After entering the final round of the Mountain West championship at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon, in a tie for second place, the San Diego State men’s golf team had 18 holes to win their third-straight Mountain West title.

As the day came to a close and golfers began finishing their rounds, SDSU was within two strokes of New Mexico for a tie for first place.

Sophomore Pol (Chanachon) Chokprajakchat and junior Justin Hastings both birdied the par-5 18th hole to enter into a tie with UNM, forcing a one-hole playoff.

During the playoff, the Aztecs fell one stroke with one group left to play, and sophomore Tyler Kowack and Hastings birdied the playoff hole to give the Aztecs the lead and clinch their third straight Mountain West championship. 

SDSU’s victory gives them six Mountain West titles, trailing only New Mexico, which has eight.

Junior Shea Lague led the Aztecs through the whole tournament. In his first round, Lague fired a 5-under 67 with three bogeys and eight birdies, including four in his final six holes. In the second round, he carded a 1-over 73 with 17 pars and one bogey.

In his final round, the junior carded a 2-under 70 with three birdies and one bogey. Lague finished the tournament in second place out of 50 golfers. 

Hastings followed Lague, finishing at 3-under for the tournament in a tie for seventh place. In his first round, the junior carded a 3-under 69 with five birdies and two bogeys. In his second round, Hastings carded a 1-over 73 with two birdies and three bogeys. 

In his final round, Hastings was even-par through his first 14 holes before recording two must-needed birdies to finish at 1-under for the round and help the Aztecs jump into a tie as a team.

Chokprajakchat came in third for the Aztecs in a tie for 13th place at even par. The sophomore finished his first round at even-par with three birdies and three bogeys. In his second round, Chokprajakchat carded a 1-over 73 with two birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.

In his final round, Chokprajakchat carded a 1-under 71 to jump 15 spots into a tie for 13th place.

Following Chokprajakchat was senior Jackson Moss, who finished in a tie for 32nd place at 4-over. Moss carded a 5-over 77 in his first round with one birdie and six bogeys. In the second round, the senior bounced back with a 2-under 70 that included five birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey. In his final round, Moss carded a 1-over 73 with three bogeys and one birdie.

Rounding out the lineup for the Aztecs was Kowack, who finished in a tie for 36th place at 5-over. In his first round, Kowack carded a 2-over 74 with three birdies and five bogeys. Kowack bounced back in the second round with a 2-under 70 that included two birdies and 16 pars. In his final round, Kowack carded a 5-over 77 with five bogeys, two birdies and a double-bogey.

The Aztecs finished the tournament at 11-under, tied with New Mexico and beating Colorado State by three strokes. Boise State’s Cole Rueck won the player competition, defeating Lague by one stroke.

With a Mountain West title, the Aztecs now clinch their bid into the NCAA Regional playoffs. 

The Selection Show will air on the Golf Channel on Wednesday at 11 a.m. 

The Aztecs will be assigned to play at one of the six sites from May 13–15 to compete for a spot at the NCAA Championships.