The Chico State men’s golf team finished its fall in fine form in no small part thanks to the play of Tyler Ashman. The junior from Clovis, and Wildcat of the Week, collected his first collegiate win in the first half of the team’s trip to Hawaii last week. In the process, he helped lead the Wildcats to their second team win of the fall.
Ashman carded rounds of 67 and 68 to tie for first place at 9-under par at the Southwest Airlines Hawaii Pacific University Shark Shootout Wednesday at Leilehua Golf Course in Wahaiawa, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. His efforts helped the Wildcats finish 18-under par as a team and tie Stanislaus State for the team title. The Wildcats took home the trophy via tiebreaker.
The first-place finish is Ashman's first as a collegiate. His previous best finish was a tie for fourth at last year's Western Washington Invitational, but thanks to his strong recent run of play, it appeared obvious that bigger things were coming. Ashman capped the 2021-22 campaign with two of his best collegiate rounds, and started this season the way he left off, with four rounds of 70 or better in the team’s first three events.
Ashman made it six rounds of 70 or better out of his first 11 of the season with his efforts at Leilehua. He posted an eagle, 11 birdies, and only four bogeys while ranking among the tournament’s top 10 (out of 90) in par-3, par-4, and par-5 scoring.
On Friday and Saturday, at the Dennis Rose Invitational, Ashman shot 74-71 to finish tied for 27th in the 88-man field and help lead the Wildcats to a third-place finish. He finished the spring with a team-low stroke average of 71.69.
Ashman and the Wildcats will now be off until the spring, which they open at the CSUSM Fujikura Invitational at Shadowridge Golf Club in Vista on February 13-14.
