GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Chico State men's golf team captured the team title at the Palm Valley Classic, while senior Naoki Easterday earned co-medalist honors, marking the Wildcats' second team win of the season. Chico State set a new tournament scoring record at the Palm Valley Classic, posting 39-under par and finishing 11 strokes clear of the 20-team field after rounds of 276 (-12), 275 (-13) and 274 (-14).
This was Chico State's first year winning the RJGA Palm Valley Classic, following a record-breaking second place finish last season.
Chico State held a one-shot lead after day one at 25-under par and closed strong in Tuesday's final round with a 14-under 274 to secure the title. The Wildcats led the field in both par-3 and par-5 scoring and tied for the most birdies with 71, including 18 from Easterday.
Easterday led the way with rounds of 66 (-6), 70 (-2) and 68 (-4) to finish tied for first, earning his second tournament win of the season. His opening-round 66 matched his career low, previously set at the Palm Valley Classic last year. Entering the final hole of his final round, Easterday needed a birdie to force a playoff with Liam Allan of Colorado School of Mines and converted a 3-foot putt to send it to playoff holes, ultimately falling just short after reaching the third hole in the playoff. "I didn't really have any expectations heading into the playoff," Easterday said. "I had played the playoff hole -3 on the week, so I just stuck to the same game plan." Reflecting on his second T1 finish of the season, Easterday added, "It's rewarding knowing my hard work has paid off. After being with this program for four years, I definitely feel like I have improved each year." The result also marks his fifth top-five finish of the season.
Freshman Ty Weaver continued his strong play, posting rounds of 73 (+1), 66 (-6) and 67 (-5) to finish tied for fifth, marking his first top-five finish and second top-10 finish of the season. Freshman Vineet Vallamsetty delivered another consistent performance with rounds of 70 (-2), 71 (-1) and 70 (-2) to place tied for 22nd. Head coach Nick Green highlighted the impact of the Wildcats' young lineup, noting that having two freshmen contribute at a high level is impactful for the team. Green said the pair feeds off each other and brings great energy, adding that he is excited for their continued growth as they keep improving, working hard, and helping elevate the program moving forward.
Senior Giuseppe Aliotti carded rounds of 70-68-72 to finish tied for 16th, while junior Alex LemMon closed with rounds of 70-74-69 to finish tied for 35th. Aliotti and LemMon combined for 30 birdies over the three rounds, ranking sixth among players in the field.
The Wildcats will close out regular-season play April 13–14 at the Stanislaus Invitational at Turlock Golf & Country Club.
