Anupansuebsai Earns Medalist Honors at MW Championship

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Senior men's golfer Puwit Anupansuebsai claimed medalist honors to lead the San Diego State men's golf team at the MW Championship Saturday on the par-72, 7,194-yard OMNI Tucson National Golf Club.
 
Anupansuebsai fired a final round 6-under 66 to finish regulation in a four-way tie for the lead at 7-under 209 for the tournament. In the first four-golfer playoff in MW Championship history, Anupansuebsai birdied the second playoff hole (par-5, 511-yard 10th hole) to beat out New Mexico's Sam Choi and Boise State's Hugo Townsend, each who parred the 10th (UNLV's Jack Trent was eliminated with a bogey on the first playoff hole (par-4, 470-yard 18th hole).
 
Anupansuebsai became SDSU's second MW individual champion and first since John Lepak in the second MW Championship in 2001.
 
With the win, San Diego State became the first school with an individual medalist at both the men's (Anupansuebsai) and women's (Sara Kjellker) MW Championship since TCU in 2012. It has now happened six times in league history.
 
Anupansuebsai's scorching final round featured seven birdies, including four on the front nine - par-5, 535-yard second, par-4, 375-yard third, par-4, 425-yard sixth and par-5, 587-yard eighth - and three on the back nine - par-4, 404-yard 13th, par-5, 610-yard 15th and par-4, 428-yard 16th. His lone blemish came with a bogey on the par-4, 398-yard fifth as we went 5-under over the final 13 holes. Anupansubsai, who entered the day in a tie for ninth, tied for first in the 55-player field in par-4 scoring (3.90).

Anupansuebsai's last three finishes have been a T2 (Wyoming Cowboy Classic), T1 (Western Intercollegiate, lost in playoff) and a T1 (MW Championship, won in playoff).
 
As a team, the Aztecs finished in a tie for third at 14-under 850 following a 9-under 279 today. New Mexico (-19) bested Nevada (-19) on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to claim the team title following a MW tournament single-round record total 19-under 269 on Saturday. SDSU and UNLV were third at 14-under, while Boise State was a shot back in fifth at 13-under. Colorado State shot even-par to take sixth, followed by San José State (+9), Fresno State (+10), Wyoming (+11), Utah State (+32) and Air Force (+44).
 
Youssef Guezzale, meanwhile, finished in a tie for eighth at 5-under 211 after carding a 3-under 69 in Saturday's final round. He notched seven birdies on the day, offset by four bogeys. His 4.33 scoring average for the tournament ranked in a tie for third in the field.
 
Steve Sugimoto shot a final round 1-over 73 to drop to a tie for 17th four the tournament at 2-under 214. Sugimoto was 2-under for the day following a birdie on No. 10 but had three bogeys over the final eight holes to sign for a 73.

Callum Bruce tied for 26th at 2-over 218 following a second straight 1-over 73. Bruce was in red numbers after birdieing No. 15, but consecutive bogeys on the par-3, 186-yard 17th and No. 18 put him back over-par for the round.
 
Zihao Jin had his best round of the tournament, shooting a 1-under 71 to finish in a tie for 34th at 6-over 222. Jin was 3-under through 15 holes, but like Bruce bogeyed the final two holes of the round.
 
San Diego State awaits a likely NCAA Regional bid, which will be announced 11 a.m. PT Wednesday.
 
Mountain West Championship
Tucson, Ariz.
Day Two Results
OMNI Tucson National
Par 72, 7,194 yards
 
Team Standings (Top 5 of 11 teams (rankings are Golfstat))
1. ^No. 28 New Mexico…290-286-269—845 (-19)
1. Nevada…292-282-271—845 (-19)
T3. No. 26 San Diego State…284-287-279—850 (-14)
T3. UNLV…289-284-277—850 (-14)
5. No. 46 Boise State…280-290-281—851 (-13)
^ defeated Nevada on first playoff hole
 
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 55 players + SDSU)
1. #Puwit Anupansuebsai (San Diego State)…72-71-66—209 (-7)
1. Hugo Townsend (Boise State)…69-70-70—209 (-7)
1. Sam Choi (New Mexico)…74-69-66—209 (-7)
1. Jack Trent (UNLV)…69-69-71—209 (-7)
T5. Albert Boneta (New Mexico)…73-72-65—210 (-6)
T5. George Leigh (UNLV)…72-73-65—210 (-6)
T5. Davis Bryant (Colorado State)…71-69-70—210 (-6)
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T8. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…68-74-69—211 (-5)
T17. Steve Sugimoto (San Diego State)…72-69-73—214 (-2)
T26. Callum Bruce (San Diego State)…72-73-73—218 (+2)
T34. Zihao Jin (San Diego State)…75-76-71—222 (+6)
# won individual championship on second playoff hole