Coming off a fall season that included three top-five finishes as a team and an individual tournament victory for sophomore Tyler Kowack, the San Diego State men’s golf team found themselves ranked No. 34 nationally, according to the NCAA computer rankings.
In their first tournament of 2024, the Aztecs were able to add to their previous success with a third-place finish in the Southwestern Invitational — a tournament that included seven other top 50 teams in the nation.
SDSU finished the three-day tournament on Wednesday with a cumulative score of 9-under 843, tying with No. 31 UCLA for third out of 13 schools.
The Aztecs started the day in sixth place and climbed three spots due to a final round 3-under 281 at the par-71 North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California.
Kowack led the Aztecs once again, shooting a 1-under 70 in the final round. The sophomore finished in a tie for sixth out of 75 players with a cumulative score of 7-under 206. Kowack shot under par in all three rounds, including a 2-under 69 in the first round and a bogey-free 4-under 67 in the second round.
Freshman Chanachon Chokprajakchat finished behind Kowack in a tie for 11th at 4-under for the tournament. After an up-and-down, even-par first round, the freshman was able to bounce back in the second round with a bogey-free 4-under 67 that included four birdies in a 10-hole stretch. Chokprajakchat finished the tournament with another even-par round that included two bogeys and two birdies.
Following Chokprajakchat were junior Jackson Moss and sophomore Jack Townsend, who finished in a tie for 38th at a cumulative score of 4-over par.
Moss started the tournament off on a birdie frenzy, with five birdies in his first seven holes. Moss couldn’t keep the momentum going as he finished his first round with a 1-over 73 due to three bogeys and a double bogey.
In his second round, Moss bounced back with a 1-under par 70, his best round of the tournament. He finished his last round by carding a 3-over 74.
Townsend also started off hot with an eagle and a birdie in his 2-under-par first round, which put him in a tie for 10th. Townsend wasn’t able to keep the momentum going as he shot 2-over par and 4-over par in his final two rounds, which included eight bogeys and two double-bogeys.
Finishing one stroke behind was sophomore Shea Lague at 5-over par. Lague shot a 5-over 76 in his first round, which included two eagles, one birdie, five bogeys and two double-bogeys.
The sophomore was able to mount a comeback in his last two rounds, carding a 1-over par 73 and a 2-under par 69. Lague climbed 25 spots from his position after the first round to finish the tournament in a tie for 42nd.
Rounding out the Aztecs was sophomore Justin Hastings, who finished in a tie for 47th at 6-over par. Hastings started his first round with four birdies in his first six holes, but he recorded a double-bogey and three bogeys to finish at 1-over.
He continued to ride the bogey train in his second round, where he had five bogeys and one double bogey en route to carding a 5-over par 76. Hastings finished the tournament on a high note, shooting an even-par 71 — his best round of the tournament.
Ohio State, the No. 27 team in the country, won the tournament at a team total of 13-under par thanks in part to Neal Shipley, who won the individual competition at 12-under par for his three rounds.
UNLV came in second place, one stroke behind at 12-under. Washington, the No. 4 team in the country, rounded out the top five at 8-under par.
The Aztecs’ next event will be at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate at the Ocean Course Hokuala in Lihue, Hawaii, from Feb. 15–17.
