Aztecs Tied for Eighth at Southwestern Invitational

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- The San Diego State men's golf team shot a 1-over 285 and is tied for eighth place after the first day of the Southwestern Invitational on the par-71, 6,800-yard North Ranch Country Club Monday in Westlake Village, California.
 
Sophomore Tyler Kowack (Del Mar, Calif./La Jolla HS) and junior Jack Townsend (San Diego/Charter School of San Diego) pace the Aztecs through the first 18 holes after firing a 2-under 69 on the Lakes and Oaks courses. Starting on the 10th hole, Kowack recorded consecutive birdies on the par-5 12th hole and the par-3 third, and got to 3-under with another birdie on the par-4 second. A bogey, however, on the par-5 sixth and five straight pars to finish had him settling for a 69, which is in a six-way tie for ninth out of 75 golfers.
 
Townsend, who is competing as an individual and whose scores don't count toward the team, had 15 pars, one birdie, one bogey and a key eagle on the par-5, sixth.
 
Sophomore Chanachon Chokprajakchat (Bangkok, Thailand) is in a tie for 25th with eight other golfers at even-par 71. Chokprajakchat had four birdies and four bogeys in his first round.
 
Junior Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) is a shot back of Chokprajakchat at 1-over 72, good for a tie for 36th. Hastings notched five birdies on the day, but also four bogeys and a double bogey on the par-3, eighth hole.
 
Senior Jackson Moss (San Diego/Point Loma HS), meanwhile, is tied for 44th at 2-over 73, and junior Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) is tied for 67th at +5.
 
UNLV's Caden Fioroni blazed to the lead with a 9-under 62, four shots clear of California's Aaron Du, Texas Tech's Tyran Sanders and USC's Nicolas Domingez (USC).
 
No. 21 Texas Tech sits atop the 13-team field at 7-under 277, while USC (-6), UNLV (-6), No. 31 UCLA (-4) and No. 18 California (-3) round out the top 5.
 
SDSU will once again play with UNLV and Wake Forest for Tuesday's second round, beginning at 8:55 a.m. PT from the first hole.
 
Southwestern Invitational
Westlake Village, Calif.
Day One Results (Jan. 29, 2024)
North Ranch Country Club
Par 71, 6,800 yards
 
Team Standings (top 5 of 13 and SDSU)
1. No. 21 Texas Tech…277 (-7)
2. USC…278 (-6)
3. UNLV…279 (-5)
4. No. 31 UCLA…280 (-4)
5. No. 18 California…281 (-3)
---
T8. No. 34 San Diego State…285 (+1)
 
Individual Leaders (Top 7 of 75 players + SDSU)
1. Caden Fioroni (UNLV)…62 (-9)
T2. Aaron Du (California)…66 (-5)
T2. Tyran Snyders (Texas Tech)…66 (-5)
T2. Nicolas Domingez (USC)…66 (-5)
T5. Luke Powell (UCLA)…67 (-4)
T5. Santiago De La Fuente (Houston)…67 (-4)
T5. Antonio Safa (USC)…67 (-4)
---
T10. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…69 (-2)
T10. ^Jack Townsend (San Diego State)…69 (-2)
T25. Chanachon Chokprajakchat (San Diego State)…71 (E)
T34. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…72 (+1)
T44. Jackson Moss (San Diego State)…73 (+2)
T67. Shea Lague (San Diego State)…76 (+5)