ANOTHER FINALS APPEARANCE: The Arizona State University men's golf team (NCAA #18 seed/#18 Golfweek/#19 Golfstat) competes in the NCAA Championships held May 25-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club (7,460 yards/par-72) in Stillwater OK. Sun Devil second-year head Matt Thurmond leads the Sun Devils, who under 2008 National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee and Pac-12 Coach of the Century Randy Lein won the 1996 team title and won the 1990 title under 2002 ASU Hall of Fame and 2009 NGCA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Loy. It marks the 54th NCAA Championship appearance for the program, which is fourth-best. ASU has now made the NCAA Finals in the 14 of the past 17 seasons and 32 of past 35.
MOST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
OKLAHOMA STATE, 71
TEXAS, 64
USC, 58
ARIZONA STATE, 54
WHAT TIME, WHERE AND WHOM ARE WE SWINGING THE STICKS WITH?: ASU will tee with Pac-12 buddy Stanford and Arkansas in the first two rounds. ASU will go off No. 10 at 7 a.m. CT on Friday and at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday off No. 1.
MATT THURMOND AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
2017: 16th (first year at ASU)
2015: 15th
2014: 15th
2013: 16th
2012: 6th (match play quarterfinals)
2010: 4th (match play quarterfinals)
2009: 3rd (match play quarterfinals)
2008: 7th
2006: 9th
2005: 3rd
2004: 6th
2003: 11th
2002: 11th
NO ONE BETTER RECENTLY: This season marks the 15th anniversary of Sun Devil freshman Alejandro Canizares winning the 2003 title (in Stillwater), the 25th anniversary of Todd Demsey winning the 1993 title, the 26th anniversary of Phil Mickelson winning the last of his three titles and the 35th anniversary of Jim Carter winning the 1983 title. ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions as Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Demsey (1993), and Canizares (2003) all have taken home the trophy in the past 35 seasons. No other program can match the Sun Devils' six NCAA champions since 1979, as only Oklahoma State (five), Illinois (two), Stanford (two), and UNLV (two) have had multiple winners in that time.
THE FORMAT: The 2018 NCAA Championships will see the team champion determined via match play for the 10th straight year, as 2009 was the first time the winner wasn't awarded by total strokes since 1965. The top 15 teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match play competition and the 72-hole stroke play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will compete in match play quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday May 29. The championship match is set for Wednesday, May 30.
SEASON REVIEW SO FAR: ASU finished third at the Pac-12 Championships behind USC and Colorado, while freshman Koichiro Ishika finished sixth...won the 2018 ASU Thunderbird Invitational April 14-15 at the ASU Karsten Golf Course, claiming the title for the second year in a row. The competition came down to the last hole of the tournament, as ASU bested UNLV by one stroke. ASU also defeated last year's national champion Oklahoma and No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State, snapping OSU's seven-tournament winning streak...Sun Devils have won back-to-back titles at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational and four of the last five and have 19 titles since the tournament started in 1973...team got their first win of the spring and second of the season with a convincing victory at the Bandon Dunes Championship March 11-13 as it led each round and finished an impressive 13-strokes ahead of second place Clemson. Chun An Yu took home medalist honors shooting a 13-under including a 65 in round one, tied for the best round of the tournament...An Yu shot a 9-under 63 on Feb. 25 at Omni National in the first round of the National Invitational en route to finishing tied for second (63-70-69=202/-14)...Mason Andersen shot a 5-under 211 (69-71-71) and finished fifth at the Tavistock Invitational at the Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla. (Oct. 22-24)...team's first wins were in the second tournament of the year at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in Carefree as Alex del Rey had a 7-under 65 to earn medalist honors at Desert Forest as team shot 7-under 857 (289-291-277) and won by a stroke over Georgia Tech...in the first tournament of the year at the Gopher Invitational, Alex del Rey finished fourth led by 12 birdies and an eagle shot 5-under 208 (71-67-70).
CHAMPS FROM THE PAC-12: Pac-12 teams ASU (1990, 1996), Cal (2004), Stanford (2007 and 1994), UCLA (2008) and Oregon (2016) have won NCAA men's golf titles in the past 28 years. Other Pac-12 teams to win the title are: Stanford (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953), UCLA (1988) and Arizona (1992).
MEDALISTS FROM ASU/PAC-12: ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions: Jim Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Todd Demsey (1993) and Alejandro Canizares (2003). Other Pac-12 winners include: Frank Tatum Jr. of Stanford (1942), Scott Simpson of USC (1976 and 1977), Ron Commans of USC (1981), Tiger Woods of Stanford (1996), James Lepp of Washington (2005), Jamie Lovemark of USC (2007), Kevin Chappell of UCLA (2008), Max Homa of California (2013), Cameron Wilson of Stanford (2014) and Aaron Wise of Oregon (2016).
NCAA CHAMPIONS: A look at the schools that have produced the most NCAA individual champions and the year the most recent champion took home the title:
NCAA MEN'S GOLF MEDALISTS BY SCHOOL
13-Yale, Tom Aycock, 1929
8-Harvard, J.W. Hubbell, 1916
8-Houston, Billy Ray Brown, 1982
8-Oklahoma State, Jonathan Moore, 2007
7-Princeton, G.T. Dunlap, 1931
6-Arizona State, Alejandro Canizares, 2003
6-Texas, Justin Leonard, 1994
PAST 39: Dating to when ASU joined the Pac-10 in 1978-79 39 seasons ago, no school in the nation has had more NCAA individual champions than Arizona State's six. Oklahoma State has had five winners in that time, while Illinois, UNLV and Stanford have had two each.
ASU NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (1983-PRESENT)
Jon Rahm (Sr.), T3rd/2016 (Eugene, Ore.)
Jon Rahm (Fr.), T2nd/2013 (Atlanta, Ga.)
Jesper Kennegard (So.), T9th/2009 (Toledo, Ohio)
Alejandro Canizares (Fr.) 1st/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Jr.), 9th/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Fr.), T4th/2001 (Durham, N.C.)
Paul Casey (So.), 4th/1999 (Chaska, Minn.)
Darren Angel (Jr.), T7th/1998 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Scott Johnson (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Chris Hanell (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Darren Angel (Fr.), T3rd/1996 (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Joey Snyder (Jr.), T5th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio)
Scott Johnson (So.), T8th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio
Todd Demsey (Jr.), T7th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Chris Hanell (Fr.), T10th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Todd Demsey (So.), 1st/1993 (Lexington, Ky.)
Phil Mickelson (Sr.), 1st/1992 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Phil Mickelson (Jr.), T4th/1991 (Pebble Beach, Calif.)
Phil Mickelson (So.), 1st/1990 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Phil Mickelson (Fr.), 1st/1989 (Edmond, Okla.)
Billy Mayfair (Sr.), T9th/1988 (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Jim Carter (Jr.), 1st/1983 (Fresno, Calif.)
SUN DEVIL NCAA FINISHES YEAR-BY-YEAR (PAC-12/10 ERA; 1978-79 TO PRESENT)
2017: 16th
2016: 9th
2015: T-24th
2014: DNC
2013: T-5th (0-1 match play)
2012: DNC
2011: 18th
2010: T-8th
2009: T-5th (0-1 match play)
2008: T-17th
2007: T-18th
2006: 11th
2005: T-11th
2004: T-21st
2003: 6th
2002: DNC
2001: 6th
2000: T-25th
1999: 5th
1998: 5th
1997: T-5th
1996: 1st
1995: 4th
1994: T-9th
1993: 6th
1992: 2nd
1991: 3re
1990: 1st
1989: 5th
1988: 10th
1987: 16th
1986: 8th
1985: 11th
1984: 9th
1983: DNC
1982: 3rd
1981: 5th
1980: T-20th
1979: 8th
MOST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
OKLAHOMA STATE, 71
TEXAS, 64
USC, 58
ARIZONA STATE, 54
WHAT TIME, WHERE AND WHOM ARE WE SWINGING THE STICKS WITH?: ASU will tee with Pac-12 buddy Stanford and Arkansas in the first two rounds. ASU will go off No. 10 at 7 a.m. CT on Friday and at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday off No. 1.
REMINDER: Sun Devil second-year head coach Matt Thurmond coached James Lepp to the 2005 NCAA individual title, while also tutoring Cheng-Tsuung Pan (2015) and Nick Taylor (2008) to second-place NCAA finishes during his 15-year Washington tenure. Coach Thurmond also led UW to match-play quarterfinals in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and to six top-20 finishes prior to match play. He led UW to 12 top-20 NCAA finishes overall in 15 seasons, including third-place in 2005. ASU finished 16th last year in his first year wearing the maroon and gold.Feature: Koichiro Ishika is Enjoying the Fruits of His Labor - https://t.co/gxLsZwliZj | Arizona State University Athletics https://t.co/gH4YqZgi9w
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) May 13, 2018
MATT THURMOND AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
2017: 16th (first year at ASU)
2015: 15th
2014: 15th
2013: 16th
2012: 6th (match play quarterfinals)
2010: 4th (match play quarterfinals)
2009: 3rd (match play quarterfinals)
2008: 7th
2006: 9th
2005: 3rd
2004: 6th
2003: 11th
2002: 11th
NO ONE BETTER RECENTLY: This season marks the 15th anniversary of Sun Devil freshman Alejandro Canizares winning the 2003 title (in Stillwater), the 25th anniversary of Todd Demsey winning the 1993 title, the 26th anniversary of Phil Mickelson winning the last of his three titles and the 35th anniversary of Jim Carter winning the 1983 title. ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions as Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Demsey (1993), and Canizares (2003) all have taken home the trophy in the past 35 seasons. No other program can match the Sun Devils' six NCAA champions since 1979, as only Oklahoma State (five), Illinois (two), Stanford (two), and UNLV (two) have had multiple winners in that time.
THE FORMAT: The 2018 NCAA Championships will see the team champion determined via match play for the 10th straight year, as 2009 was the first time the winner wasn't awarded by total strokes since 1965. The top 15 teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match play competition and the 72-hole stroke play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will compete in match play quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday May 29. The championship match is set for Wednesday, May 30.
SEASON REVIEW SO FAR: ASU finished third at the Pac-12 Championships behind USC and Colorado, while freshman Koichiro Ishika finished sixth...won the 2018 ASU Thunderbird Invitational April 14-15 at the ASU Karsten Golf Course, claiming the title for the second year in a row. The competition came down to the last hole of the tournament, as ASU bested UNLV by one stroke. ASU also defeated last year's national champion Oklahoma and No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State, snapping OSU's seven-tournament winning streak...Sun Devils have won back-to-back titles at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational and four of the last five and have 19 titles since the tournament started in 1973...team got their first win of the spring and second of the season with a convincing victory at the Bandon Dunes Championship March 11-13 as it led each round and finished an impressive 13-strokes ahead of second place Clemson. Chun An Yu took home medalist honors shooting a 13-under including a 65 in round one, tied for the best round of the tournament...An Yu shot a 9-under 63 on Feb. 25 at Omni National in the first round of the National Invitational en route to finishing tied for second (63-70-69=202/-14)...Mason Andersen shot a 5-under 211 (69-71-71) and finished fifth at the Tavistock Invitational at the Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, Fla. (Oct. 22-24)...team's first wins were in the second tournament of the year at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in Carefree as Alex del Rey had a 7-under 65 to earn medalist honors at Desert Forest as team shot 7-under 857 (289-291-277) and won by a stroke over Georgia Tech...in the first tournament of the year at the Gopher Invitational, Alex del Rey finished fourth led by 12 birdies and an eagle shot 5-under 208 (71-67-70).
CHAMPS FROM THE PAC-12: Pac-12 teams ASU (1990, 1996), Cal (2004), Stanford (2007 and 1994), UCLA (2008) and Oregon (2016) have won NCAA men's golf titles in the past 28 years. Other Pac-12 teams to win the title are: Stanford (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953), UCLA (1988) and Arizona (1992).
MEDALISTS FROM ASU/PAC-12: ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions: Jim Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Todd Demsey (1993) and Alejandro Canizares (2003). Other Pac-12 winners include: Frank Tatum Jr. of Stanford (1942), Scott Simpson of USC (1976 and 1977), Ron Commans of USC (1981), Tiger Woods of Stanford (1996), James Lepp of Washington (2005), Jamie Lovemark of USC (2007), Kevin Chappell of UCLA (2008), Max Homa of California (2013), Cameron Wilson of Stanford (2014) and Aaron Wise of Oregon (2016).
NCAA CHAMPIONS: A look at the schools that have produced the most NCAA individual champions and the year the most recent champion took home the title:
NCAA MEN'S GOLF MEDALISTS BY SCHOOL
13-Yale, Tom Aycock, 1929
8-Harvard, J.W. Hubbell, 1916
8-Houston, Billy Ray Brown, 1982
8-Oklahoma State, Jonathan Moore, 2007
7-Princeton, G.T. Dunlap, 1931
6-Arizona State, Alejandro Canizares, 2003
6-Texas, Justin Leonard, 1994
PAST 39: Dating to when ASU joined the Pac-10 in 1978-79 39 seasons ago, no school in the nation has had more NCAA individual champions than Arizona State's six. Oklahoma State has had five winners in that time, while Illinois, UNLV and Stanford have had two each.
ASU NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (1983-PRESENT)
Jon Rahm (Sr.), T3rd/2016 (Eugene, Ore.)
Jon Rahm (Fr.), T2nd/2013 (Atlanta, Ga.)
Jesper Kennegard (So.), T9th/2009 (Toledo, Ohio)
Alejandro Canizares (Fr.) 1st/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Jr.), 9th/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Fr.), T4th/2001 (Durham, N.C.)
Paul Casey (So.), 4th/1999 (Chaska, Minn.)
Darren Angel (Jr.), T7th/1998 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Scott Johnson (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Chris Hanell (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Darren Angel (Fr.), T3rd/1996 (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Joey Snyder (Jr.), T5th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio)
Scott Johnson (So.), T8th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio
Todd Demsey (Jr.), T7th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Chris Hanell (Fr.), T10th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Todd Demsey (So.), 1st/1993 (Lexington, Ky.)
Phil Mickelson (Sr.), 1st/1992 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Phil Mickelson (Jr.), T4th/1991 (Pebble Beach, Calif.)
Phil Mickelson (So.), 1st/1990 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Phil Mickelson (Fr.), 1st/1989 (Edmond, Okla.)
Billy Mayfair (Sr.), T9th/1988 (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Jim Carter (Jr.), 1st/1983 (Fresno, Calif.)
SUN DEVIL NCAA FINISHES YEAR-BY-YEAR (PAC-12/10 ERA; 1978-79 TO PRESENT)
2017: 16th
2016: 9th
2015: T-24th
2014: DNC
2013: T-5th (0-1 match play)
2012: DNC
2011: 18th
2010: T-8th
2009: T-5th (0-1 match play)
2008: T-17th
2007: T-18th
2006: 11th
2005: T-11th
2004: T-21st
2003: 6th
2002: DNC
2001: 6th
2000: T-25th
1999: 5th
1998: 5th
1997: T-5th
1996: 1st
1995: 4th
1994: T-9th
1993: 6th
1992: 2nd
1991: 3re
1990: 1st
1989: 5th
1988: 10th
1987: 16th
1986: 8th
1985: 11th
1984: 9th
1983: DNC
1982: 3rd
1981: 5th
1980: T-20th
1979: 8th