SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – 36 holes down at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships hosted at the par-71, 7,209-yard Salt Lake City Country Club, the No. 10 Arizona State men’s golf team sits in fourth, 23 shots off clubhouse leader Stanford (-22).
Collecting a cumulative day-one, 1-over 711 the Sun Devils overcame a sluggish first round four-over 359, firing a 3-under 352 in their second outing of the afternoon.
Positioned within the top-10 heading into Saturday are Sun Devils Jon Rahm and Jared du Toit. Posting rounds of 70 and 66 respectively, Rahm at 6-under, sits in fifth, four strokes back of 36-hole leader, K.K. Limbhasut of California. The World Amateur No.1 and Ben Hogan Semifinalist, aims to become the first Sun Devil to take home the conference title since Paul Casey did so, winning three-consecutive from 1998-2000. The Spaniard who is a perfect 10-for-10 in top-10 finishes also looks to become the second player in program history, and the first since Chris Hanell in 1997, to finish within in the top-10 in every event they competed in over the course of a collegiate season.
In contention with Rahm is teammate Jared du Toit, the 2015 winner of the Big Sky Conference Championship. Recording a 36-hole total 3-under 139, the junior looks to tally his fifth top-10 finish of the season.
A top-10 finisher at Pac-12’s in 2013, senior Max Rottluff posted steady rounds of 72 and 71, and finds himself tied for 26th, at 1-over. Fellow senior Alberto Sanchez is tied for 38th at 5-over, 147 (73-74).
Rounding out the Arizona State lineup Tobias Eden is tied for 45th at 7-over, while Nicolo Galletti sits one shot back at 8-over.
Play is set to resume Saturday morning, beginning at 9 a.m (PT), with the Sun Devils slated to tee off on the hole No. 1 with Colorado and Washington. Live scoring will once again be available via Golfstat.com.
PAC-10/12 SUCCESS AT ASU: Arizona State has won 12 Pac-10 titles in its 37 seasons, including a conference record six straight from 1995-2000. In addition to the six straight Pac-10 titles, ASU’s other six Pac-10 titles were in 1979 (its first year in the league), 1981, 1989, 1990, 1993 and 2008. ASU tied for the league title in 2005 with Washington but lost on a tiebreaker formula, and the league decided to go to a playoff format after that season.
SUN DEVILS AS PAC-10/12 MEDALISTS: Paul Casey won three straight Pac-10 titles from 1998-2000, which is the last time a Sun Devil won the title and is a conference record for consecutive Pac-10/12 titles. Other Sun Devils who have won the Pac-10 championship are Scott Johnson (1997), Phil Mickelson (1990), co-medalists Dan Forsman and Tony Grimes (1981), Jim Bertoncino (co-medalist in 1980) and co-medalists Scott Watkins and Dan Croonquist (1979). Stanford's Maverick McNealy will attempt to become the first golfer to win back-to-back conference titles since Arizona State’s Paul Casey won three straight from 1998-2000.
BEST NCAA SEASON STROKE AVERAGE
Bill Haas, Wake Forest, 2003-04, 68.93
Maverick McNealy, Stanford, 2015-16, 69.04*
Maverick McNealy, Stanford, 2014-15, 69.05
Jon Rahm, Arizona State, 2014-15, 69.15
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2004-25, 69.29
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2003-04, 69.38
Patrick Rodgers, Stanford, 2013-14, 69.41
Jon Rahm, Arizona State, 2015-16, 69.43*
Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech, 2000-01, 69.43
* - Entering the Pac-12 Championship
VARIETY IS GOOD: Six teams have taken the team title in the past 11 years: Washington (2005, 2009, 2010), UCLA (2006), USC (2007, 2011), ASU (2008), California (2012, 2013) and Stanford (2014, 2015) all have won the trophy since 2005.
ASU’S 2008 PAC-10 TITLE: At the 2008 Pac-10 Championships at The Meadow Club (par-71, 6,686 yards) in Fairfax, Calif., ASU, playing with three freshmen, two sophomores and a senior, captured its eighth Pac-10 title in 16 years under head coach Randy Lein in a one-hole playoff over defending conference champion USC (#2 Golfstat/#3 Golfweek). ASU trailed by 16 to the Trojans after the first round. ASU shot 354-361-356-364 and tied with the Trojans (338-374-357-366) at 15-over par 1,435.
MOST PAC-10/12 TEAM TITLES SINCE 1979 (ASU joined the Pac-10 in the 1978-79 athletic season):
ARIZONA STATE (12): 2008, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1990, 1989, 1981, 1979
USC (7): 2011, 2007, 2002, 2001, 1986, 1984, 1980
UCLA (5): 2006, 2003, 1985, 1983, 1982
WASHINGTON (4): 2010, 2009, 2005, 1988
ARIZONA (3): 2004, 1991, 1987
STANFORD (4): 2015, 2014, 1994, 1992
CALIFORNIA (2): 2012, 2013
RAHM TROPHY CASE: Senior Jon Rahm has nine career wins, second-most in Sun Devil history. He has two this year, including winning the ASU Thunderbird Invitational for the third straight year, a tournament record.
MOST @ASUMENSGOLF TOURNAMENT WINS
Phil Mickelson (1988-92), 16
Jon Rahm (2012-Present), 9
Billy Mayfair (1984-88), 8
Alejandro Canizares (2002-06), 6
Charlie Gibson (1972-75), 6
Paul Casey (1997-2000), 6
JON RAHM'S NINE COLLEGIATE TOURNAMENT WINS
2016 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Apr. 2-3)
2015 Tavistock Invitational (Oct. 18-20)
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)