SDSU Men’s Golf Leads after First Round of Southwestern Invitational

LAKE SHERWOOD, Calif. -- The San Diego State men’s golf team fired an 8-under-par 276 to take a six-shot lead after the first round of the loaded Southwestern Invitational Monday at Sherwood Country Club in Lake Sherwood, California. Three Aztecs - sophomore Nathan Sampson (Temecula, Calif.), junior Chanachon Chokprajakchat (Bangkok, Thailand) and senior Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) - are among the top-5 and ties through 18 holes on the par-71, 7,076-yard track.

SDSU (-8), which is 32nd in the latest NCAA computer rankings, is one of only three programs in the 14-team field to shoot under-par on Monday, joining No. 15 Vanderbilt (-2) and No. 43 USC (-1). Other notable programs behind San Diego State through 18 holes are No. 5 Texas (sixth, +5), No. 19 Pepperdine (seventh, +7), No. 14 Florida (tied for eighth, +9), No. 24 Duke (10th, +12), No. 10 UCLA (11th, +13) and No. 11 Arizona (12th, +14).

Competing in the Aztec starting lineup for just the third time of his career, Sampson matched a collegiate low with a 4-under 67, which is third out of 75 golfers. Sampson bogeyed the par-3, 185-yard third hole, but was flawless the rest of the way, sinking three birdies with an eagle on the par-5, 536-yard 11th. Sampson is just one shot behind co-leaders Ivan Barahona (San Jose State) and Wyatt Plattner (UNLV).

Chokprajakchat and Hastings, meanwhile, are tied for fifth with three others at -2. Chokprajakchat got the fireworks going early when he holed out for an eagle 2 on the par-4, 386-yard first. He got to -4 with birdies on the par-4, 459-yard fifth and the par-4, 421-yard ninth to finish off a front-nine 31, but came back with a 2-over 38 on the back nine with seven pars and two bogeys.

Hastings was bogey-free through 15 holes, including birdies on the ninth, 11th and par-5, 538-yard 14th. Hastings dropped one with a bogey on the par-4, 452-yard 16th before ending his round with consecutive pars to sign for a 69.

Freshman Harry Takis (Brisbane, Australia) shot an even-par 71 and is tied for 16th. Takis had three birdies and three bogeys (none on the back nine).

Junior Tyler Kowack (San Diego/Canyon Crest Academy) is tied for 42nd at +4. His rollercoaster round featured four birdies - all in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of the round - four bogeys and an unfortunate quadruple bogey on the third hole.

SDSU plays its second round with Vanderbilt and USC, beginning on the first hole at 10:50 a.m. PT.

The Southwestern Invitational
Day One Results – Jan. 27, 2025
Sherwood Country Club – Lake Sherwood, Calif.
Par 71, 7,076 Yards

Team Standings
1. No. 32 San Diego State…276 (-8)
2. No. 15 Vanderbilt…282 (-2)
3. No. 43 USC…283 (-1)
4. No. 44 UNLV…285 (+1)
5. San Jose State…286 (+2)
6. No. 5 Texas…289 (+5)
7. No. 19 Pepperdine…291 (+7)
T8. No. 14 Florida…293 (+9)
T8. California…293 (+9)
10. No. 24 Duke…296 (+12)
11. No. 10 UCLA…297 (+13)
12. No. 11 Arizona…298 (+14)
13. Washington…299 (+15)
14. Tennessee-Chattanooga…309 (+25)

Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 75 players + SDSU)
T1. Ivan Barahona (San Jose State)…66 (-5)
T1. Wyatt Plattner (UNLV)…66 (-5)
3. Nathan Sampson (San Diego State)…67 (-4)
4. Wells Williams (Vanderbilt)…68 (-3)
T5. Chanachon Chokprajakchat (San Diego State)…69 (-2)
T5. Justin Hastings (San Diego State)…69 (-2)
T5. Christiaan Maas (Texas)…69 (-2)
T5. Jose Antonio Safa (USC)…69 (-2)
T5. ^Matthew Kress (Florida)…69 (-2)
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T16. Harry Takis (San Diego State)…71 (E)
T42. Tyler Kowack (San Diego State)…75 (+4)
^ competing as an individual