Aztecs Lead William H. Tucker Intercollegiate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The San Diego State men's golf team sits atop the 19-team William H. Tucker Intercollegiate field after two rounds Friday in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Competing on the par-72, 7,546-yard UNM Championship Course, the Aztecs are at 17-under-par, five shots clear of host New Mexico (-12).
 
Starting four underclassmen in the five-man lineup, SDSU fired rounds of 279 (-9) and 280 (-8) for a cumulative score of 559 (-17). Only four other teams are under par, including the Lobos (-12), TCU (-10) and UNLV (-5). San Diego State has two players in the top 10 of the 104-man field and the five starters in the top 27.
 
Freshman Tyler Kowack (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) and senior Youssef Guezzale (San Diego/La Jolla HS) are tied for sixth at 5-under. Kowack, competing in the starting five for the first time of his career, shot a 5-under 67 in the second round today after carding an even-par 72 earlier in the day. After two birdies and two bogeys in the opening round, Kowack logged six birdies and an eagle on the par-4, 377-yard 17th hole in the second round, vaulting 13 places up the leaderboard. Kowack, who also had three bogeys, went 6-under over a six-hole stretch from the hole No. 14 to the first hole (he started on the par-4, 492-yard fifth). His incredible holeout came from 135 yards with a gap wedge.
 
Guezzale, meanwhile, jumped out to the first-round lead with an 8-under 64 thanks to six birdies and a pair of eagles (par-5, 606-yard ninth and par-5, 544-yard first), offset by two bogeys. Guezzale, however, shot a 3-over 75 in the second round with three birdies and six bogeys.
 
Sophomore Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) is tied for 15th at 2-under 142 following matching 71s. In the opening round, Lague got to 4-under after back-to-back birdies on the par-4, 360-yard 15th and the par-3, 198-yard 16th. He bogeyed three of the final five holes, however, to settle for a 71. In the second round, Lague sank two birdies with a bogey for a second straight 71.
 
Sophomore Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) and freshman Dylan Oyama (Carlsbad, Calif./Pacific Ridge HS) are each tied for 21st at even-par 144. Hastings rebounded from an opening 74 with a 2-under 70. Oyama shot consecutive 72s with the first round featuring five birdies, a bogey and two double bogeys.
 
Competing as an individual, Chanachon Chokprajakchat (Bangkok, Thailand) shot a pair of 73s and is tied for 33rd at 2-over 146.
 
UNLV's Caden Fioroni leads after the first day at 8-under 136, while TCU's Aymeric Laussot and New Mexico's Albert Boneta are a shot back at -7.
 
Saturday's final round gets underway at 7:30 a.m. MT (6:30 a.m. PT) with a shotgun start.
 
William H. Tucker Intercollegiate
Albuquerque, N.M.
Day One Results
UNM Championship Course
Par 72, 7,546 yards
 
Team Standings (Top 5 of 19 teams)
1. San Diego State…279-280—559 (-17)
2. New Mexico…290-274—564 (-12)
3. TCU…283-283—566 (-10)
4. UNLV…284-287—571 (-5)
T5. Brigham Young…295-286—581 (+5)
T5. Denver…293-288—581 (+5)
 
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 104 players + SDSU)
1. Caden Fioroni (UNLV)…67-69—136 (-8)
T2. Aymeric Laussot (TCU)…65-72—137 (-7)
T2. Albert Boneta (New Mexico)…72-65—137 (-7)
T4. Carson Griggs (Denver)…74-64—138 (-6)
T4. Josh Hayashida (Hawai'i)…71-67—138 (-6)
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T6. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…72-67—139 (-5)
T6. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…64-75—139 (-5)
T15. Shea Lague (San Diego State)…71-71—142 (-2)
T21. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…74-70—144 (E)
T21. Dylan Oyama (San Diego State)…72-72—144 (E)
T33. Chanachon Chokprajakchat^ (San Diego State)…73-73—146 (+2)
^ - competing as an individual