First-year Sun Devil men's golf coach Matt Thurmond has signed two players that have a chance to add to the trophy case that contains two NCAA team titles (1990 and 1996) and a dozen Pac-12 titles, as Mason Andersen and Paul Chaplet will join the program in the 2017-18 season.
Andersen won the 2016 Arizona Stroke Play championship and qualified for the U.S. Open sectional and was medalist at the 2016 Arizona Amateur. He also won the 2015 Mesa City Amateur. His junior golf resume includes winning the 2016 Thunderbird and 2015 Antigua National High School Invite. Chaplet won the 2016 Latin American Championship and is ranked 19th in the current Golfweek Sagarin Rankings.
"You win championships and build a program with great people and great people want to be a part of something special," notes Thurmond. "They want to be pushed and they want to be around others who share their passion for excellence. I'm so happy to add Mason and Paul to our family. We are confident they will play a big role in a lot of our future success."
Getting Andersen was key on the local front, as both sides are thrilled a nearby student-athlete is staying home from the well-known Hamilton High School, who won five straight state championships from 2005-09 and then won the title in 2016.
"When we arrived here at ASU a few months ago, one of the very best things was knowing that Mason Andersen was already committed. I'm so glad Tim Mickelson did a great job recruiting him," says Coach Thurmond, the 2009 Golfweek National Coach of the Year. "Mason is very accomplished already, but has so much success ahead of him. He hits it long, has great all-around skills, and loves the game. He's committed. He's also just a really good guy and student. Getting the best players from Arizona will always be important to us."
"I am so excited to be a part of ASU's golf program, as playing Division I golf for such an outstanding college is a real honor for me," says Andersen, a Hamilton High School graduate in nearby Chandler. "I look forward to representing ASU golf and contributing to its success. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to play golf for ASU and represent it well, I can't wait for the competition it has to offer."
"Van and I felt a special connection to and appreciation for Paul from the start," noted Coach Thurmond. "We love his story and his personality and think he will be a perfect fit here at ASU. He's humble and hungry and he knows how to win at different levels. He connected really well with our team and will be a great Sun Devil in every way."
"I am very pleased to have signed with ASU and happy to become part of the Sun Devil family," said Chaplet. "It will be amazing for my golf game and future and I want to thank ASU for letting me be part of this unbelievable team. I am most proud of having won two International tournaments as a Junior, the USKids world championship, and the Latin American Amateur and to have made one of my biggest dreams come true, which is to have played in the Masters as an amateur. But I am just as proud of my academic work which has allowed me to to become part of the ASU community while the golf work has earned me a spot on the team. My family has offered great support towards my dreams and that makes all of this very special."
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Paul Chaplet and Mason Andersen have a chance to add their names to some significan hardware won by Sun Devils. Most recently, it was Jon Rahm becoming the first two-time winner of the Ben Hogan Award. Below are samples of some of the awards.
Andersen won the 2016 Arizona Stroke Play championship and qualified for the U.S. Open sectional and was medalist at the 2016 Arizona Amateur. He also won the 2015 Mesa City Amateur. His junior golf resume includes winning the 2016 Thunderbird and 2015 Antigua National High School Invite. Chaplet won the 2016 Latin American Championship and is ranked 19th in the current Golfweek Sagarin Rankings.
"You win championships and build a program with great people and great people want to be a part of something special," notes Thurmond. "They want to be pushed and they want to be around others who share their passion for excellence. I'm so happy to add Mason and Paul to our family. We are confident they will play a big role in a lot of our future success."
Excited to play golf for ASU next year! Thanks to my friends, mentors, but most of all my family for their support! pic.twitter.com/Lv8moDxwWN
— Mason Andersen (@MasonA2017) November 9, 2016
Getting Andersen was key on the local front, as both sides are thrilled a nearby student-athlete is staying home from the well-known Hamilton High School, who won five straight state championships from 2005-09 and then won the title in 2016.
"When we arrived here at ASU a few months ago, one of the very best things was knowing that Mason Andersen was already committed. I'm so glad Tim Mickelson did a great job recruiting him," says Coach Thurmond, the 2009 Golfweek National Coach of the Year. "Mason is very accomplished already, but has so much success ahead of him. He hits it long, has great all-around skills, and loves the game. He's committed. He's also just a really good guy and student. Getting the best players from Arizona will always be important to us."
"I am so excited to be a part of ASU's golf program, as playing Division I golf for such an outstanding college is a real honor for me," says Andersen, a Hamilton High School graduate in nearby Chandler. "I look forward to representing ASU golf and contributing to its success. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to play golf for ASU and represent it well, I can't wait for the competition it has to offer."
No matter what course Chaplet will play in college, it will be hard to top what he did last April, as the Costa Rica native played at Augusta and competed in the Masters after winning the Latin American Amateur Championship. He won the title at Casa de Campo's Teeth of the Dog Course in the Domincan Republic with a 3-under 285. Chaplet, 16 at the time, was the second-youngest golfer to compete in the Masters and the first Costa Rican to compete in the tournament..@Paulchaplet, who played in the #Masters this year, commits to @asumensgolf for 2017: https://t.co/z6m0T0KA2A pic.twitter.com/lqXci8krax
— Golfweek Junior Golf (@GolfweekJuniors) October 21, 2016
Read up on new signee @Paulchaplet in this story from the summer https://t.co/noiNtr658S
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) November 15, 2016
"Van and I felt a special connection to and appreciation for Paul from the start," noted Coach Thurmond. "We love his story and his personality and think he will be a perfect fit here at ASU. He's humble and hungry and he knows how to win at different levels. He connected really well with our team and will be a great Sun Devil in every way."
"I am very pleased to have signed with ASU and happy to become part of the Sun Devil family," said Chaplet. "It will be amazing for my golf game and future and I want to thank ASU for letting me be part of this unbelievable team. I am most proud of having won two International tournaments as a Junior, the USKids world championship, and the Latin American Amateur and to have made one of my biggest dreams come true, which is to have played in the Masters as an amateur. But I am just as proud of my academic work which has allowed me to to become part of the ASU community while the golf work has earned me a spot on the team. My family has offered great support towards my dreams and that makes all of this very special."
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Paul Chaplet and Mason Andersen have a chance to add their names to some significan hardware won by Sun Devils. Most recently, it was Jon Rahm becoming the first two-time winner of the Ben Hogan Award. Below are samples of some of the awards.
BEN HOGAN AWARD (2)
2016: Jon Rahm
2015: Jon Rahm
NICKLAUS AWARD (4)
2016: Jon Rahm
1992: Phil Mickelson
1991: Phil Mickelson
1990: Phil Mickelson
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPION (3)
2000: Jeff Quinney
1990: Phil Mickelson
1987: Billy Mayfair
NCAA MEDALISTS (6)
2003: Alejandro Canizares
1993: Todd Demsey
1992: Phil Mickelson
1990: Phil Mickelson
1989: Phil Mickelson
1983: Jim Carter
PAC-12 MEDALISTS (11)
2016: Jon Rahm
2000: Paul Casey
1999: Paul Casey
1998: Paul Casey
1997: Scott Johnson
1990: Phil Mickelson
1981: Dan Forsman and Tony Grimes
1980: Jim Bertoncino
1979: Scott Watkins and Dan Croonquist