Aztecs win third consecutive MW Championship

The San Diego State University men's golf team captured its third consecutive Mountain West Championship, defeating New Mexico in a one-hole playoff on the par-72, 7,210-yard Emerald Valley Golf Club Sunday in Creswell, Oregon.

The Aztecs, who pulled even with the Lobos with one group to play in regulation, became the first team to win three straight MW titles since UNLV from 2016-18 and just the third program overall (UNM won four straight from 2003-06).
 
SDSU, which entered the tournament 31st in the latest Scoreboard powered by Clippd team rankings (April 24), now has six MW crowns, passing UNLV into solo second in league history, only trailing New Mexico's eight titles. San Diego State also picked up the league's guaranteed spot in an NCAA regional.
 
The Aztecs entered the final day of the tournament tied for second with San Jose State and two shots behind Colorado State but shot a 3-under-par 285 on Sunday and finished tied with the Lobos at -11 after regulation.
 
SDSU sophomore Chanachon Chokprajakchat (Bangkok, Thailand) and junior Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands), both birdied the par-5, 577-yard 18th hole to draw San Diego State even, but tournament runner-up junior Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) saw his birdie attempt lip out on 18, forcing a one-hole playoff. Both teams went back to the 18 tee box to play the hole again, with No. 20 UNM exiting the first fivesome with a one-stroke lead thanks to Oliver Cage's birdie. With the Aztecs needing a two-stroke swing from the second fivesome, sophomore Tyler Kowack (San Diego/Canyon Crest Academy) and Hastings both birdied to secure another SDSU title.
 
Colorado State finished third at -8, while San Jose State was the only other team under par at -2. Fresno State and Nevada each tied for fifth at +1.
 
Lague fired a final-round 2-under 70 to finish regulation at 6-under 210, one stroke behind Boise State's Cole Rueck (-7). Lague was at 3-under with three birdies and no bogeys through 14 holes, but bogeyed the par-4, 390-yard 15th and parred out to sign for a 70. UNLV's Caden Fioroni and Fresno State's Matthew Sutherland finished a shot behind Lague in third at -5, while New Mexico's Albert Boneta and Colorado State's Connor Jones each tied for fifth at -4.
 
Hastings, meanwhile, tied for seventh out of the 55 golfers at 3-under 213 following a 1-under 71 on Sunday. Hastings notched four birdies on the day, including two over the final four holes, which offset three bogeys.
 
Chokprajakchat carded a 1-under 71 to finish tied for 13th at even-par 216. Chokprajakchat sank third birdies on the day with two bogeys (none over the final 13 holes, moving up 15 spots for the round.
 
Senior Jackson Moss (San Diego/Point Loma HS) tied for 32nd at +4 with a 1-over 73 on Sunday. Moss had two birdies and three bogeys in his final round.
 
Kowack tied for 36th overall at +5 with a 5-over 77 today. Kowack opened with a 2-over 74 on Friday and got back to even-par with a 70 on Saturday, but unfortunately went 5-over over his final five holes, dropping from even-par to +5 for the tournament before making the big birdie in the playoff.
 
The NCAA selection show will air on the Golf Channel at 11 a.m. PT Wednesday with the regionals taking place at six sites from May 13-15, followed by the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in nearby Carlsbad, California.
 
2024 Mountain West Championship
Emerald Valley Golf Club - Creswell, Oregon
Par 72, 7,210 yards
Day Three Results (April 28, 2024)
 
Team Standings
1. *No. 31 San Diego State…282-286-285—853 (-11)
2. No. 20 New Mexico…286-286-281—853 (-11)
3. Colorado State…284-282-290—856 (-8)
4. San Jose State…287-281-294—862 (-2)
T5. Nevada…285-293-287—865 (+1)
T5. Fresno State…285-287-293—865 (+1)
T7. Wyoming…290-291-287—868 (+4)
T7. UNLV…287-288-293—868 (+4)
9. Boise State…295-287-290—872 (+8)
10. Utah State…294-276-305—875 (+11)
11. Air Force…304-298-298—900 (+36)
* SDSU defeated New Mexico in a one-hole playoff
 
Individual Leaders (Top 6 of 55 players + SDSU)
1. Cole Rueck (Boise State)…73-68-68—209 (-7)
2. Shea Lague (San Diego State)…67-73-70—210 (-6)
T3. Caden Fioroni (UNLV)…68-71-72—211 (-5)
T3. Matthew Sutherland (Fresno State)…68-70-73—211 (-5)
T5. Albert Boneta (New Mexico)…72-72-68—212 (-4)
T5. Connor Jones (Colorado State)…72-70-70—212 (-4)
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T7. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…69-73-71—213 (-3)
T13. Chanachon Chokprajakchat (San Diego State)…72-73-71—216 (E)
T32. Jackson Moss (San Diego State)…77-70-73—220 (+4)
T36. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…74-70-77—221 (+5)