TEMPE – Brian Prouty took the last shot of the three-day ASU Thunderbird Invitational at Karsten Course, sinking his putt for par on the 18th green yesterday. Then he retrieved his ball from the hole and launched it into the nearby water hazard, showing his dissatisfaction with his play over the final 18 holes.

The nation’s No. 21 player, he finished with a 4-over 76, after shooting a 7-under 65 on Saturday, the lowest for any individual on the day.

“”He really let a good round go to waste,”” UA head coach Rick LaRose said. “”You can’t shoot a 76 after you shoot a 65. Now, if you shoot a 65 and then 72, that’s OK.””

Prouty’s 1-under 215 performance lifted No. 23 Arizona to a 12-under-852 fifth-place finish on the par-72 7,057-yard course. The Wildcats finished in first place last year at 22 under.

Oregon won the tournament, shooting 20 under, while No. 19 ASU took second at 17 under.

The Wildcats occupied the second-place spot on the leaderboard for part of the day yesterday, before a cluster of events came into play.

“”We were good up until the 16th hole, a par 3,”” LaRose said. “”We just didn’t do a good job getting through that hole.””

Seniors Prouty and Josh Wilks both triple-bogeyed the 16th, while Josh Esler bogeyed.

“”Those shots cost us finishing second,”” LaRose said.

The hills, rough and wind were also the Wildcats’ enemies.

“”Our score wasn’t so great; conditions were worse,”” said redshirt senior Nathan Tyler, who finished 1 under. “”I didn’t think the conditions were going to be quite like this. This is a tough course, and the wind only makes it tougher.””

To add salt to the wound, it wasn’t a quiet course either.

Passing traffic, overhead airplanes and the loud crowds at ASU’s nearby baseball and soccer stadiums made it difficult for the golfers to concentrate.

“”It’s a loud course,”” Tyler said. “”It’s less than ideal to play golf.””

LaRose cited other factors for Arizona’s play, too.

“”It’s a lack of experience, execution … and focus,”” he said.