For the second year in a row, The Heights Golf Club played host to the San Diego State Classic, which is the only home tournament for the San Diego State Aztecs this season. The two-day, three-round tussle concluded with No. 42 Cal State Fullerton hoisting the trophy in runaway fashion, finishing at 12-under-par and 20 shots clear of the field.
Despite a mid-tier, eighth-place finish, the Aztecs have plenty to build upon heading into the meat of their spring season.
Most notably, sophomore standout Kylie Phi finished in a tie for 11th place at 1-over. Her 3-under 69 and even-par 72 in rounds two and three enabled Phi to finish the San Diego State Classic on a high note.
“I think from [my 4-over] round one, there was a lot of frustration,” Phi said. “Learning quickly from the first round was the key to my success in the second round. [I understand] that I am a good enough player to go low; the first round did not define me. Any bad round can happen, but at the end of the day, I can shoot low.”
After carding zero birdies in Monday morning’s round one action, Phi used her prior knowledge of The Heights to post five birdies in round two and one eagle in Tuesday’s final round.
“In terms of confidence, I would say I was pretty confident, but not more confident than I am in any other event,” Phi explained. “The greens are pretty manageable once you get to know them, and trusting [approach shots] is a big thing, especially with how hilly some of the fairways are.”
Precisely placed tee shots and approach shots seemed to benefit Phi as she logged her third-best finish of the season. Specifically, she excelled on The Heights’ scoreable par-5 holes; her 4.67 scoring average on par-5s put her in a tie for eighth in this respective category.
“For me, par-5s are scoring opportunities,” Phi said. “Any par-5 calls for good short game and good ball striking, and I know I am a good ball striker. I [try to] convince myself that those are birdie holes, but [I know] that they are opportunities rather than [necessities].”
Another one of SDSU’s top finishers, junior Ema Narita (16th, 2-over), also played the par-5 holes at under-par for the tournament. On a relatively young Aztecs squad, both Narita and Phi have been called upon to mature quickly and emerge as leaders with their play. Head coach Lauren Dobashi shared her hypothesis as to why her top two finishers led the way for her team.
“I think they stayed really patient, I think that was key to their success this week,” Dobashi shared. “Some of the pin placements were tough; being committed to playing the safe play and giving yourself the best opportunity at birdie putts was part of why they did so well.”
Thanks to their diligence and familiarity with the golf course, Narita and Phi did not necessarily feel intimidated by tough pins. However, SDSU freshman Manon Martin did not enter this year’s San Diego State Classic with as much knowledge or comfort as her more experienced teammates.
However, her lack of competitive knowledge of The Heights did not make a visible impact on her play. Martin’s opening round 1-under 71 was followed by rounds of 3-over and 6-over, respectively, but was enough to propel her to her best career finish.
“I think for [Manon], it was just her belief,” Dobashi said. “I think we have been working a lot on her commitment on the course and her belief in herself. She is a really talented player, and I think she is starting to believe in herself; I think that showed this week.”
The Heights’ sneaky intricacies, like the aforementioned hilly fairways and challenging greens, kept Martin from an even higher finish.
The Aztecs’ eighth-place finish at 19-over was their second-best of the season. As the spring season begins to ramp up, SDSU’s second-best team finish of its 2026 season should push the Scarlet and Black to continue to climb leaderboards and stack positive days.
As for other notable results of the San Diego State Classic, the Cal State Fullerton Titans claimed both the team and individual titles. Their 12-under team score was the only one under-par.
Additionally, Katharina Zeilinger posted three straight under-par rounds of 68, 69 and 70, respectively, as she coasted to a 9-under winning score. Her masterful navigation of The Heights Golf Club enabled her to lead the San Diego State Classic in par-4 scoring (3.81 scoring average), as well.
The Aztecs have a quick turnaround as they tee it up next on Feb. 23 at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California for The Causeway Invitational hosted by UC Davis.
