TUCSON, Ariz. -- Senior Tyler Kowack (San Diego/Canyon Crest Academy) fired a 7-under-par 65 and sits atop of the leaderboard along with the San Diego State men’s golf team after the first day of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Men’s Golf Championship in Tucson, Arizona.
Kowack (-7) leads a group of five by two strokes on the par-72, 7,194-yard Omni Tucson National Resort (Catalina Course).
The four-time defending champion Aztecs, meanwhile, collectively shot a 15-under 273 and lead Wyoming (-13) by two strokes. San Jose State (-11), Grand Canyon (-10) and No. 43 UNLV (-9) round out the top 5. Nevada is sixth in the 12-team field at -9, while No. 21 New Mexico (-6) is in seventh.
Kowack had eight birdies on the day with his lone bogey coming on the par-4, 404-yard 13th hole. Grand Canyon’s Mans Boje and Nixon Lauritzen, Wyoming’s Brody Knowton and Brody Leid, and UNLV’s Trevor Lewis are all tied for second at -5.
Sophomore Harry Takis (Brisbane, Australia) and junior Nathan Sampson (Temecula, Calif.) are each tied for seventh in the 60-man field at -4. Takis, the No. 4 ranked player in the latest Scoreboard powered by clippd computer ratings, had five birdies and one bogey in his first round.
Sampson, who was a last-minute addition for the six SDSU players who traveled to the championship and was moved into the starting five this morning, eagled the par-5, 535-yard second, and added six birdies against four bogeys.
Redshirt junior Dylan Oyama (Carlsbad, Calif./Pacific Ridge HS) carded an even-par 72 and is tied for 34th. Oyama, who won the MW Championship as a true freshman the last time the event was held here in 2023, sank five birdies, but had two bogeys and a triple bogey on the 13th.
Sophomore Kai Hirayama (Arcadia, Calif.) shot 75 and is tied for 51st.
SDSU’s second round of the three-day tournament begins at 8 a.m. PT Monday.
Mountain West Championship
Day One Results – May 3, 2026
Omni Tucson National Resort (Catalina Course) - Tucson, Ariz.
Par 72, 7,194 Yards
Team Standings
1. No. 39 San Diego State…273 (-15)
2. Wyoming…275 (-13)
3. San Jose State…277 (-11)
4. Grand Canyon…278 (-10)
5. No. 43 UNLV…279 (-9)
6. Nevada…280 (-8)
7. No. 21 New Mexico…282 (-6)
8. Colorado State…283 (-5)
9. Fresno State…286 (-2)
10. Boise State…287 (-1)
11. Air Force…294 (+6)
12. Utah State…300 (+12)
Individual Leaders (Top 6 of 60 players + SDSU)
1. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…65 (-7)
T2. Mans Boje (Grand Canyon)…67 (-5)
T2. Brody Knowton (Wyoming)…67 (-5)
T2. Nixon Lauritzen (Grand Canyon)…67 (-5)
T2. Brody Leid (Wyoming)…67 (-5)
T2. Trevor Lewis (UNLV)…67 (-5)
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T7. Harry Takis (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T7. Nathan Sampson (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T34. Dylan Oyama (San Diego State)…72 (E)
T51. Kai Hiryama (San Diego State)…75 (+3)
Tyler Kowack, Aztec Men’s Golf Leads after First Day of MW Championship
Kowack (-7) and SDSU (-15) each lead by two strokes through 18 holes.
