TUCSON, Ariz. -- The San Diego State men's golf team opened its defense of the Mountain West Championship with a 16-under 272 to lead the 11-team field after the first round of the event Friday at the par-72, 7,194-yard OMNI Tucson National in Tucson, Arizona.
The Aztecs, who are 30th in the latest GolfStat computer rankings, used rounds of 6-under 66 by the co-tournament leader Youssef Guezzale (San Diego/La Jolla HS), 5-under 67 by freshman Dylan Oyama (Carlsbad, Calif./Pacific Ridge HS) and 4-under 68 by sophomore Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS), while freshman Tyler Kowack (Del Mar, Calif./La Jolla HS) and sophomore Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) each posted 1-under 71s.
SDSU (-16) leads UNLV (-14) by two strokes, while Fresno State (-10), New Mexico (-10) and San Jose State (-9) round out the top 5. The rest of field includes Wyoming (-8), No. 23 Colorado State (-4), Boise State (E), Air Force (+2), Nevada (+4) and Utah State (+14).
Guezzale fired a 6-under 66 to lead San Diego State on the first day. Guezzale, who has a T3 and a T8 in his two previous appearances in the Mountain West Championship in 2022 and 2021, respectively, opened with five birdies through his first eight holes, including three in three consecutive holes - par-4, 425-yard sixth, par-3, 247-yard seventh and par-5, 587-yard eighth - to go out in 5-under 31. His first bogey came on the par-3, 183-yard 12th, but he rebounded with birdies on the par-5, 610-yard 15th and the par-4, 470-yard 18th to complete his 66.
Oyama is just one shot back in a tie for fifth following a 5-under 67 in his first MW Championship event. Oyama sank six birdies in the first round, including a three-hole stretch on the par-5, 535-yard second, par-4, 375-yard third and par-3, 170-yard fourth before bogeying the par-4, 436-yard ninth. He bounced back with back-to-back birdies on the par-5, 511-yard 10th and the par-4, 430-yard 11th, and added another on the par-3, 186-yard 17th to sign for a 67.
Also playing in his first MW Championship, Lague carded a 4-under 68 and is tied for seventh. Lague birdied the first two holes, bogeyed the ninth, then birdied No. 10, the par-4, 404-yard 14th and No. 15 to finish with a 68.
Kowack and Hastings each posted 1-under 71s and are tied for 23rd overall. Kowack got to 3-under with consecutive birdies on No. 15 and the par-4, 426-yard 16th, but ended bogey-bogey to settle for a 71 in his first MW Championship appearance. He logged five birdies and four bogeys on the day.
Hastings, meanwhile, made three birdies (and two bogeys), including on No. 18 to finish with a 1-under 71 in the first round.
Guezzale is tied atop the 55-man field at -6 with UNLV's Caden Fioroni, Fresno State's Matthew Manganello and San Jose State's Zubair Firdaus. Oyama is tied for fifth with Colorado State's Christoph Bleier at -5.
SDSU will tee off at 9:40 a.m. PT and will play with UNLV and New Mexico.
2023 Mountain West Championship
Day One Results (April 28, 2023)
Tucson, Ariz.
OMNI Tucson National (Catalina Course)
Par 72, 7,194 yards
Team Standings
1. No. 30 San Diego State…272 (-16)
2. UNLV…274 (-14)
T3. New Mexico…278 (-10)
T3. Fresno State…278 (-10)
5. San Jose State…279 (-9)
6. Wyoming…280 (-8)
7. No. 23 Colorado State…284 (-4)
8. Boise State…288 (E)
9. Air Force…290 (+2)
10. Nevada…292 (+4)
11. Utah State…302 (+14)
Individual Leaders (Top 6) of 55 players + SDSU)
T1. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…66 (-6)
T1. Caden Fioroni (UNLV)…66 (-6)
T1. Matthew Manganello (Fresno State)…66 (-6)
T1. Zubair Firdaus (San Jose State)…66 (-6)
T5. Dylan Oyama (San Diego State)…67 (-5)
T5. Christoph Bleier (Colorado State)…67 (-6)
---
T7. Shea Lague (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T23. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…71 (-1)
T23. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…71 (-1)
SDSU Leads after First Round at MW Championship
