No. 17), while posting four bogeys and a triple bogey on the par-4, 389-yard 14th. Still, it was his second straight top-20 finish and fourth this season in the top 30.
 
Zihao Jin was the final Aztec competing at the Cowboy Classic, tying for 39th at 1-over 217 after shooting a 5-over 77 today. Jin got off to a solid start with three pars and a birdie on No. 2 but went 8-over for a 10-hole stretch from No. 5-to-No. 14, recording three bogeys, a double bogey (No. 14) and a triple bogey on the par-5, 599-yard seventh. Jin rallied late with birdies on the par-3, 176-yard 15th and No. 17 to almost get to even-par for the tournament, settling for +1.
 
San Diego State will compete in the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club, April 12-13 in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Aztecs' last event before the Mountain West Championships on April 29-30.
 
Wyoming Cowboy Classic
Chandler, Ariz.
Day Two Results
Whirlwind Golf Club (Cowboy Classic Cattail Course)
Par 72, 7,334 yards
 
Team Standings (Top 5 of 23 teams + SDSU)
1. No. 28 San Diego State…267-281-283—831 (-33)
2. TCU…279-287-271—837 (-27)
3. Colorado…281-282-277—840 (-24)
4. Loyola Marymount…283-285-276—844 (-20)
5. No. 36 Stanford…285-280-280—845 (-19)
 
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 104 players + SDSU)
1. Barclay Brown (Stanford)…70-67-65—202 (-14)
T2. Puwit Anupansuebsai (San Diego State)…66-70-68—204 (-12)
T2. Filippo Celli (TCU)…65-73-66—204 (-12)
T2. Riley Lewis (Loyola Marymount)…65-69-70—204 (-12)
T5. Callum Bruce (San Diego State)…69-68-68—205 (-11)
T5. Victor Bjorlow (Colorado)…68-68-69—205 (-11)
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T14. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…68-72-71—211 (-5)
T17. Steve Sugimoto (San Diego State)…65-71-76—212 (-4)
T39. Zihao Jin (San Diego State)…68-72-77—217 (+1)