The Arizona State men's golf team, led by two freshmen, posted one of its best days in history on Saturday as it sits in first place of the 45th annual Thunderbird Invitational with a 37-under 531 (266-265) at the Karsten Golf Course. The tournament concludes Sunday with the ten ASU players teeing off between 7:30-9 a.m., and admission is free.
Two freshmen led the way with incredible second rounds, as Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner each posted 8-under 63 after shooting 67 in the first round. They share the lead, as Wagoner leads the tournament with 14 birdies, followed by An Yu and Tobias Edens with 13. An Yu leads the tournament on par-3s at 3-under, while Wagoner leads the tournament at 8-under on the par-5 holes.
"We have lots of work to do tomorrow and we'll be ready but today was a special day," says Sun Devil first-year head coach Matt Thurmond. "Those scores we shot have rarely, if ever, been shot by a college golf team on a 36-hole day. It was fun to do it at home with so many alums, supporters, friends and fans out there watching us. We will all remember that day we shot -37 in the 2017 ASU Thunderbird."
LOWEST FRESHMAN ROUNDS SUN DEVIL HISTORY (63 OR LOWER)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
63/-8, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
Since Golfstat started tracking Sun Devil records in 1993-94, ASU's 36-hole effort of 37-under 531 Saturday is the best in both categories, topping the 28-under 548 set in 2004 at the Thunderbird Invitational and the 539 at the 2007 Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate.
ASU also had its "B" team shoot 12-under 556 (280-276) and it is in fifth.
LOWEST ROUNDS SUN DEVIL HISTORY (63 OR LOWER)
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
62/-9, Jon Rahm, 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
62/-10, Jeff Quinney, 1999 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (third round)
63/-8, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Jon Rahm, 2016 Alister MacKenzie Invitional (second round)
63/-8, Jesper Kennegard, 2010 Pac-10 Championship (first round)
63/-8, Steele DeWald, 2007 Ping Arizona Intercollegiate (third round)
63/-9, Kendall Critchfield, 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Phil Mickelson, 1992 NCAA Championship (first round)
12-UNDER THROUGH TWO: Freshman teammates Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner each shot 12-under 130 (67-63) in in the opening rounds of the 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational, becoming just the seventh and eighth Sun Devils to notch the feat in the first 36 holes in the Golfstat era (1993-94). Jon Rahm did it twice, also at the Thunderbird Invitational in 2014 and 2016.
SUN DEVILS AT 12-UNDER THROUGH 36 HOLES (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-16/126, Jon Rahm at 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13/129, Jesper Kennegard at the 2010 Pac-10 Championship
-13/131, Alejandro Canizares as the 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13/131, Pat Moore at 2002 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13, 131, Paul Casey at the 2000 Pac-10 Championship
-12/130, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Jon Rahm at 2016 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Benjamin Alvarado at 2007 NCAA West Regional
SUN DEVIL FIRST DAY SCORES
T1. Chun An Yu 67-63=130/-12
T1. Blake Wagoner 67-63=130/-12
T6. Jared duToit, 64-70=134/-8
T6. Jino Sohn (ASU B) 68-66=134/-8
T13. Ki Taek Lee (ASU B) 71-67=138/-4
T13. Tobias Eden 68-70=138/-4
25. Nicolo Galletti (ASU B) 68-72=140/-2
T51. Anthony Truong (ASU B) 73-73=146/+4
T51. Ryan Douglass (ASU B) 75-71=146/+4
T36. Alejandro Del Rey Gonzalez 74-69=143/+1
TOURNAMENT NOTE: This year will mark the first time since 2013 someone not named Jon Rahm will win the Thunderbird Invitational.
ASU WINNERS: Seventeen ASU teams have won the Thunderbird Invitational, with ASU winning the title in 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015.
JARED DU TOIT'S SUN DEVIL TOP-10 FINISHES (11)
2017 Southern Highlands Collegiate 71-71-69=211/-5/T-3
2017 Prestige at PGA West 67-67-70=204/-9/1
2017 Amer Ari Invitational 64-70-66=200/-16/T-1
2016 Princeville Invitational 69-69-71=209/-7/T6
2016 Tavistock Invitational 72-70-69=211/-5/T7
2016 Alister MacKenzie Invitational 68-65-67=200/-13/T4
2016 NCAA Albuquerque Regional 72-73-75=220/+4/T5
2016 Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic 71-72-72=215/8
2016 Prestige at PGA West 68-68-73=209/7
2016 Amer Ari Invitational 71-67-72=210/T-10
2015 Alister MacKenzie Invitational 67-68-68=203/-10/T-8
Two freshmen led the way with incredible second rounds, as Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner each posted 8-under 63 after shooting 67 in the first round. They share the lead, as Wagoner leads the tournament with 14 birdies, followed by An Yu and Tobias Edens with 13. An Yu leads the tournament on par-3s at 3-under, while Wagoner leads the tournament at 8-under on the par-5 holes.
"We have lots of work to do tomorrow and we'll be ready but today was a special day," says Sun Devil first-year head coach Matt Thurmond. "Those scores we shot have rarely, if ever, been shot by a college golf team on a 36-hole day. It was fun to do it at home with so many alums, supporters, friends and fans out there watching us. We will all remember that day we shot -37 in the 2017 ASU Thunderbird."
LOWEST FRESHMAN ROUNDS SUN DEVIL HISTORY (63 OR LOWER)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
63/-8, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
Since Golfstat started tracking Sun Devil records in 1993-94, ASU's 36-hole effort of 37-under 531 Saturday is the best in both categories, topping the 28-under 548 set in 2004 at the Thunderbird Invitational and the 539 at the 2007 Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate.
ASU also had its "B" team shoot 12-under 556 (280-276) and it is in fifth.
LOWEST ROUNDS SUN DEVIL HISTORY (63 OR LOWER)
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
62/-9, Jon Rahm, 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
62/-10, Jeff Quinney, 1999 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (third round)
63/-8, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
63/-8, Jon Rahm, 2016 Alister MacKenzie Invitional (second round)
63/-8, Jesper Kennegard, 2010 Pac-10 Championship (first round)
63/-8, Steele DeWald, 2007 Ping Arizona Intercollegiate (third round)
63/-9, Kendall Critchfield, 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Phil Mickelson, 1992 NCAA Championship (first round)
12-UNDER THROUGH TWO: Freshman teammates Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner each shot 12-under 130 (67-63) in in the opening rounds of the 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational, becoming just the seventh and eighth Sun Devils to notch the feat in the first 36 holes in the Golfstat era (1993-94). Jon Rahm did it twice, also at the Thunderbird Invitational in 2014 and 2016.
SUN DEVILS AT 12-UNDER THROUGH 36 HOLES (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-16/126, Jon Rahm at 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13/129, Jesper Kennegard at the 2010 Pac-10 Championship
-13/131, Alejandro Canizares as the 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13/131, Pat Moore at 2002 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-13, 131, Paul Casey at the 2000 Pac-10 Championship
-12/130, Chun An Yu, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Blake Wagoner, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Jon Rahm at 2016 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-12/130, Benjamin Alvarado at 2007 NCAA West Regional
SUN DEVIL FIRST DAY SCORES
T1. Chun An Yu 67-63=130/-12
T1. Blake Wagoner 67-63=130/-12
T6. Jared duToit, 64-70=134/-8
T6. Jino Sohn (ASU B) 68-66=134/-8
T13. Ki Taek Lee (ASU B) 71-67=138/-4
T13. Tobias Eden 68-70=138/-4
25. Nicolo Galletti (ASU B) 68-72=140/-2
T51. Anthony Truong (ASU B) 73-73=146/+4
T51. Ryan Douglass (ASU B) 75-71=146/+4
T36. Alejandro Del Rey Gonzalez 74-69=143/+1
TOURNAMENT NOTE: This year will mark the first time since 2013 someone not named Jon Rahm will win the Thunderbird Invitational.
ASU WINNERS: Seventeen ASU teams have won the Thunderbird Invitational, with ASU winning the title in 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015.
JARED DU TOIT'S SUN DEVIL TOP-10 FINISHES (11)
2017 Southern Highlands Collegiate 71-71-69=211/-5/T-3
2017 Prestige at PGA West 67-67-70=204/-9/1
2017 Amer Ari Invitational 64-70-66=200/-16/T-1
2016 Princeville Invitational 69-69-71=209/-7/T6
2016 Tavistock Invitational 72-70-69=211/-5/T7
2016 Alister MacKenzie Invitational 68-65-67=200/-13/T4
2016 NCAA Albuquerque Regional 72-73-75=220/+4/T5
2016 Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic 71-72-72=215/8
2016 Prestige at PGA West 68-68-73=209/7
2016 Amer Ari Invitational 71-67-72=210/T-10
2015 Alister MacKenzie Invitational 67-68-68=203/-10/T-8