NORMAN, Okla. – The GCAA in conjunction with Golf Pride Grips has announced that Sun Devil second-year men's head coach Matt Thurmond is the West Region Golf Pride Grips Coach of the Year.
Golf Pride Grips Region and District Coaches of the Year
Northeast - Greg Nye, Penn State
East - Larry Penley, Clemson
Southeast - Nick Clinard, Auburn
Midwest - Mike Small, Illinois
Central - Alan Bratton, Oklahoma State
West - Matt Thurmond, Arizona State
Thurmond led the Sun Devils to three tournament wins and a tie for 13that the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., as ASU was the only team without a junior or senior in the 30-team field and was the only Pac-12 team to make the 15-team Sunday cut. Chun An Yu, who will be a junior next year, has qualified for the U.S. Open, while freshman Mason Andersen posted the fourth-best freshman scoring average (71.95) in school history.
ASU earned its 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.
ASU'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 eventual NCAA champion Georgia Tech.
2017-2018 (3)
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24)
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate (Mar. 11-13)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (April 14-15)
2016-2017 (2)
Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 18-19)
SUN DEVIL MEDALISTS UNDER MATT THURMOND (6)
Chun An Yu (So.) Bandon Dunes Invitational (Mar. 11-13, 2018)
Alex del Rey (So.) Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24, 2017)
Chun An Yu (Fr.) National Invitational Tournament (Feb. 27-28, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr.) Prestige at PGA West (Feb. 20-22, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr./co-medalist) Amer Ari Invitional (Feb. 2-4, 2017)
Ki Taek Lee (Sr./co-medalist) Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2016)
PRIOR TO ASU: 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.
ABOUT GOLF PRIDE GRIPS:For 70 years, Golf Pride has been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with our new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT®) to the introduction of the ALIGN Technology. Today, Golf Pride® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play our grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that's the strongest endorsement of all. So, whether you're a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you're playing the #1 Grip in Golf, visit www.golfpride.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GolfPride.
Golf Pride Grips Region and District Coaches of the Year
Northeast - Greg Nye, Penn State
East - Larry Penley, Clemson
Southeast - Nick Clinard, Auburn
Midwest - Mike Small, Illinois
Central - Alan Bratton, Oklahoma State
West - Matt Thurmond, Arizona State
Thurmond led the Sun Devils to three tournament wins and a tie for 13that the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., as ASU was the only team without a junior or senior in the 30-team field and was the only Pac-12 team to make the 15-team Sunday cut. Chun An Yu, who will be a junior next year, has qualified for the U.S. Open, while freshman Mason Andersen posted the fourth-best freshman scoring average (71.95) in school history.
ASU won the three tournaments in 2017-18 including the Thunderbird Invitational on April 14-15 when it stopped eventual NCAA champion Oklahoma State's seven-tournament win streak and also defeated defending NCAA champion Oklahoma. The Sun Devils were one of just three teams to win a tournament against the Cowboys.Not one, not two, but SEVEN Sun Devil greats will be teeing off at the #USOpen Championship — including @sundevilmgolf's Chun An Yu, who hasn't even graduated yet https://t.co/iXAX9FeLI7 ??????? pic.twitter.com/A2RhGUmifx
— Arizona State University (@ASU) June 10, 2018
ASU earned its 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.
ASU'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 eventual NCAA champion Georgia Tech.
ASU TEAM TOURNAMENT VICTORIES UNDER MATT THURMONDQuality freshman season from Mason!
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) May 30, 2018
v @TheSunDevils best freshman stroke averages (1985-2018)@JonRahmpga 2012-13/71.37@kevingolfyu 2016-17/71.61@Acanizares10 2002-03/71.65 (2003 NCAA champ)
Mason Andersen 2017-18/71.95
Todd Demsey 1991-92/72.10 (1993 NCAA champ) pic.twitter.com/Xo4AmY3AOc
2017-2018 (3)
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24)
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate (Mar. 11-13)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (April 14-15)
2016-2017 (2)
Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 18-19)
SUN DEVIL MEDALISTS UNDER MATT THURMOND (6)
Chun An Yu (So.) Bandon Dunes Invitational (Mar. 11-13, 2018)
Alex del Rey (So.) Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24, 2017)
Chun An Yu (Fr.) National Invitational Tournament (Feb. 27-28, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr.) Prestige at PGA West (Feb. 20-22, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr./co-medalist) Amer Ari Invitional (Feb. 2-4, 2017)
Ki Taek Lee (Sr./co-medalist) Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2016)
PRIOR TO ASU: 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.
ABOUT GOLF PRIDE GRIPS:For 70 years, Golf Pride has been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with our new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT®) to the introduction of the ALIGN Technology. Today, Golf Pride® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play our grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that's the strongest endorsement of all. So, whether you're a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you're playing the #1 Grip in Golf, visit www.golfpride.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GolfPride.