FRESNO, Calif. — Luke Dugger led the Sacramento State men's golf team in both rounds of the Nick Watney Invitational on Monday at Sunnyside CC. Dugger recorded a pair of rounds at 2-under par and is tied for 12^th place overall. The Hornets are in seventh place in the team standings and are 2-over par as a team.
 
Dugger opened the morning with a bogey on the par-4 10^th but then parred the next eight holes to stand at 1-over at the turn. His front nine began with birdies on the par-4 1^st and 2^nd holes to get him to 1-under and he remained there until a bogey on the par-4 seventh returned him to even. Dugger closed the round with consecutive birdies on Nos. 8 and 9.
 
Max Thomas and Gabriel Smith each shot even par rounds of 71 to tie for second on the team in the morning round. Thomas was even through his first nine holes with a birdie on the par-3 13^th and a bogey on the par-4 16^th. He moved to 1-over following a bogey on No. 3 but also birdied Nos. 8 and 9 to get to 1-under.
 
Smith was 2-over through eight holes with a birdie on the par-5 15^th and three bogeys. He then played his final 10 holes at 2-under beginning with a birdie on the par-4 third and ending with a birdie on the par-4 12^th with eight pars in between.
 
Jake Aberle completed the first-round total with a 73. Aberle overcame a double bogey on his first hole to record birdies on Nos. 14, 15, 2 and 6 to get him to 2-under through 13 holes. However, he bogeyed Nos. 7, 8 and 11 (all par-4) to end the round.
 
In the second round, Dugger had five birdies and three bogeys. His round was his 12^th of the season under par and his fourth straight. Dugger was only over par at one point of the round was he was 1-over through five holes before recording birdies and three of his next four. His two round total tied him for 12^th overall.
 
Zach Mate shot 72 in the second round and is tied for 35^th overall. Mate had two birdies and three bogeys during the session.
 
The team total was completed by Gabe Smith and Jake Aberle who each shot 73.
 
Fresno State and San Diego are tied for the team lead at 15-under. The remainder of the top five is comprised of Pacific (13-under), Santa Clara (10-under) and Cal Poly (9-under).
 
The final round will take place on Tuesday with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. The Hornets will be paired with CSUN. Idaho and Utah Valley during the round.
 
 
NICK WATNEY INVITATIONAL
Fresno, Calif. | Sunnyside CC
Par 71 | 6,938 Yards
 
Team Standings
T1. Fresno State 278-275-553
T1. San Diego 279-274-553
3. Pacific 277-278-555
4. Santa Clara 276-282-58
5. Cal Poly 278-281-559
6. San Francisco 279-285-564
7. Sacramento State 283-287-570
8. UC San Diego 286-285-571
9. Utah Valley 284-291-575
10. Idaho 284-298-582
11. Air Force 2998-287-585
12. CSUN 285-302-587
12. Southern Utah 292-295-587
 
Individual Top Five
1. Carlos Astiazaran, PAC, 66-67-133
2. Baron Szeto, CP, 68-66-134
3. Renato Naula, USF, 68-67-135
T4. Travis Robbie, PAC, 68-68-136
T4. James Watney, FS, 68-68-136
T4. Mason Benbrook, FS, 69-67-136
 
Sacramento State Scores
T12. Luke Dugger 69-69-138
T31. Gabriel Smith 71-73-144
T35. Max Thomas 71-74-145
T35. Jake Aberle 72-73-145
T35. Zach Mate 73-72-145
T49. Zach Matzke 78-69-147
T65. Patrick Dumag 75-76-151