ANOTHER FINALS APPEARANCE: The Arizona State University men's golf team (NCAA #18 seed/#18 Golfweek/#22 Golfstat) competed in the NCAA Championships held May 25-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club (7,460 yards/par-72) in Stillwater and tied for 13th. 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 marked 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, 57
ARIZONA STATE, 54
FLORIDA, 53
STANFORD, 52
ABOUT THAT NCAA TRIP: ASU earned the championship trip as the only team in the 30-team field without a junior or senior in the lineup. It marked the first NCAA Championship experience for freshmen Mason Andersen and Koichiro Ishika, and just the second for sophomores Alex del Rey, Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner.
TOP 25 TEAMS STAYING HOME: Making the NCAA Championship is not easy as seven of Golfstat's top-25 teams missed the 30-team championship, including No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 6 LSU, No.9 California, No. 19 USC, No. 20 South Florida, No. 22 Florida State and No. 25 Wake Forest.
SEASON REVIEW: ASU finished fifth at the NCAA Raleigh Regional leading it to its 54th NCAA Championships appearance, where it finished tied for 13th...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).
THREE TOURNAMENT WINS: ASU won three tournaments for just the second time in the past 14 seasons, as it won the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in the fall and took home Bandon Dunes (March 11-13) and Thunderbird Invitational (April 14-15) honors in the spring. Since 2005, only one other season has produced at least three wins, as the five wins in 2014-15 was ASU's best season in a long time.
ALL-PAC-12 HONORS: @SunDevilMGolf had two freshmen and two sophomores earn All-Pac-12 honors, as sophomore Alex del Rey led the way as a first-team pick. Sophomore Chun An Yu earned second-team honors, Chandler (Ariz.) native Mason Andersen earned All-Freshmen Team and Koichiro Ishika earned Honorable Mention All-Freshmen. Blake Wagoner earned first-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Arizona State was one of 13 teams to have both the women's and men's teams qualify for NCAA championships in 2018. The Sun Devils were joined by Northwestern, Alabama, Stanford, UCLA, Kent State, Arkansas, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Baylor, Oklahoma, and Duke.
GOLFWEEK ALL-AMERICANS: Of the 15 teams that made the Sunday cut at the NCAA Championship, only Arizona State and North Carolina did it without a Golfweek All-American. Other schools to make the 30-team field without having an All-American were Augusta, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Northwestern, UCF and UCLA.
COACH THURMOND: 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.
1. Jon Rahm, 13, 2014-15, 69.15
2. Jon Rahm, 13, 2015-16, 69.41
3. Max Rottluff, 14, 2014-15, 69.81
4. Paul Casey, 10, 1999-2000, 69.87
5. Phil Mickelson, 12, 1991-1992, 69.95
6. Niklas Lemke, 12, 2006-2007, 70.03
7. Phil Mickelson, 11, 1990-1991, 70.08
8. Jared du Toit, 14, 2016-17, 70.38
9. Chun An Yu, 12, 2017-18, 70.58
10. Billy Mayfair, 13, 1986-1987, 70.59
11. Benjamin Alvarado Holley, 12, 2006-2007, 70.62
12. Phil Mickelson, 14, 1989-1990, 70.82
13. Jon Rahm, 12, 2013-14, 70.84
14. Alex del Rey, 12, 2017-18, 70.89
MATT THURMOND AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
2018: T-13
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
SUN DEVIL FINAL GOLFWEEK RANKINGS (2000-2018)
2017-18, 18
2016-17, 22
2015-16, 12
2014-15, 10
2013-14, 27
2012-13, 37
2011-12, 80
2010-11, 26
2009-10, 15
2008-09, 11
2007-08, 18
2006-07, 18
2005-06, 7
2004-05, 16
2003-04, 5
2002-03, 15
2001-02, 48
2000-01, 5
1999-00, 7
SUN DEVIL FINAL GOLFSTAT RANKINGS (2000-2018)
2017-18, 22
2016-17, 20
2015-16, 7
2014-15, 11
2013-14, 26
2012-13, 28
2011-12, 81
2010-11, 24
2009-10, 15
2008-09, 7
2007-08, 23
2006-07, 17
2005-06, 6
2004-05, 13
2003-04, 6
2002-03, 9
2001-02, 51
2000-01, 5
1999-00, 4
@ASUMENSGOLF HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS
2017-18: 149-56-1
2016-17: 126-69-3
2015-16: 149-34-3
2014-15: 163-39-2
2013-14: 130-54-4
2012-13: 125-89-6
2011-12: 62-96-1
2010-11: 89-86-3
2009-10: 115-63-6
2008-09: 129-52-2
2007-08: 115-75-4
2006-07: 112-58-4
2005-06: 142-52-5
NEXT YEAR: ASU's Thunderbird Invitational will take place at Papago Golf Course. The teams will play 36 holes on Friday, April 12, and 18 on Saturday, April 13.
MOST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
OKLAHOMA STATE, 71
TEXAS, 64
USC, 57
ARIZONA STATE, 54
FLORIDA, 53
STANFORD, 52
Congrats to @MattThurmond on his @GolfCoachesAssn West Region Coach of the year @golfpridegrips https://t.co/OT4V9rJB4D pic.twitter.com/jFnzKljRh4
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) June 13, 2018
ABOUT THAT NCAA TRIP: ASU earned the championship trip as the only team in the 30-team field without a junior or senior in the lineup. It marked the first NCAA Championship experience for freshmen Mason Andersen and Koichiro Ishika, and just the second for sophomores Alex del Rey, Chun An Yu and Blake Wagoner.
TOP 25 TEAMS STAYING HOME: Making the NCAA Championship is not easy as seven of Golfstat's top-25 teams missed the 30-team championship, including No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 6 LSU, No.9 California, No. 19 USC, No. 20 South Florida, No. 22 Florida State and No. 25 Wake Forest.
SEASON REVIEW: ASU finished fifth at the NCAA Raleigh Regional leading it to its 54th NCAA Championships appearance, where it finished tied for 13th...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).
THREE TOURNAMENT WINS: ASU won three tournaments for just the second time in the past 14 seasons, as it won the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in the fall and took home Bandon Dunes (March 11-13) and Thunderbird Invitational (April 14-15) honors in the spring. Since 2005, only one other season has produced at least three wins, as the five wins in 2014-15 was ASU's best season in a long time.
ALL-PAC-12 HONORS: @SunDevilMGolf had two freshmen and two sophomores earn All-Pac-12 honors, as sophomore Alex del Rey led the way as a first-team pick. Sophomore Chun An Yu earned second-team honors, Chandler (Ariz.) native Mason Andersen earned All-Freshmen Team and Koichiro Ishika earned Honorable Mention All-Freshmen. Blake Wagoner earned first-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Arizona State was one of 13 teams to have both the women's and men's teams qualify for NCAA championships in 2018. The Sun Devils were joined by Northwestern, Alabama, Stanford, UCLA, Kent State, Arkansas, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Baylor, Oklahoma, and Duke.
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 Invitational Feb. 2-4, 2017
Ki Taek Lee (Sr./co-medalist) Alister MacKenzie Invitational Oct. 10-11, 2016
SUN DEVIL TEAM WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (5)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational April 14-15, 2018
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate March 11-13, 2018
Maui Jim Intercollegiate September 22-24, 2017
ASU Thunderbird Invitational March18-19, 2017
Alister MacKenzie Invitational Oct. 10-11, 2016
GOLFWEEK ALL-AMERICANS: Of the 15 teams that made the Sunday cut at the NCAA Championship, only Arizona State and North Carolina did it without a Golfweek All-American. Other schools to make the 30-team field without having an All-American were Augusta, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Northwestern, UCF and UCLA.
COACH THURMOND: 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.
SUN DEVIL FRESHMAN SCORING AVERAGES (1985-2018)
1. Jon Rahm, 15, 2012-13, 71.37
2. Chun An Yu, 9, 2016-17, 71.61
3. Alejandro Canizares, 8, 2002-03, 71.65
4. Mason Andersen, 9, 2017-18, 71.95
5. Todd Demsey, 15, 1991-92, 72.10
6. Alex del Rey, 12 2016-17, 72.14
7. Phil Mickelson, 14, 1988-89, 72.14
8. Jesper Kennegard, 12, 2007-08, 72.16
9. Chan Kim, 8, 2008-09, 72.20
10. Paul Casey, 12, 1997-98, 72.30
1. Jon Rahm, 13, 2014-15, 69.15
2. Jon Rahm, 13, 2015-16, 69.41
3. Max Rottluff, 14, 2014-15, 69.81
4. Paul Casey, 10, 1999-2000, 69.87
5. Phil Mickelson, 12, 1991-1992, 69.95
6. Niklas Lemke, 12, 2006-2007, 70.03
7. Phil Mickelson, 11, 1990-1991, 70.08
8. Jared du Toit, 14, 2016-17, 70.38
9. Chun An Yu, 12, 2017-18, 70.58
10. Billy Mayfair, 13, 1986-1987, 70.59
11. Benjamin Alvarado Holley, 12, 2006-2007, 70.62
12. Phil Mickelson, 14, 1989-1990, 70.82
13. Jon Rahm, 12, 2013-14, 70.84
14. Alex del Rey, 12, 2017-18, 70.89
MATT THURMOND AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
2018: T-13
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
SUN DEVIL FINAL GOLFWEEK RANKINGS (2000-2018)
2017-18, 18
2016-17, 22
2015-16, 12
2014-15, 10
2013-14, 27
2012-13, 37
2011-12, 80
2010-11, 26
2009-10, 15
2008-09, 11
2007-08, 18
2006-07, 18
2005-06, 7
2004-05, 16
2003-04, 5
2002-03, 15
2001-02, 48
2000-01, 5
1999-00, 7
SUN DEVIL FINAL GOLFSTAT RANKINGS (2000-2018)
2017-18, 22
2016-17, 20
2015-16, 7
2014-15, 11
2013-14, 26
2012-13, 28
2011-12, 81
2010-11, 24
2009-10, 15
2008-09, 7
2007-08, 23
2006-07, 17
2005-06, 6
2004-05, 13
2003-04, 6
2002-03, 9
2001-02, 51
2000-01, 5
1999-00, 4
@ASUMENSGOLF HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS
2017-18: 149-56-1
2016-17: 126-69-3
2015-16: 149-34-3
2014-15: 163-39-2
2013-14: 130-54-4
2012-13: 125-89-6
2011-12: 62-96-1
2010-11: 89-86-3
2009-10: 115-63-6
2008-09: 129-52-2
2007-08: 115-75-4
2006-07: 112-58-4
2005-06: 142-52-5
NEXT YEAR: ASU's Thunderbird Invitational will take place at Papago Golf Course. The teams will play 36 holes on Friday, April 12, and 18 on Saturday, April 13.