'Dogs travel South for RE Lamkin Invitational

Fresno State at RE Lamkin Invitational
March 10-11 • San Diego CC • Chula Vista, CA
Live Stats: Scoreboard
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateMG

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State men's golf team will go on the road for the R.E. Lamkin Invitational hosted by San Diego State at the Par72, 7,033-yard San Diego Country Club.

SCHEDULE
Monday, March 10 – 7:30 a.m. PT, shotgun start
Tuesday, March 11 – 8 a.m. PT, shotgun start

THE FIELD
The 16-team field includes Brigham Young (22), San Diego State (25), Notre Dame (32), Colorado (33), San Diego (35), Colorado State (40), New Mexico (47), LMU (57), Santa Clara (58), Saint Mary's (80), Fresno State (100), Wyoming (105), Cal Poly (111), UC Davis (146), UC San Diego and (163) Hawai'i (169).

THE LINEUP

Joseph Lloyd - 71.6 season scoring average
James Watney - 71.7 season scoring average
Jaden Hunter - 73 season scoring average
Mason Benbrook - 72.2 season scoring average
Chris Bettencourt - 72 season scoring average

NICK WATNEY INVITATIONAL CHAMPS!
Fresno State secured their first home tournament victory since 2002 by defeating San Diego in a playoff to win the 2025 Nick Watney Invitational at Sunnyside Country Club.

Both teams capped 54 holes at 23-under 829. The playoff involved both teams having all five players play the par-5 No. 18, with the top four scores counting. The Bulldogs finished 3-under, edging out the Toreros, who finished 2-under.

James Watney had a career-best performance, finishing in second place with a 9-under 204, recording a 68 in each of the three rounds.

Joseph Lloyd delivered a season-low 7-under 206, earning a tie for seventh place. Jaden Hunter shot a career-low 3-under 210, tying for 14th. Chris Bettencourt placed 24th at 1-over, finishing in the top 25, while Ryan Firpo tied for 29th at 3-over.

Competing as an individual, Mason Benbrook recorded a season-best finish in 11th place with a 4-under score.

WATNEY NAMED MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State sophomore James Watney was named the Mountain West Golfer of the Week on Feb. 27.

Watney delivered a career-best performance to lead the Bulldogs to the Nick Watney Invitational title, finishing second with a 9-under 204. He shot a 68 in each of the three rounds, marking his second top-10 finish of the season.

It was especially fitting for Watney to have a standout performance in an event named after his cousin, Nick Watney. This is the first MW weekly honor of the sophomore's career.

FAMILY LINKS
The Fresno State men's golf program stands on tradition, hard work and brotherhood. It has since its inaugural season in 1959 and the Bulldogs' 2024-'25 roster includes a number of connections to the program's past, as legacies look to uphold that tradition and make their own mark on the golf course and the program.

There's James Watney, the grandson of legendary Fresno State golf coach Mike Watney, son of Josh Watney and cousin of Nick Watney, both former Bulldogs' golfers. Jake and Chris Bettencourt are the sons of three-time All-American Jon Bettencourt.

Coach Chad Spencer and assistant coach Michael Cliff, both Fresno State alumni, take a lot of pride in upholding the program's tradition.

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Players Mentioned

Mason Benbrook

Chris Bettencourt

Ryan Firpo

Jaden Hunter

Joseph Lloyd

James Watney