Chico State Men’s Golf succeed as champions at the Wildcat Classic

Alejandro Mejia Mejia, Sports Editor|October 16, 2022

Alejandro Mejia Mejia

On Oct. 10, junior Tayler Ashman looks to aim his shot onto the green with an iron club at the Peach Tree Golf and Country Club. Ashman, went 8 under-par during the Wildcat Classic and finished in sixth place.

The water beamed from the freshly cut grass as a pack of Wildcats used the Peach Tree Golf Course as their hunting grounds, finishing as champions at the Wildcat Classic hosted by Chico State in Marysville, California.

The tournament began on Monday Oct. 10, with 22 groups all starting at 9 a.m. on the 18-hole course where the Wildcats struggled during the first round of play but made up for the slow start in the second round of the tournament.

In the first 18 holes for the Wildcats, only sophomore Mark Noonan and junior Tyler Ashman went under-par for the team’s starting-five. 

Noonan went 3 under-par in the first round making four birdies and only one bogey in the first 18 holes played.

“I worked pretty hard on my wedges so I had a lot more trust with them,” Noonan said. “I knew it was going to be an important part at Peach Tree so I was glad to see the work pay off there.”

At hole 18 at the Wildcat Classic, sophomore Mark Noonan hits his shot closer to the greens from the fairway with an iron. Noonan, finished in fourth place at the Wildcat Classic.
Hole 18 at the Wildcat Classic, sophomore Mark Noonan hits his shot closer to the greens from the fairway with an iron. Noonan, finished in fourth place at the Wildcat Classic. Photo Credit: Alejandro Mejia Mejia

For freshman Ben Mouser, this was his first tournament named to the starting five. He came out struggling, shooting a 75 on the par 72 course. 

In the second round, Mouser went 1 under-par and helped the Wildcats climb up to second place after the first full day of play had commenced. 

“I think everyone just wanted to win, so everyone was just focused on having another good day of golf,” Mouser said.

One of the key performances for the team came from Naoki Easterday. During the first 12 holes of the Wildcat Classic, Easterday went 6 over-par and struggled to hole his shots. 

But in his last six holes of the first round, he rallied back and had three birdies and one eagle to help put him only 1 over-par in the first round.

He carried his late first round success on to the second round, going 3 under-par and helping the Wildcats keep a podium position.

On Oct. 10, Naoki Easterday hits his ball back onto the fairway after his first shot landing in the rough. Easterday finished the tournament 3 under-par at the Par 72 course.
On Oct. 10, Naoki Easterday hits his ball back onto the fairway after his first shot landing in the rough. Easterday finished the tournament 3 under-par at the Par 72 course. Photo Credit: Alejandro Mejia Mejia

“After day one we were proud with the consistency in how many pars we made,” Noonan said. “We were also proud with how we played the par fives since that is usually a big factor in the team’s success.”

Going into the last round of play on Tuesday Oct. 12, four of the five starters finished the tournament strong, all finishing at par or under. 

For Ashman, he began the third round 10 under-par and tied for second place individually in the tournament. But it was the back nine holes where his momentum went downhill, having three bogeys. 

Overall, his performance at the tournament and shooting 8 under-par contributed to 40 percent of the team’s score with the Wildcats going 20 under-par.

At the tee box, freshman Ben Mouser aims his ball towards the fairway. For Mouser, the Wildcat Classic was his first tournament in the starting-five for the freshman.
At the tee box, freshman Ben Mouser aims his ball towards the fairway. For Mouser, the Wildcat Classic was his first tournament in the starting-five for the freshman. Photo Credit: Alejandro Mejia Mejia

Chico State also had a second group at the Wildcat Classic, consisting of junior Giacomo Sorrentino, sophomores Brayden Russo and Travis Miller and freshman Guiliano Kaminski and Landon Williams.

At the Western Washington Invitational, Miller struggled over the course of the two-day tournament as he finished tied for 65th place and shot 15 over-par. 

Miller had a much more successful campaign in Marysville. He finished the Wildcat Classic 4 under-par and tied for 13th place in the 66 person tournament. 

“I felt good to see the results, I knew what I needed to do to make adjustments and create a different approach to the tournament,” Miller said. “I had a good talk with coach Green, which led to a lot more confidence going into the home tournament.”

For the Wildcats as a whole, seven of the 10 individuals that played in the Wildcat Classic finished in the top 50% of the individual standings.

At the Peach Tree Golf and Country Club in Marysville, sophomore Dakota Ochoa sinks his putt for the birdie at hole six.
At the Peach Tree Golf and Country Club in Marysville, sophomore Dakota Ochoa sinks his putt for the birdie at hole six. Ochoa, finished the first round shooting a 75 on there Par 72 course. Photo Credit: Alejandro Mejia Mejia

“The tournament went great, everyone played very solid,” Mouser said. “Everyone was really excited to get a win and coach was happy with it all.”

The Chico State Men’s Golf team looks to continue their winning ways at the annual Otter Invitational hosted by Monterey Bay at the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, California on Oct. 17th through Oct. 18. 

“I am looking forward to competing on some more challenging courses,” Miller said. “I really want to enjoy each moment of each day because I know the fall season will be over before we know it.”

For more information about all Chico State Athletics, visit the Wildcats website.

Alejandro Mejia Mejia can be reached at [email protected] or @MeijaMeijaAlex on Twitter.