Aug. 7, 2014
2014-15-SDSU MEN'S GOLF SCHEDULE
SAN DIEGO - Eleven regular-season tournaments, including two home events, highlight the 2014-15 San Diego State men's golf schedule as announced Thursday by 12th-year head coach Ryan Donovan.
The Aztecs' fall slate features four tournaments in three states, beginning with the Southwestern Intercollegiate, set for Sept. 8-9 at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California. SDSU came away with the team title in its last visit to the course at the North Ranch Intercollegiate in February 2012, while former Aztec Matt Hoffenberg captured medalist honors.
Following a two-week break, SDSU heads back to the fairways in the Pacific Northwest where it will make its fifth straight appearance at the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational, scheduled for Sept. 22-23 at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington. The Aztec starting five will play the Olympic Course, one of six sites chosen for the 2015 NCAA Regionals, while select golfers will compete unattached in the individual tournament on the Cascade Course.
SDSU will have just three days to regroup before traveling to the Land of Enchantment for the 60th annual William H. Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This season will mark the seventh time in the last 10 years and 12th occasion overall in which the Aztecs have participated in the historic event, highlighted by a team championship in 2010.
San Diego State will also find itself on familiar turf for its fall finale when it ventures to the Bay Area two weeks later for the Alister MacKenzie Invitational, Oct 13-14, in Fairfax. The event was contested at Sonoma Golf Club in 2013, but will return this year to its usual Marin County venue at the exclusive Meadow Club. The Aztecs have appeared six times in the 12-year history of the tournament, including a team title in 2007 and a medal-winning performance by SDSU alumnus Alex Kang in 2010.
After a three-month hiatus, the Scarlet and Black kicks off its 2015 spring schedule when it plays host to the Barona Collegiate Cup, Feb. 9-10, at Barona Creek Golf Club. The event was last held in March 2012, with the Aztecs collecting their sixth of seven tournament titles that season.
San Diego State will then make a quick trip to the Coachella Valley for The Prestige at PGA West, slated for Feb. 16-18, in La Quinta. The Aztecs have played the Greg Norman Resort Course for the past three years, including the 2011-12 campaign when the event was conducted in the fall for the last time.
The first of two excursions to the Grand Canyon State will be on deck for SDSU when it ventures to Tucson, Arizona, for the National Invitational Tournament, Feb. 28-March 2, at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club. The event affords the Aztecs an early look at the same course where the Mountain West Championship will be contested later in May.
SDSU returns to its home course the following week, March 9-10, for the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista. The tournament, co-hosted with USD, is entering its eighth season and fifth as a two-day event. Last spring, then-junior Xander Schauffele (San Diego, Calif.) claimed medalist honors, leading the Aztecs to a runner-up finish in the team standings.
Following a bye week, SDSU will head back to the Pacific Northwest for the Duck Invitational, March 23-24, at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon. The Aztecs have captured four team titles at the tournament since 2001, including their last visit in 2008.
SDSU has also witnessed previous success at its next stop, the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, scheduled for April 3-4, in Tempe. The Aztecs will be making their 11th appearance in the last 13 years at Karsten Golf Course, highlighted by a trio of runner-up team finishes in 2009, 2011 and 2012. In addition, former SDSU All-American J.J. Spaun took home back-to-back individual titles in 2009-10.
The Aztecs wrap up regular-season competition for the fifth consecutive year at the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz. The six-count-five event, slated for April 11-12 at Pasatiempo Golf Club, is the oldest active men's collegiate golf tournament west of the Mississippi River.
SDSU will seek their third conference title in the last five years when it travels back to the desert, May 1-3, for the MW Championship at the OMNI Tucson Resort. Last season, the Aztecs posted their second straight runner-up finish, while then-sophomore Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) fell in a sudden-death playoff for medalist honors.
A potential NCAA regional berth awaits the Scarlet and Black, which looks to extend its school-record streak to 17 consecutive postseason appearances. The regional championships will be conducted May 17-19 at six sites across the nation, including The Farms Club in Rancho Santa Fe, where USD will serve as host. Other locations include Bremerton, Washington (Washington), Lubbock, Texas (Texas Tech), Noblesville, Indiana (Ball State), Chapel Hill, North Carolina (North Carolina) and New Haven, Connecticut (Yale).
Should the Aztecs qualify for the NCAA Championships, they would compete for a national title May 29-June 2 at Concessions Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.
San Diego State returns its top three scorers from a year ago in Schauffele, Michelini and Ricky DeSantis (Carlsbad, Calif.), each of whom garnered all-MW accolades in 2013-14. In addition, Schauffele collected all-West Region honors last season, while DeSantis was named MW Freshman of the Year.