By Cal Aboud, SDA Media Relations Student Assistant
La Quinta, Calif – The tenth-ranked Arizona State men’s golf team is set to defend its title at the 16th annual Prestige at PGA WEST, held Feb. 15-17. The tournament, co-hosted by UC Davis and Stanford, will be played at the par-72, 7,156-yard Greg Norman Tournament Course at PGA WEST.
The Sun Devils enter the event as reigning champions, having captured the title at the 2015 Prestige WEST (Feb. 16-18/2015). Recording a cumulative 31-under 833 (279-274-28), the maroon and gold topped then No. 16 Stanford by four strokes en route to one of their five tournament victories during the 2014-15 season.
The Prestige at PGA WEST has been regarded as one of the top collegiate tournaments in the country since its inception in 2000, and the Amateur Tournament Rank has expanded that recognition by declaring the 2015 event as the 56th-best amateur tournament in the world.
The event boasts an impressive 14-team field including: No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Duke, No. 7 USC, No. 10 Arizona State, No. 25 San Diego State, No. 27 LSU, No. 41 Pepperdine, No. 51 East Tennessee State, No. 52 Saint Mary’s, No. 96 UC Davis, Iowa State, Gonzaga, San Diego, and the University of Stirling Scotland (Golfstat).
Facing off against some of the nation’s best teams for a second-consecutive tournament, the Sun Devils will take on three programs ranked in the top-10. The University of Stirling, a very strong international team from Scotland, is competing for the fourth consecutive year.
The Sun Devil lineup features seniors Jon Rahm and Alberto Sanchez, juniors Jared du Toit and Ki Taek Lee, and sophomore Tobias Eden.
Last time out Rahm and Eden tied for eighth at the Amer Ari Invitational with a seven-under 209 at the par-72, 7,074-yard Waikaloa Kings' Course in Hawaii. Sun Devil swinger Jared Du Toit also had a solid outing closing the tournament at six-under, tied for tenth.
Absent from the starting five is Max Rottluff who is slated to compete in Monday’s Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase alongside Sun Devil great Paul Casey. The event features 14 collegians competing for their respective universities, with the winner earning a $50,000 donation for their program. The low medalist in the event also receives a coveted spot in the Northern Trust Open.
The first round of play will begin at 7:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. MT on Monday, Feb. 15. Live scoring is available on golfstat.com.