April 20, 2018
Bremerton, Wash.----- San Jose State's 21 birdies among five players propelled the Spartans to an even par team score and a spot in fifth place after 18 holes of the Mountain West Men's Golf Championship.
San Jose State posted an even par team score of 288 on the par 72, 7,115-yard Gold Mountain Olympic Course. The Spartans are four strokes behind co-leaders UNLV, Colorado State and San Diego State, all at four-under par 284. Fresno State is sandwiched in between the co-leaders and the Spartans at one-under 287 in the 11-team championship.
"We played strategically sound golf. I was very impressed with the majority of our club selection to maximize our ability to score," said San Jose State men's golf coach John Kennaday whose team had reached four-under par with between three and five holes remaining but had to deal with gustier conditions the rest of the way compared to the three co-leaders. Collectively, the Spartans, whose birdie total was one behind Nevada's 22, only gave up two strokes to par on their final five holes.
"Our boys battled. This is a heck of a golf course. I'm very pleased with how they have battled all year."
Senior Sean Talmadge led the Spartan five-man team with a four-under par 68 and is in a three-way tie for second on the individual leaderboard. Talmadge's best 18 holes and first sub-70 score at San Jose State included seven birdies, tied for most on the day by the 55-player field. Five of birdies came in his last 10 holes without a bogey.
Kevin Velo, Ben Campbell and Sean Yu each had four birdies in their round. Campbell is tied for 15th at even par 72; Velo and Yu are tied for 24th at two-over 74. Bryce Wortman also posted a 74 for the Spartans.
A.J. Ott of Colorado State is the first round individual leader at six-under par 66.
The 54-hole championship continues with 18 holes on April 21 and a final 18 on April 22.
Mountain West Men's Golf Championship
Gold Mountain-Olympic Course, Bremerton, Wash.
7,111 yards, par 72
April 20, 2018
18-hole results
| Team scoring | |
| 1. UNLV | 284 |
| 2. San Diego State | 284 |
| 3. Colorado State | 284 |
| 4. Fresno State | 287 |
| 5. San José State | 288 |
| 6. Wyoming | 289 |
| 7. Nevada | 293 |
| 8. New Mexico | 295 |
| 9. Boise State | 296 |
| 10. Utah State | 304 |
| 11. Air Force | 305 |
| Leading Individuals | |
| 1. A.J. Ott, Colorado State | 66 |
| 2. Sean Talmadge, San Jose State | 68 |
| Grant Booth, Nevada | 68 |
| Shintaro Ban, UNLV | 68 |
| 5. Drew McCullough, Wyoming | 69 |
| Blake Abercrombie, San Diego State | 69 |
| Trevor Norby, San Diego State | 69 |
| Galven Green, New Mexico | 69 |
| Other San Jose State scores | |
| 15. Ben Campbell | 72 |
| 24. Kevin Velo | 74 |
| 24. Sean Yu | 74 |
| 24. Bryce Wortman | 74 |