TEMPE, Ariz. – The reigning NCAA national champion Arizona State women's golf team, a program that boasts an NCAA-high eight national titles, starts the 2017-18 season this weekend in defense of May's national title at the Mason Rudolph Women's Championship (Sept. 15-17) in Franklin, Tenn.
LAST TIME OUT
Arizona State captured the program's NCAA-leading eighth national title in May behind Monica Vaughn's NCAA individual title, also a nation-leading mark. Earning the first sweep in the NCAA match play era over Florida in the quarterfinals, the Sun Devils came back in a rain-plagued semifinal vs. Stanford, before defeating nearby Northwestern for the title.
RANKING
As a team, the Sun Devils were ranked No. 4 by Golfweek to start the season. After winning their region at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge last February to start the spring 2017 season, ASU moved up 10 spots to No. 4 and never looked back.
Individually, Golfweek ranks Linnea Strom fifth overall and as a Preseason First Team All-American while ranking Olivia Mehaffey a Preseason Third Team All-American.
In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), Mehaffey and Strom are ranked 10th and 12th in the world, respectively.
COMING AND GOING
The Sun Devils lost just one, but an important one, to graduation in 2017 – individual NCAA regional and national champion Monica Vaughn, while adding freshman Raquel Olmos Ros from Torre-Pacheco, Murcia, Spain.
Olmos Ros, the No. 1 nationally among U17's, was named 2015-16 Player of the Year of Nationals School by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, and was recognized with special distinction by the Murcia Golf Federation. A member of the Spanish National Team, she received a bronze medal at the European Girls' Team Championship and finished runner-up at the Spanish U18 National Championship.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The then-No. 5 Sun Devils finished runner-up in their last outing at Mason Rudolph (2013) behind a top-10 finish from Noemi Jimenez while Anna Nordqvist earned individual runner-up honors in 2007, shooting a 9-under 207.
New team and individual low tournament and round scores were set in 2016 by Alabama (825) and the Crimson Tide's Cheyenne Knight (202) and Lakareber Abe (third round 63).
THE FIELD
The 17th annual tournament, hosted by Vanderbilt, features four top-10 teams, six top-25 teams, and eight top-30 teams including Arizona State. With host Vanderbilt and No. 4 ASU, No. 3 Alabama, No. 6 Northwestern, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 23 Clemson, No. 29 North Carolina, No. 30 Auburn, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Houston, Middle Tennessee, UCF, and Virginia round out the 15-team field.
Alongside the Sun Devils, national runner-up Northwestern as well as five other teams that advanced to the NCAA National Championships (Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Clemson, and Arkansas) and three other teams (Auburn, Houston, UCF) that competed in NCAA Regionals will play this weekend.
This week, freshman Raquel Olmos Ros, junior Madison Kerley, and NCAA national championship competitors Roberta Liti, Olivia Mehaffey, and Linnea Strom will represent the Sun Devils.
THE VENUE
Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. will be a par-72, 6,451-yard setup. The course, opening in 1992, was designed by PGA Hall of Famer Tom Kite and world-renowned architect Bob Cupp. The course has played host to the 2012 NCAA Women's Championships, LPGA Tour events, and U.S. Senior Open qualifying.
SCHEDULE
The 54-hole tournament features three rounds (one per day) Friday-Sunday, with first tee times scheduled for 8:30 am CT/6:30 am PT on Friday and Saturday and 8 am CT/6 am PT on Sunday.
FOLLOW LIVE
Live scoring throughout the tournament can be found on Golfstat HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
Arizona State captured the program's NCAA-leading eighth national title in May behind Monica Vaughn's NCAA individual title, also a nation-leading mark. Earning the first sweep in the NCAA match play era over Florida in the quarterfinals, the Sun Devils came back in a rain-plagued semifinal vs. Stanford, before defeating nearby Northwestern for the title.
#FearTheFork@TheSunDevils take home their first Women's #NCAAGolf title since 2009. pic.twitter.com/o8aW5KHWhQ
— NCAA (@NCAA) May 25, 2017
RANKING
As a team, the Sun Devils were ranked No. 4 by Golfweek to start the season. After winning their region at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge last February to start the spring 2017 season, ASU moved up 10 spots to No. 4 and never looked back.
Individually, Golfweek ranks Linnea Strom fifth overall and as a Preseason First Team All-American while ranking Olivia Mehaffey a Preseason Third Team All-American.
In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), Mehaffey and Strom are ranked 10th and 12th in the world, respectively.
COMING AND GOING
The Sun Devils lost just one, but an important one, to graduation in 2017 – individual NCAA regional and national champion Monica Vaughn, while adding freshman Raquel Olmos Ros from Torre-Pacheco, Murcia, Spain.
Olmos Ros, the No. 1 nationally among U17's, was named 2015-16 Player of the Year of Nationals School by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, and was recognized with special distinction by the Murcia Golf Federation. A member of the Spanish National Team, she received a bronze medal at the European Girls' Team Championship and finished runner-up at the Spanish U18 National Championship.
Fantastic first night in LA celebrating @Mvaughn13 with @missymkaye @MichelleEstill @coachlindav and more! @CWSA_HondaCup pic.twitter.com/qs2OwfkZME
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) June 26, 2017
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The then-No. 5 Sun Devils finished runner-up in their last outing at Mason Rudolph (2013) behind a top-10 finish from Noemi Jimenez while Anna Nordqvist earned individual runner-up honors in 2007, shooting a 9-under 207.
New team and individual low tournament and round scores were set in 2016 by Alabama (825) and the Crimson Tide's Cheyenne Knight (202) and Lakareber Abe (third round 63).
THE FIELD
The 17th annual tournament, hosted by Vanderbilt, features four top-10 teams, six top-25 teams, and eight top-30 teams including Arizona State. With host Vanderbilt and No. 4 ASU, No. 3 Alabama, No. 6 Northwestern, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 23 Clemson, No. 29 North Carolina, No. 30 Auburn, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Houston, Middle Tennessee, UCF, and Virginia round out the 15-team field.
Alongside the Sun Devils, national runner-up Northwestern as well as five other teams that advanced to the NCAA National Championships (Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Clemson, and Arkansas) and three other teams (Auburn, Houston, UCF) that competed in NCAA Regionals will play this weekend.
This week, freshman Raquel Olmos Ros, junior Madison Kerley, and NCAA national championship competitors Roberta Liti, Olivia Mehaffey, and Linnea Strom will represent the Sun Devils.
THE VENUE
Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. will be a par-72, 6,451-yard setup. The course, opening in 1992, was designed by PGA Hall of Famer Tom Kite and world-renowned architect Bob Cupp. The course has played host to the 2012 NCAA Women's Championships, LPGA Tour events, and U.S. Senior Open qualifying.
SCHEDULE
The 54-hole tournament features three rounds (one per day) Friday-Sunday, with first tee times scheduled for 8:30 am CT/6:30 am PT on Friday and Saturday and 8 am CT/6 am PT on Sunday.
FOLLOW LIVE
Live scoring throughout the tournament can be found on Golfstat HERE.
Want to see where the Sun Devils stack up vs. other dominant women's teams in the nation? Check out this handy graph! #TheMoreYouKnow pic.twitter.com/7CEuo2hyLk
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) July 13, 2017