CRESWELL, Ore. – San Diego State won its third straight Mountain West Men’s Golf Championship on Sunday, pulling even in the team score with one group to play in regulation and then winning a one-hole playoff over New Mexico to claim the 2024 edition of the tournament, which was held at the par-72, 7,210-yard Emerald Valley Golf Club. Boise State’s Cole Rueck shot a 4-under-par 68 in the final round to win his first collegiate individual title.

The Aztecs entered the final day of the tournament trailing Colorado State by two strokes but shot a 3-under 285 to finish the three-day event at 11-under 853. New Mexico, which entered the day tied for fifth and six shots out of the lead, turned in the low round of the day at 7-under 281 to finish at 853 but had to wait out the rest of the pack to see if the score would hold.

SDSU’s Chanachon Chokprajakchat and Justin Hastings both birdied 18 to draw the Aztecs even, and tournament runner-up Shea Lague saw his birdie attempt lip out on the final hole as the teams finished regulation deadlocked.

Both squads went back to the 18 tee box to play the hole again, with New Mexico exiting the first fivesome with a one-stroke lead thanks to Oliver Cage’s birdie. With the Aztecs needing a two-stroke swing from the second fivesome, Tyler Kowack and Hastings dropped birdies to secure the win.

San Diego State became the first team to capture three consecutive MW titles since UNLV did so from 2016-18. The title was the Aztecs’ sixth overall and guaranteed SDSU a spot in an NCAA regional.

In the individual race, Rueck turned in his second straight round of 68 to move to 7-under 209 on the tournament. The Bronco sophomore, who finished his round around 12:30 p.m., had to wait nearly four hours to see if his score would hold. Rueck, who played his final 27 holes at 9-under and didn’t have a bogey in the final round, captured Boise State’s first individual MW title since Brian Humphreys won in 2018. Rueck captured the Mountain West’s individual automatic bid to the NCAA regionals.

SDSU’s Lague finished a stroke back of Rueck at 6-under 210 with his final-round 2-under 70. Hastings shot 1-under 71 in the final round to tie for seventh at 3-under 213 for the tournament.

New Mexico had four players finish in the top 10. Albert Boneta matched Rueck for the low round of the day with a 68, pushing him 15 positions up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth at 4-under 212. Matthew Watkins shot 71 Sunday to finish at 213 in a tie for seventh, and Bastien Amat and Carson Herron tied for ninth at 2-under 214. Amat jumped 19 places in the standings with a 3-under 69 to cap the tournament.

Fresno State’s Matthew Sutherland and UNLV’s Caden Fioroni tied for third at 5-under 211, while Colorado State’s Connor Jones tied for fifth at 4-under 212 and Wyoming’s Jimmy Dales tied for ninth at 2-under 214 to round out the top 10.

Colorado State finished third in the team standings, followed by San José State in fourth, Fresno State and Nevada in a tie for fifth, UNLV and Wyoming in a tie for seventh, and Boise State, Utah State and Air Force, in that order.

The NCAA selection show will air on the Golf Channel on Wednesday, May 1, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Regionals will take place at six sites from May 13-15, followed by the national championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

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