OLYMPIA FIELDS, III. – The Sun Devils men’s golf team is set to kick off the 2015-16 fall season this week Sep. 18-20, at the 10th annual Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational in Chicago, Illinois.
The program last won the event in 2009, when Scott Pinckney posted a top-10 finish helping to lead the Sun Devils to a team title.
Open season at Olympia Fields CC/Fighting Illini Inv. @PinckneyScott led us to 2009 title http://t.co/TYe86lRAEd pic.twitter.com/6bGsQWqjqw
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) September 15, 2015
Hosted at the Par-70 North Course of the famed Olympia Country Club, the event features 12 of the nation’s top programs. The 54-hole tournament is spread across three days. Play gets underway Fri. Sept. 18, at 7:00 a.m. MST.
Olympia Fields Country Club has played host to several premier events including two U.S Opens, two PGA Championships, and most recently the 2015 U.S. Amateur in which Sun Devil swinger Jon Rahm posted a top-8 finish.
Live scoring of the event will be available at GolfStat.
Heading into the fall season, reigning Pac-12 Men’s Golf Coach of the Year Tim Mickelson and company look to build-on a successful 2014-15 campaign, in which the Sun Devils posted five team-wins, the most since 1995-96.
The Sun Devils are slated to return their No. 1 Jon Rahm and No. 2 Max Rottluff and have added Vanderbilt transfer Jared du Toit who’s poised to make an immediate impact for the team.
SENIOR, JON RAHM – Rahm enters his senior season as already one of the most accomplished golfers/athletes in Sun Devil history. The Barrika, Spain native has recorded a 70.48 stroke average in 40 collegiate events and 55 rounds in the 60s, along with seven career wins. Rahm has posted par or better in 82-of-124 career rounds. The 2015 Ben Hogan recipient, given to the most outstanding collegiate swinger, Rahm is currently the No.1 ranked amateur golfer in the world. In 2014-15 Rahm recorded 10 top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments, including first-place finishes at the NCAA Regional in San Diego and the Bill Cullum, Oregon Duck, and ASU Thunderbird Invitationals. He earned GCAA First Team All-American honors and posted 69.15 scoring average, which proved to be the second-beat in the nation. The senior is coming off a solid summer season defending his title at the Spanish Amateur Championship, and was a quarterfinalist at the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship held at Olympia Fields Country Club.
The @BenHoganAward winner + @pattillmanfnd + @FootballASU = Everyone Wins. @PaolaBoivin @TheSunDevils @ASU_Alumni pic.twitter.com/KT16vo6dDJ
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) September 15, 2015
BEST NCAA SEASON STROKE AVERAGE
Bill Haas, Wake Forest, 2003-04, 68.93
Maverick McNealy, Stanford, 2014-15, 69.05
Jon Rahm, Arizona State, 2014-15, 69.15
JON RAHM COLLEGIATE TOURNAMENT WINS (7)
2015 NCAA San Diego Regional (May 14-16)
2015 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Apr. 3-4)
2015 Duck Invitational (Mar. 23-24)
2014 Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 20-21)
2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 21-23)
2013 San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12)
2012 Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 21-22)
MOST @ASUMENSGOLF TOURNAMENT WINS
Phil Mickelson (1988-92), 16
Billy Mayfair (1984-88), 8
Jon Rahm (2012-Present), 7
Alejandro Canizares (2002-2006), 6
Charlie Gibson (1972-75), 6
Paul Casey (1997-2000), 6
Todd Demsey (1991-95), 5
SENIOR, MAX ROTTLUFF
Max Rottluff is coming off a sold 2014-15 season in which he recorded nine top-10 finishes in 14 tournaments, including first-place finishes at the Alister MacKenzie Invite and the Arizona Intercollegiate. The senior shot a career-low 63 in the second round of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational. Rottluff along with fellow Sun Devil swinger Jon Rahm earned GCAA first-team All-American honors. Rottluff truly exemplifies what it means to be an exceptional student-athlete. Currently the Sun Devil swinger from Dusseldorf, Germany carries a 3.49 cumulative GPA in business marketing and is on pace to earn his degree in May of 2015. Preceding this most recent honor, Rottluff earned Pac-12 All-Academic second-team status for a second consecutive season, and was named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
MAX ROTTLUFF ROUND-BY-ROUND 2014-15
Itani Quality Homes Collegiate 68-70-69=207/-3/6
Alister MacKenzie Invitational 68-66-70=204/-9/1
Bill Cullum Invite 67-71-73=211/-5/T7
Warrior Princeville Makai Invite 73-70-67=210/-6/T19
Arizona Intercollegiate 70-65-68=203/-10/1
Amer Ari Invitational 73-68-64=205/-11/T8
Prestige at PGA WEST 70-66-70=206/-10/T4
Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters 70-74-70=214/-2/T18
Duck Invitational 71-72-70=213/-3/2
ASU Thunderbird 66-63-67=196/-14/2
Western Intercollegiate 68-75-66=2019/-1/T7
Pac-12 Championships 75-68-67-75=285/+5/T19
NCAA Regionals 78-71-69=218/+2/T18
NCAA Finals 71-78-72=221/+5/T42
SENIOR, ALBERTO SANCHEZ
Sanchez posted a 73.35 scoring average in 11 tournaments during the 2014-15 season. The senior posted his best finish, tied for fifth at the Duck Invitational shooting one-over-par (72-72-73), and recorded a career-low 66 in the first round of the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate last fall.
ALBERTO SANCHEZ ROUND-BY-ROUND 2014-15
Itani Quality Homes Collegiate 66-70-79=215/+5/T34
Alister MacKenzie Invite 70-77-76=223/+10/T60
Arizona Intercollegiate 73-76-69=218/+5/T27
Amer Ari Invitational 78-7071=219/+3/T73
Prestige at PGA WEST 75-69-76=220/+4/T43
Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters 75-74-71=220/+4/T48
Duck Invitational 72-72-73=217/+1/T5
ASU Thunderbird 76-69-73=218/+8/T43
Western Intercollegiate 70-79-71=220/+4/T36
Pac-12 Championships 72-73-73-72=290/+10/T34
NCAA Regionals 79-82-73=234/+18/T68
JUNIOR, JARED DU TOIT
A transfer from the University of Idaho set to join the Sun Devils for the 2015-16 season. As a sophomore in 2014-15 du Toit Led the Vandals in scoring (69.61) posting three first-place finishes including a win at the Big Sky Conference Championship. In 2013-14 the transfer Saw action in 11 tournaments for the Vandals posting three top-10 finishes including a second-place finish at the Phoenix Desert Classic in Goodyear, AZ, eventually earning first-team all-Western Athletic Conference and Freshman of the Year Honors. The Kimberly, British Columbia is coming off a first-place finish at the 2015 British Columbia Amateur Championship.
JUNIOR, NICOLO GALLETTI
As a sophomore in 2014-15 Galletti notched three top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments, shooting 70 or below in 16 rounds. Galletti shot a career-low 66 in the first round of the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational last fall.
NICOLO GALLETTI ROUND-BY-ROUND 2014-15
WNMU Fall Intercollegiate 80-69-77=226/+10/T51
Warrior Princeville Makai Invite 66-69-67=202/-14/6
Arizona Intercollegiate 70-70-70=210/-3/T6
Amer Ari Invitational 71-70-69=210/-6/T26
Prestige at PGA WEST 70-68-75=213/-3/T21
Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters 81-73-70=224/+8/T64
Duck Invitational 74-76-71=221/+5/T19
ASU Thunderbird 70-72-67=209/-1/T6
Western Intercollegiate 76-74-75=225/+15/T54
Pac-12 Championships 70-74-67-76=287/+7/T26
NCAA Regionals 75-73-76=224/+8/T40
NCAA Finals 79-81-78=238/+22/T145
JUNIOR, KI TAEK LEE
The sophomore recorded five top-20 finishes in 2014-15 and averaged 72.44 in 11 tournaments. Lee notched a career-low 66 in the second round of the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational.
KI TAEK LEE ROUND-BY-ROUND 2014-15
Itani Quality Homes Collegiate 68-67-75=210/E/T15
Alister MacKenzie Invite 67-70-75=212/-1/T11
Bill Cullum Invite 74-70-73=217/+1/T27
Warrior Princeville Makai Invite 71-66-76=213/-3/T29
Loyola Golf Invite 71-77-74=222/+6/32
ASU Thunderbird 74-68-68=210/E/T8
Wyoming Cowboy Classic 72-72-73=217/+1/T44
Western Intercollegiate 72-74-69=215/+5/T17
Pac-12 Championships 73-70-70-76=289/+9/T31
NCAA Regionals 74-73-71=218/+2/T18
NCAA Finals 83-74-83=240/+24/T150
SOPHOMORE, TOBIAS EDEN
Eden is coming off a solid freshman campaign in which he notched five top-20 finishes in nine tournaments, including a fourth-place finish at the Cowboy Southern Dunes. The sophomore who averaged 72.56 in 2014-15, shot a career-low 68 three times during the season, most recently in the first round of the Amer Ari Invitational.
TOBIAS EDEN ROUND-BY-ROUND 2014-15
WNMU Fall Intercollegiate 72-68-77=217/+1/T17
Cowboy Southern Dunes 68-74-71=213/-3/4
Bill Cullum Invite 71-70-72=213/-3/15
Warrior Princeville Makai Invite 73-71-74=218/+2/T50
Arizona Intercollegiate 73-72-70=215/+2/20
Amer Ari Invitational 68-70-70=208/-8/T18
Prestige at PGA WEST 82-70-70=222/+6/T48
Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters 71-78-73=222/+6/T57
Duck Invitational 78-77-76=231/+15/T60
FRESHMAN, JINO SOHN
A local product of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, Sohn helped lead the Huskies to the Division I state title shooting six-under-par for the championship.
2015-16 @ASUMENSGOLF SCHEDULE
SEPT. 18-20 @OLYMPIA FIELDS INVITATIONAL (CHICAGO, IL)
SEPT. 26-28 @SOUTH DAKOTA STATE INVITATIONAL (VALENTINE, NE)
OCT. 12-13 @ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL (FAIRFAX, CA)
OCT. 18-20 @ISLEWORTH INVITATIONAL (ISLEWORTH, FL)
FEB. 4-6 @WAIKOLOA INVITATIONAL (WAIKOLOA, HI)
FEB. 15-17 @THE PRESTIGE (LA QUINTA, CA)
MAR. 7-9 @SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS INVITATIONAL (LAS VEGAS, NV)
MAR. 14-15 @SAN DIEGO INVITATIONAL (SAN DIEGO, CA)
APR. 2-3 @ASU THUNDERBIRD INVITATIONAL (TEMPE, AZ)
APR. 11-13 @WESTERN INTERCOLLEGIATE (SAN JOSE, CA)
APR. 29-MAY 1 @PAC 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS (SALT LAKE CITY, UT)
MAY 16-18 @NCAA REGIONALS (TBD)
MAY 27- JUN. 1 @NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (EUGENE, OR)
Senior Jon Rahm will try for a three-peat at this year’s Thunderbird Invitational. This past season Rahm won the ASU-hosted event for a second-consecutive time shooting a 15-under 195 (65-64-66) to top teammate Rottluff by one. The right-hander will also look to repeat as an NCAA Regional Champion, after earning the honor at the San Diego Regional in 2014-15. Rahm led the field shooting a 72-hole total, 10-under-par helping the Sun Devils punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship.
Rising senior Max Rottluff will look to defend his title at this year’s Alister MacKenzie Invitational. Rottluff posted a first-place finish at the event last season shooting a nine-under 204 (68-66-70).