After a less than superb round to begin the Fresno State-Lexus Classic, the ASU men's golf team bounced back last weekend in the final two rounds to post an eighth-place finish at 20-over 884 (305-288-291).
"The first round was kind of depressing," ASU head coach Randy Lein said. "Even though they gave a couple shots up at the end, they still played two solid final rounds of golf."
The two-day, 54-hole event at par 72, 6,874-yard San Joaquin Country Club in Fresno, Calif., featured 18 different teams. Host Fresno State took home the team title for the second time in as many years.
The Bulldogs won the championship with a 6-over 870 (289-295-286). After taking a four-stroke lead into the final round, Texas-El Paso fell into second place and finished two strokes behind Fresno State at 8-over 872 (294-286-292). Rounding out the top five were Colorado State (11-over 875), San Diego State (13-over 877) and Brigham Young (13-over 877).
ASU's opening-round 305 put it in a hole too deep to dig out of. The Sun Devils played competitively enough to rebound from a 16th-place tie and could have contended for the title, had it not been their first-round blunder.
"It is frustrating looking back," Lein said. "If we shot even the first day, it meant we would have won. We were still the best team there."
Senior Brady Stockton led the way for ASU with a 14th-place finish. He carded a 2-over 218 (71-73-74) with his low score coming at the end of the first day when he fired one of ASU's two sub-par rounds at 1-under 71.
"Brady, for whatever reason, does not play as well locally," Lein said. "But when it comes to tournaments, he takes more time. He was more serious and hit a lot of good shots."
Sun Devil junior Chez Reavie did not fare so well. Coming off a ninth-place finish last month at the TOPY Cup in Tokyo, Reavie finished 49th with an 11-over 227 (77-75-75).
ASU's other three competitors were partaking in their inaugural events of the season. Junior Ben Flam finished tied for 17th place at 3-over 219 (75-72-72) and junior Mike Derminio took 38th at 8-over 224 (80-71-73). Sun Devil freshman Lenny Park, who was playing in his first ever tournament at any level, turned in a 12-over 228 (82-74-72) for a 57th-place finish.
Fresno State senior Nick Watney captured individual medalist honors for the second straight year. His 12-under 204 included a 7-under 65 on the tournament's final day.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
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