Cal State San Bernardino and Chico State each shot 23 under par as a team to wind up as co-champions of the 2009 Grand Canyon University Thunderbird Invitational men’s golf tournament at Palm Valley Country Club.

It was the third straight tournament victory for the Coyotes, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II West Region, and their fourth win of the 2008-09 season. CSUSB is ranked No. 9 in the nation by Golfstat and No. 14 by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

CSUSB sophomore Kenny Pigman led the birdie parade for the Coyotes, taking medalist honors by shooting a two-under-par 70 Tuesday to wind up with a 54-hole total of 205, 11 under par on the par-72, 7,015-yard course near Phoenix.

The Coyotes and Wildcats each shot 841 for 54 holes to finish two shots ahead of Western New Mexico, which led by two shots after the first 36 holes. Nine of the 20 teams shot under par for the tournament, played under ideal conditions.

Pigman did his damage on the par-5s. He was 10 under par on the long holes, averaging 4.17 strokes. He also collected two eagles in the tournament. He shot 65 and 70 on Monday to tie for the individual lead after 36 holes.

CSUSB junior Gene Webster saved his best round of the year for last, firing a 65, seven-under-par on Tuesday to finish in a tie for second place with Kyle Souza of Chico State and Eric Frazzetta of Chico State at 207, nine-under-par. Webster led all players on the par-4s, going seven-under-par with a 3.77 stroke average and he tied for first in birdies made with 18.

Coyotes junior Joe Alldis played one of his most consistent tournaments ever, finishing at 211, five-under-par after rounds of 70-71-70 to tie for 13th place. Micah Burke was 39th overall at 219, three over par while Thomas Chu finished 57th at 223.

Sonoma State, ranked No. 1 in the West Region, finished fourth at 850, nine shots behind the Coyotes and Wildcats. Region No. 3 Western Washington tied for fifth with Grand Canyon at 855, 14 shots off the pace.

The Coyotes have now won back-to-back-to-back tournament titles having won the Southern California Intercollegiate in Mission Viejo and the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Invitational and the GCU Thunderbird on successive weeks. CSUSB will play next in the Cal State Stanislaus tournament, their final tuneup for the CCAA championships to be played at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles in late April.

TEAM FINAL — 1. (tie) Cal State San Bernardino and Chico State (841 — 23 under par); 3. Western New Mexico (843); 4. Sonoma State (850); 5. (tie) Grand Canyon and Western Washington (855); 7. Point Loma Nazarene (857); 8. Central Oklahoma (860); 9. Northern Kentucky (863); 10. Colorado-Colo. Springs (866); 11. Saint Martin’s (880); 12. (tie) Fort Lewis College and Dixie State (882); 14. (tie) UC San Diego and Colorado State-Pueblo (883); 16. Notre Dame de Namur (891); 17. GCU White (895); 18. Nebraska Kearney (896); 19. Northwest Nazarene (899); 20. BYU Hawaii (932).

TOP INDIVIDUALS: 1. Kenny Pigman (CSUSB) 65-70-70 – 205; 2. (tie) Gene Webster (CSUSB) 70-72-65 — 207; Kyle Souza (Chico State) 68-72-67 — 207; Eric Frazzetta (Chico State) 70-68-69 — 207; Brandon McCoy (Colo. State Pueblo) 68-69-70 — 207; 6. (tie) Joon Lee (W.New Mexico) 208; Jarin Todd (Sonoma St.) 208; Jake Koppenberg (West. Wash) 208.

CSUSB COYOTE CARDS — 1. Kenny Pigman — 65-70-70 — 205: 2. Gene Webster — 70-72-65 — 207; 13. Joe Alldis – 70-71-70 — 211; 39. Micah Burke — 71-74-74 — 219; 57. Thomas Chu — 74-73-76 — 223.

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