Colorado State University Athletics
CSU Wins Fifth Straight Ram Masters Invitational Presented By Pedersen Toyota
9/18/2018 9:04:00β―PM | Men's Golf
Rams capture event title by 14 shots, four players finish in top nine individually
FORT COLLINS, Colo. βΒ Colorado State men's golf extended its lead late in the final round to capture the 2018 Ram Masters Invitational presented by Pedersen Toyota, Sept. 17-18. The two-day, 54-hole event, hosted by the Rams, was played at Fort Collins Country Club (Par 70 β 7,218 yards) in Fort Collins, Colo.
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Starting the final round with an 11-shot advantage, the No. 28 Rams maintained at least an eight-shot lead throughout the last 18 holes and eventually finished with a 4-under 836, 14 shots clear of runner-up Illinois State, who opened its season with a victory at Wisconsin's tournament. The Redbirds finished at 10-over 850, four shots better than South Dakota in third at 14-over 854. In-state rivals rounded out the top five teams, as Denver moved up to fourth at 15-over 855 and Northern Colorado placed fifth at 19-over 859.
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CSU had four players finish in the top 10. Sophomore Parathakorn Suyasri recorded his top collegiate finish as the tournament's runner-up, shooting a 4-under 206. Senior Jake Staiano was three shots back at 1-over 209, one shot ahead of freshman Davis Bryant in a tie for sixth at even-par 210 as only eight players finished at par or better. Junior AJ Ott was next for CSU at 1-over 211, tied for ninth, while sophomore Cullen Plousha completed the team scoring at 6-over 16, tied for 31st. Wyoming's Dan Starzinski took home medalist honors with a tournament-record 11-under 199 after a final round 4-under 66.
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Three other Rams posted 54-hole totals as individuals in the tournament. Sophomore Jack Ainscough tied for 22nd at 4-over 214, with redshirt freshman Andrew Lafferty next in a tie for 47th at 10-over 220. Freshman North Ponghathaikul rounded out the finishers at 13-over 223, tied for 62nd.
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In Their Words
Head Coach Christian Newton on hosting the Ram Masters event
"I love to showcase Fort Collins and bring a lot of good teams here with a chance to take home a lot of wins. Obviously, winning is a really big deal. The golf course is set up really difficult and it's things you may see down the road, especially in a regional championship. So it's good to face some pressure and those types of things in these conditions.
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Stat of the Tournament:
The Rams shot a 14-under 266 in Monday's second round, the lowest single-round total in tournament history by two shots. It is just two shots off of the top 11 single rounds in school history.
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Tournament Notes:
β’ CSU's finish of 4-under 836 is the second-lowest 54-hole total in the tournament's seven-year history. It is also the third time in four years that the margin of victory has been 10 shots or more.
β’ This is the second consecutive year that the Rams have had four of the team's five counting players finish in the top nine individually.
β’ For senior Jake Staiano, this was his third victory as a member of the team and his third top-10 and fourth top-20 individual placing in four years of competing in the event. He now has eight top-10 and 16 top-20 finishes in his 30 career tournaments at CSU
β’ Junior AJ Ott picked up his fourth top-10 finish over the last 13 tournaments he has played in dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season.
β’ Freshman Davis Bryant now has two top-16 finishes in his first two collegiate events.
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Next Up:
β’ Colorado State heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, Fri.-Sat., Sept. 28-29 at the UNM Championship Course
β’ Last year, the Rams finished fifth out of 17 teams in the event, shooting a 17-over 881
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Starting the final round with an 11-shot advantage, the No. 28 Rams maintained at least an eight-shot lead throughout the last 18 holes and eventually finished with a 4-under 836, 14 shots clear of runner-up Illinois State, who opened its season with a victory at Wisconsin's tournament. The Redbirds finished at 10-over 850, four shots better than South Dakota in third at 14-over 854. In-state rivals rounded out the top five teams, as Denver moved up to fourth at 15-over 855 and Northern Colorado placed fifth at 19-over 859.
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CSU had four players finish in the top 10. Sophomore Parathakorn Suyasri recorded his top collegiate finish as the tournament's runner-up, shooting a 4-under 206. Senior Jake Staiano was three shots back at 1-over 209, one shot ahead of freshman Davis Bryant in a tie for sixth at even-par 210 as only eight players finished at par or better. Junior AJ Ott was next for CSU at 1-over 211, tied for ninth, while sophomore Cullen Plousha completed the team scoring at 6-over 16, tied for 31st. Wyoming's Dan Starzinski took home medalist honors with a tournament-record 11-under 199 after a final round 4-under 66.
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Three other Rams posted 54-hole totals as individuals in the tournament. Sophomore Jack Ainscough tied for 22nd at 4-over 214, with redshirt freshman Andrew Lafferty next in a tie for 47th at 10-over 220. Freshman North Ponghathaikul rounded out the finishers at 13-over 223, tied for 62nd.
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In Their Words
Head Coach Christian Newton on hosting the Ram Masters event
"I love to showcase Fort Collins and bring a lot of good teams here with a chance to take home a lot of wins. Obviously, winning is a really big deal. The golf course is set up really difficult and it's things you may see down the road, especially in a regional championship. So it's good to face some pressure and those types of things in these conditions.
Β
Stat of the Tournament:
The Rams shot a 14-under 266 in Monday's second round, the lowest single-round total in tournament history by two shots. It is just two shots off of the top 11 single rounds in school history.
Β
Tournament Notes:
β’ CSU's finish of 4-under 836 is the second-lowest 54-hole total in the tournament's seven-year history. It is also the third time in four years that the margin of victory has been 10 shots or more.
β’ This is the second consecutive year that the Rams have had four of the team's five counting players finish in the top nine individually.
β’ For senior Jake Staiano, this was his third victory as a member of the team and his third top-10 and fourth top-20 individual placing in four years of competing in the event. He now has eight top-10 and 16 top-20 finishes in his 30 career tournaments at CSU
β’ Junior AJ Ott picked up his fourth top-10 finish over the last 13 tournaments he has played in dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season.
β’ Freshman Davis Bryant now has two top-16 finishes in his first two collegiate events.
Β
Next Up:
β’ Colorado State heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, Fri.-Sat., Sept. 28-29 at the UNM Championship Course
β’ Last year, the Rams finished fifth out of 17 teams in the event, shooting a 17-over 881
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Players Mentioned
CSU Golf (M): Jack Kennedy Press Conference (10/7/2025)
Tuesday, October 07
Colorado State Golf (M): Jack Kennedy Fall Press Conference
Wednesday, August 06
Colorado State Golf (M): 2021 Paintbrush Recap
Friday, October 08
Colorado State Golf (M): 2021 Ram Masters Recap
Tuesday, September 21


















