TEMPE, Ariz – Arizona State University's Men's Golf team opens its spring schedule next week in the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Kona, Hawaii. As first-year ASU Head Coach Matt Thurmond prepares his team for the first tournament of the spring, here's the latest news items regarding the men's golf program:
Qualifying for Hawaii: Coach Thurmond has his golfers going through a series of qualifying rounds to settle on a roster for next week's Amer Ari Invitational. The team has already played qualifying rounds at several venues, including the Papago Golf Course, ASU Karsten, DC Ranch, and the Phoenix Country Club. Five golfers are submitted by each school to compete in the Hawaii event.
Newest Sun Devil: Kevin Yu, a member of the 2016 ASU recruiting class, is currently ranked 12th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The coaching staff raves about Kevin's personality and work ethic. Kevin is known for his consistent long drives off the tee, and is in an ongoing friendly battle with fellow ASU freshman Blake Wagoner to see who can drive farther. Coach Thurmond estimates the two are in the 315-330 yard range, and while there's more to success in golf than just length off the tee, Thurmond says he may have the longest hitting team in collegiate golf.
…and more to come: Two Sun Devil signees are off to great starts in the new year. Paul Chaplet won the South American Amateur Championship in Argentina this past weekend. All four of Chaplet's rounds were under par, including a six-under 66 in the third round and a three-under 69 in the final round. Fellow signee Mason Andersen of Chandler shot 66-65 to finish second in the Tempe Amateur. Chaplet and Andersen join the Sun Devil roster in August.
Champions in the Classroom: The Sun Devil Men's Golf team posted a cumulative GPA of 3.1 for the Fall Semester. Three Sun Devils, Jon Rahm (BA, Communication), Max Rottluff (BS, Marketing) and Alberto Sanchez (BA, Communication) earned their Arizona State degrees last spring.
Alumni Success: In the early stages of the 2017 season, a number of Sun Devil Men's Golf alumni are off to strong starts. Pat Perez recorded a third-place finish at the PGA Tour's opening event, the Tournament of Champions in Maui. Chez Reavie has posted 8th and 12th places finishes the last two weeks, and was one of five former Sun Devils to make the cut at last week's CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, California. Through three PGA events in 2017, ASU is second only to Alabama in combined tour winnings among its alumni.
Keep Up With The Devils: Fans and media are encouraged to follow the round-by-round scores of Sun Devil Men's Golf events at www.golfstat.com. Following the Amer Ari Intercollegiate, the Devils head to La Quinta February 20-22 for The Prestige Tournament at PGA West and to Tucson National for the NIT Invitational February 27-28.
If you would like to receive Sun Devil Golf updates directly from Coach Thurmond please email him at matt.thurmond@asu so he can add you to the group of fans.
Matt Thurmond
Head Men's Golf Coach
Arizona State University
Qualifying for Hawaii: Coach Thurmond has his golfers going through a series of qualifying rounds to settle on a roster for next week's Amer Ari Invitational. The team has already played qualifying rounds at several venues, including the Papago Golf Course, ASU Karsten, DC Ranch, and the Phoenix Country Club. Five golfers are submitted by each school to compete in the Hawaii event.
Newest Sun Devil: Kevin Yu, a member of the 2016 ASU recruiting class, is currently ranked 12th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The coaching staff raves about Kevin's personality and work ethic. Kevin is known for his consistent long drives off the tee, and is in an ongoing friendly battle with fellow ASU freshman Blake Wagoner to see who can drive farther. Coach Thurmond estimates the two are in the 315-330 yard range, and while there's more to success in golf than just length off the tee, Thurmond says he may have the longest hitting team in collegiate golf.
…and more to come: Two Sun Devil signees are off to great starts in the new year. Paul Chaplet won the South American Amateur Championship in Argentina this past weekend. All four of Chaplet's rounds were under par, including a six-under 66 in the third round and a three-under 69 in the final round. Fellow signee Mason Andersen of Chandler shot 66-65 to finish second in the Tempe Amateur. Chaplet and Andersen join the Sun Devil roster in August.
Champions in the Classroom: The Sun Devil Men's Golf team posted a cumulative GPA of 3.1 for the Fall Semester. Three Sun Devils, Jon Rahm (BA, Communication), Max Rottluff (BS, Marketing) and Alberto Sanchez (BA, Communication) earned their Arizona State degrees last spring.
Alumni Success: In the early stages of the 2017 season, a number of Sun Devil Men's Golf alumni are off to strong starts. Pat Perez recorded a third-place finish at the PGA Tour's opening event, the Tournament of Champions in Maui. Chez Reavie has posted 8th and 12th places finishes the last two weeks, and was one of five former Sun Devils to make the cut at last week's CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, California. Through three PGA events in 2017, ASU is second only to Alabama in combined tour winnings among its alumni.
Keep Up With The Devils: Fans and media are encouraged to follow the round-by-round scores of Sun Devil Men's Golf events at www.golfstat.com. Following the Amer Ari Intercollegiate, the Devils head to La Quinta February 20-22 for The Prestige Tournament at PGA West and to Tucson National for the NIT Invitational February 27-28.
If you would like to receive Sun Devil Golf updates directly from Coach Thurmond please email him at matt.thurmond@asu so he can add you to the group of fans.
Matt Thurmond
Head Men's Golf Coach
Arizona State University