SALEM, S.C. -- The San Diego State men's golf team is in a tie for 12th place at 4-under-par 284 after the first round of the NCAA Salem Regional Monday on the par-72, 7,126-yard The Cliffs at Keowee Falls in Salem, South Carolina.
Only two Aztecs - sophomores Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) (-4) and Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) (-1) - are under par after the first round.
No. 23 SDSU is tied with Longwood at -4 and is six shots back of fifth place, which would advance San Diego State to the NCAA Championship, slated for May 26-31, at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. No. 35 Arkansas leads the 14-team field at 22-under 266, while No. 47 New Mexico (-16), No. 2 North Carolina (-15), Northern Illinois (-13) and No. 11 Georgia Tech (-10) are currently in the top-5 after the first round. No. 26 Georgia Southern (-9), No. 14 Texas A&M (-7), host Clemson (-6), Furman (-5), Middle Tennessee (-5) No. 38 Purdue (-5) are also ahead of the Aztecs, while Long Island (+20) is the only team over par.
Hastings shot SDSU's low round of the day at 4-under 68, which has him tied for 13th with eight others out of 75 golfers. Starting on the 10th hole, he went out in 1-under 35 then got hot on his back nine, birdieing the par-5, 582-yard second, par-4, 369-yard third and par-4, 476-yard fourth before adding one more birdie on the par-4, 366-yard eighth. A bogey, however, on the par-5, 609-yard ninth dropped Hastings to a 68.
Lague, meanwhile, was 3-under through 12 holes after three birdies on his front nine, but an unfortunate triple bogey on fourth doomed his opening round. Lague birdied the par-4, 415-yard sixth to salvage a 71.
The Mountain West Freshman of the Year and MW Championship medalist Dylan Oyama (Carlsbad, Calif./Pacific Ridge HS) carded an even-par 72 and is tied for 42nd. Oyama had three birdies on the day, including his final hole (No. 9), which were offset by three bogeys.
Senior Youssef Guezzale (San Diego/La Jolla HS) is tied for 49th at +1. Guezzale got to 2-under with a birdie on the third but had three bogeys over his final six holes to settle for a 73.
Freshman Tyler Kowack (Del Mar, Calif./La Jolla HS) shot a 78 (+6) and is tied for 70th. Kowack birdied both the par-4, 427-yard 15th and the par-5, 537-yard 16th, but didn't have another bogey, instead logging six bogeys and a triple bogey on the par-5, 546-yard 18th.
North Carolina's Ryan Burnett fired a 9-under 63 and is the first-round leader. Rounding out the top-5 are Longwood's Scott Jordan (-8), Furman's Sam Lape (-7) and two players from Arkansas in Will Gibson (-7) and Segundo Pinto (-7).
San Diego State will tee off from the 10th hole at 9:25 a.m. ET (6:25 a.m. PT) along with Purdue and Middle Tennessee.
2023 NCAA Salem Regional
Day One Results (May 15, 2023)
Salem, S.C.
The Cliffs at Keowee Falls
Par 72, 7,126 yards
Team Standings (Top 5 + SDSU)
1. No. 35 Arkansas…266 (-22)
2. No. 47 New Mexico…272 (-16)
3. No. 2 North Carolina…273 (-15)
4. Northern Illinois…275 (-13)
5. No. 11 Georgia Tech…278 (-10)
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T12. No. 23 San Diego State…284 (-4)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 75 players + SDSU)
1. Ryan Burnett (North Carolina)…63 (-9)
2. Scott Jordan (Longwood)…64 (-8)
T3. Will Gibson (Arkansas)…65 (-7)
T3. Sam Lape (Furman)…65 (-7)
T3. Segundo Pinto (Arkansas)…65 (-7)
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T13. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…68 (-4)
T33. Shea Lague (San Diego State)…71 (-1)
T42. Dylan Oyama (San Diego State)…72 (E)
T49. Youssef Guezzale (San Diego State)…73 (+1)
T70. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…78 (+6)
Aztecs Tied for 12th at NCAA Salem Regional
