M. Golf Set to Defend Title at Wyoming Cowboy Classic

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State men's golf team will look to defend its title at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, which will take place on the par-72, 7,334-yard Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona. The Cowboy Classic will feature 36 holes on Monday and the final 18-hole round on Tuesday.
 
The Aztecs are one of 25 teams slated for the Cowboy Classic, joining No. 19 Kansas, No. 38 Nevada, Cal State Fullerton, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, New Mexico State, San Diego, San Diego State, Southern Utah, TCU, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UNC Wilmington, UNLV, Utah State, Utah Valley, UTSA, Weber State and host Wyoming.
 
Last year, SDSU won the event, its second tourney title of the season, with a tournament-record 33-under-par 831, followed by TCU (-27), Colorado (-24) and Loyola Marymount (-20). San Diego State had four top-20 finishes in last year's tournament, including Puwit Anupansuebsai, who tied for second out of 104 golfers at 12-under 204. Callum Bruce tied for fifth at 11-under 205, while Youssef Guezzale (-5) and Steve Sugimoto (-4) tied for 14th and 17th, respectively. Zihao Jin was the fifth man for the Aztecs and tied for 39th at +1. Stanford's Barclay Brown captured medalist honors with a tournament-record 14-under 202.
 
Prior to last year's tournament, San Diego State previously competed in the Wyoming Cowboy Classic in 2009 when five individuals played in the tournament, not counting in team scores.
 
The Aztecs will tee off from the 18th hole at 7:30 a.m. PT Monday and will play all 36 holes with Wyoming individuals. Tuesday's final round will be based on Monday's scores.
 
SDSU is coming off a 14th-place showing at Arizona's National Invitational Tournament at 6-over 870 on March 18-19. Guezzale led the way for San Diego State in a tie for 23rd at 4-under 212.
 
Aztec head coach Ryan Donovan has penciled in the lineup of Guezzale, Anupansuebsai, Jin, Sugimoto and Justin Hastings.
 
Jin leads SDSU with a 72.40 stroke average in 15 rounds, followed by Anupansuebsai (72.48), Guezzale (72.79) and Sugimoto (72.83). Hastings (73.47), meanwhile, will be playing in the Aztec starting lineup for the first time.
 
Following this weekend's Wyoming Cowboy Classic, San Diego State will compete April 11-13 in the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California.