TEMPE, Ariz. -- As golf returns to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904, the 60-player women's field will feature five Arizona State alumna, the most representing any college program.
Former Sun Devils' Anna Nordqvist, Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Munoz, Giulia Molinaro and Miriam Nagl will represent their respective countries at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Campo Olímpico de Golfe within the Marapendi Natural Reserve in the Barra da Tijuca zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from Aug. 17-20, 2016.
"We are thrilled to have five Sun Devils represent their countries in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. These women have worked extremely hard in order to qualify for their Olympic teams and we can't wait to watch them compete on this world-wide stage," said Arizona State women's head coach Missy Farr-Kaye, who was an assistant coach to Nordqvist, Ciganda, Munoz and Molinaro. "All of Sun Devil nation is extremely proud of these women and this accomplishment."
Nordqvist -- the 2007 Pac-10 co-champion, NGCA Freshman of the Year and Pac-10 Player of the Year -- will play for Sweden as the No. 11 ranked player in the world. The 29-year-old just finished in second at the Women's U.S. Open after a highly-talked about 'grounding the club' ruling was made during the tiebreaker for first place. In her first year on the LPGA Tour, she won the 2009 Women's LPGA Championship.
Ciganda -- ranked No. 36 in the world -- will represent Spain as their top player. As Nordqvist departed ASU, Ciganda arrived and helped lead Farr-Kaye and the Sun Devils to their seventh NCAA Championship in 2009. She also made conference history as the first to win consecutive Pac-10 Championships in 2009 and 2010.
Joining forces yet again as they did together for the 2009 NCAA title, Munoz will be Spain's No. 2 player along with Ciganda. The No. 48 player in the world won the 2008 NCAA Individual Title by making a 25-foot putt on the first hole of the playoff to clinch the victory. In 2008 and 2009, Munoz won the Edith Cummings Munson Award -- awarded to the top female collegiate golfer who excels in academics -- becoming the first to every win the award twice. The three-time Academic All-American, four-time All-Pac-10 player and three-time All-American also graduated magna cum laude in 2009 with a bachelor's in psychology and a minor in business.
Molinaro will play for Italy as the country's top player -- and also the second former Sun Devil to represent Italy at this year's Olympics along with diver Mickey Benedetti in the 1-meter springboard. She is also the most recent ASU graduate, as she completed her four years of eligibility in 2012. Molinaro was the fourth player in program history to earn Pac-12 Golfer of the Year after she earned the honor her senior year in 2012. That year she also earned NGCA First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference honors.
Last but not least, Nagl will represent the host country of Brazil as their top-ranked player. Nagl left ASU after a freshman season being ranked as high as No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. She finished her rookie year with a stroke average of 72.29 and four top-three finishes.
Former Sun Devils' Anna Nordqvist, Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Munoz, Giulia Molinaro and Miriam Nagl will represent their respective countries at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Campo Olímpico de Golfe within the Marapendi Natural Reserve in the Barra da Tijuca zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from Aug. 17-20, 2016.
"We are thrilled to have five Sun Devils represent their countries in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. These women have worked extremely hard in order to qualify for their Olympic teams and we can't wait to watch them compete on this world-wide stage," said Arizona State women's head coach Missy Farr-Kaye, who was an assistant coach to Nordqvist, Ciganda, Munoz and Molinaro. "All of Sun Devil nation is extremely proud of these women and this accomplishment."
Nordqvist -- the 2007 Pac-10 co-champion, NGCA Freshman of the Year and Pac-10 Player of the Year -- will play for Sweden as the No. 11 ranked player in the world. The 29-year-old just finished in second at the Women's U.S. Open after a highly-talked about 'grounding the club' ruling was made during the tiebreaker for first place. In her first year on the LPGA Tour, she won the 2009 Women's LPGA Championship.
Ciganda -- ranked No. 36 in the world -- will represent Spain as their top player. As Nordqvist departed ASU, Ciganda arrived and helped lead Farr-Kaye and the Sun Devils to their seventh NCAA Championship in 2009. She also made conference history as the first to win consecutive Pac-10 Championships in 2009 and 2010.
Joining forces yet again as they did together for the 2009 NCAA title, Munoz will be Spain's No. 2 player along with Ciganda. The No. 48 player in the world won the 2008 NCAA Individual Title by making a 25-foot putt on the first hole of the playoff to clinch the victory. In 2008 and 2009, Munoz won the Edith Cummings Munson Award -- awarded to the top female collegiate golfer who excels in academics -- becoming the first to every win the award twice. The three-time Academic All-American, four-time All-Pac-10 player and three-time All-American also graduated magna cum laude in 2009 with a bachelor's in psychology and a minor in business.
Molinaro will play for Italy as the country's top player -- and also the second former Sun Devil to represent Italy at this year's Olympics along with diver Mickey Benedetti in the 1-meter springboard. She is also the most recent ASU graduate, as she completed her four years of eligibility in 2012. Molinaro was the fourth player in program history to earn Pac-12 Golfer of the Year after she earned the honor her senior year in 2012. That year she also earned NGCA First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference honors.
Last but not least, Nagl will represent the host country of Brazil as their top-ranked player. Nagl left ASU after a freshman season being ranked as high as No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. She finished her rookie year with a stroke average of 72.29 and four top-three finishes.
The fields are decided by first exempting the top 15 players in both the men's Official World Golf Ranking and women's Rolex Rankings. However, a country can only send as many as the first four player ranked in the top 15 to the Olympic tournament.
Unless a country has three or four players in the top 15, no more than the two highest-ranked players from a country can compete in Rio de Janeiro. That means lesser-ranked players are skipped over for entry into the Olympic field if the country's maximum allotment has been met.