By Tony Thai, SDA Communications Student Assistant
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State men's golf team had high expectations surrounding them during the offseason, earning the highest average World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) in the Pac-12 to start the season.
ASU had a solid fall season, earning second place at both the Maui Jim Invitational and the Marquette Invitational. At the last two invitationals, the Alister Mackenzie Invitational and the Tavistock Collegiate, Arizona State finished fourth.
With a new course to call home, Papago Golf Course, and 11 talented golfers, Sun Devil Men's Golf have a chance to make waves this upcoming spring.
WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKINGS (WAGR)/SCRATCH PLAYER RANKINGS (AS OF DEC. 10) Chun An Yu, 30/24
Alex del Rey, 45/46
James Leow, 122/676
Won Jun Lee, 195/220
Cameron Sisk, 245/462
Blake Wagoner, 406/212
Mason Andersen, 586/238
Paul Chaplet, 621/900
Jino Sohn, 669/410
Koichiro Ishika, 783/667
Davis Evans, NR/3535
"For a while we've been a very young team and while we keep adding new studs every year, we are now becoming more mature as a group. Guys are playing cleaner and more emotionally stable," notes third-year head coach Matt Thurmond. "Our skills are tightening up and our confidence and real expectations are both growing. Our depth is pushing everyone to work harder and perform better. We are very healthy right now with lots of really good players, some veteran experience and some young guns. I think this spring will be a breakthrough for our team. We are on the verge of some really special days ahead."
At the top of the player rankings for the Sun Devils is Chun An Yu, currently sitting at No. 36. Yu is competing in his third season at ASU, after a stellar two years. In his career at Arizona State so far, Yu has notched two wins, winning the National Invitational Tournament in 2017 and the Bandon Dunes Championship in 2018. This past summer, Yu qualified for and competed in the U.S. Open.
"Kevin had a great fall," said head coach Matt Thurmond. "He has been such a solid player for us the past two years. He is so much better than ever and I expect him to take his performance to a new level this spring. He hits it far, his wedges are getting better and better, and he plays with great hunger and focus. It's just a couple little things here and there that he's working on keeping him from being a Player of the Year-type of player. I can't wait to see what he can do this spring."
Jumping up from no. 61 to no. 46 on the list is the Spanish junior, Alex del Rey. In the summer, Del Rey finished first of 215 at the World Amateur Championship and became World Amateur Champion. Del Rey is the second Sun Devil to win the World Amateur, Jon Rahm being the first in 2014.
"We all know Alex can really go," Thurmond said. "When he has his full focus very few can beat him. He will always be helping our team and doing good things, and if he can become a bit more consistent in his intensity level, routines, and preparation he will be able to play cleaner rounds and win more often. He is really fun to watch play and I fully expect him to be an All-American level player this year."
James Leow, Won Jun Lee, Cameron Sisk and Davis Evans make up the group of talented freshman that are on this team.
Competing in Singapore for the summer, Leow got two wins at the Singapore National Amateur Championship and Perak Amateur Open. Leow placed at least top-5 in all six of his events over the summer.
"I'm really proud of James," Thurmond said. "He had a rough start last January and he just continues to work and fight and grow. He had a very nice summer and I know he can help our team. He's quiet and he steadily does the right things each day. That's what wins in this game. Time is on James's side and as he continues to steadily improve he will pass anyone who doesn't. Our confidence and trust in James grow daily because of his maturity and consistent effort and toughness."
For Lee, he competed in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October, finishing 9th. Lee has competed at the U.S. Amateur Championship for two straight years now, finishing 33rd in 2017.
"The big key for Junney was to get settled in this past semester and get comfortable here," Thurmond said. "We all know he can do amazing things on the course and we look forward to seeing that, but for his long-term success, we just need him to get his school right and to handle his business off the course. He's doing better with that each day and is also working pretty hard at his golf. There is a new energy about him lately and I'm anxious to see what happens when he works his way into the lineup at some point."
Cameron Sisk had a strong summer before his first taste of collegiate action, finishing third at the U.S Junior Amateur Championship and advanced to the Round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur Championship. Coach Thurmond praises the maturity that Sisk already has for only a freshman.
"Cam is Mr. Steady," said Thurmond. "This is what a mature young golfer with a great future looks like. He wants to get better so badly and works for it every day with a maturity rarely seen in a freshman in college. Cam hits the ball very straight but doesn't have huge power so he needs to play smart and steady, which he does very well. He's earned big respect from his teammates quickly and I honestly believe he is one of the top freshmen in the country. He will have a great spring."
Davis Evans is starting off his first year of college unranked. The Phoenix native did not just come out of nowhere though. Evans qualified for the US Junior Amateur at age 14 and was the youngest to win Boys AZ State championship at 15. He holds the lowest scoring average in AIA's history and has the most wins in Desert Vista, his high school, history. Evans also help lead Desert Vista to its first state championship and finished as a runner-up individually.
"Davis is working hard and I saw some really cool things from him when he played in the lineup at Erin Hills this fall," said Thurmond. "He has golf moxie when he competes. We need him to play creatively and focus on competing every day to be at his best. We know he will put the time into his game and as he learns how to maximize that time and develop a bit more discipline on a few things he will improve a lot and really help us."
Arizona native Mason Andersen had the highest jump in the rankings of any Sun Devil (717 to 589) after a successful fall season, finishing top-10 three straight times. Andersen had an appearance at the U.S. Open in the summer of 2017, finishing ahead of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jon Rahm.
"Mason had a steadiness and comfort around him this fall and that resulted in three straight Top Ten finishes," Thurmond said. "His wedge game and mental game were really good too. For Mason, his success depends mostly on his ability to stay steady emotionally and mentally. He is doing a really good job of that so far this season and when he plays happily he looks like a PGA Tour player. When you want to win so badly it can be tough to manage the days when things aren't going perfect, but he's doing better with that and I think he will have a good spring."
Blake Wagoner is the third junior on this team. Wagoner was a big part of the squad last year that won the 2018 Thunderbird Invitational and ended top-ranked Oklahoma State's seven-tournament winning streak. Wagoner shot 8-under and finished fourth individually to give the Sun Devils their third win of the season.
"Blake is a model of slow and steady improvement," Thurmond said. "He seems to get a little better all the time. As a junior, he is understanding himself and the game so much more and that is saving some shots. He's seeing himself in a new way. I know he will work hard this off-season continue to improve. He is working specifically on his putting efficiency and wedges distance control."
Jino Sohn is entering his final season with the Sun Devils and bringing valuable experience to this team. Sohn won the 102nd Southwestern Amateur Championships during his sophomore year and finished second this year at the tournament after going into the second playoff hole for the title.
"Jino has greatness inside of him and he is someone I know we can count on," Thurmond said. "This is his final semester of college golf and I can sense his urgency to make his mark and help the team win. I hope he has a big spring and really believes he could. Regardless, he is working and living with a high level of discipline right now and whether it all comes together this spring or in the few years after graduation, I don't know. I do think Jino has some big things in his future and it would be cool if that came this spring."
Not many people can say that they played at Augusta and competed in the Masters at the age of 16, becoming the second-youngest golfer and the first Costa Rican to compete in the illustrious tournament. Paul Chaplet can. Chaplet competed at the 2016 Masters Tournament after winning the Latin American Amateur Championship. Now, Chaplet is in his second year at Arizona State with Thurmond looking for Chaplet to help the Sun Devils win big.
"Paul is hitting the ball better now than at any time since he arrived at ASU," Thurmond said. "His swing looks strong and reliable. That should bring some increased confidence to him. He has so much potential and if he can play and practice with a bit more hunger and attention to detail he can help us win big and have huge success for himself as well. Watching him swing right now has me very optimistic about his spring."
Koichiro Ishika had a strong spring season in 2018, finishing top-10 at the National Invitational Tournament and 6th at the Pac-12 Championship. He also competed at the NCAA Championship in May. Thurmond beleives that Ishika can get the same or even better success this upcoming spring.
"Last year Ko had a great off-season and came out in January as a new player," Thurmond said. "He helped us a lot all spring. This fall was a bit of a setback for him, but I know that if he works hard all off-season he can do it again like he did last year. He hits the ball very consistently and as he works on his short game the scores will be really good."
This group of Sun Devil golfers will get their first chance to make a strong impression in 2019 at the Arizona Intercollegiate on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 in Tucson, AZ.
Tweet #
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State men's golf team had high expectations surrounding them during the offseason, earning the highest average World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) in the Pac-12 to start the season.
ASU had a solid fall season, earning second place at both the Maui Jim Invitational and the Marquette Invitational. At the last two invitationals, the Alister Mackenzie Invitational and the Tavistock Collegiate, Arizona State finished fourth.
Great round today to wrap up the Fall Season at the Tavistock Collegiate. Counted four scores under par on those tough final round pins to finish 2nd. Fall results are:
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) Tweet #October 23, 2018
2nd Maui Jim
2nd Marquette Invitational
4th The Mackenzie
2nd Tavistock Collegiate Tweet #pic.twitter.com/5Hdunp3uSm
With a new course to call home, Papago Golf Course, and 11 talented golfers, Sun Devil Men's Golf have a chance to make waves this upcoming spring.
WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKINGS (WAGR)/SCRATCH PLAYER RANKINGS (AS OF DEC. 10) Chun An Yu, 30/24
Alex del Rey, 45/46
James Leow, 122/676
Won Jun Lee, 195/220
Cameron Sisk, 245/462
Blake Wagoner, 406/212
Mason Andersen, 586/238
Paul Chaplet, 621/900
Jino Sohn, 669/410
Koichiro Ishika, 783/667
Davis Evans, NR/3535
"For a while we've been a very young team and while we keep adding new studs every year, we are now becoming more mature as a group. Guys are playing cleaner and more emotionally stable," notes third-year head coach Matt Thurmond. "Our skills are tightening up and our confidence and real expectations are both growing. Our depth is pushing everyone to work harder and perform better. We are very healthy right now with lots of really good players, some veteran experience and some young guns. I think this spring will be a breakthrough for our team. We are on the verge of some really special days ahead."
At the top of the player rankings for the Sun Devils is Chun An Yu, currently sitting at No. 36. Yu is competing in his third season at ASU, after a stellar two years. In his career at Arizona State so far, Yu has notched two wins, winning the National Invitational Tournament in 2017 and the Bandon Dunes Championship in 2018. This past summer, Yu qualified for and competed in the U.S. Open.
"Kevin had a great fall," said head coach Matt Thurmond. "He has been such a solid player for us the past two years. He is so much better than ever and I expect him to take his performance to a new level this spring. He hits it far, his wedges are getting better and better, and he plays with great hunger and focus. It's just a couple little things here and there that he's working on keeping him from being a Player of the Year-type of player. I can't wait to see what he can do this spring."
Jumping up from no. 61 to no. 46 on the list is the Spanish junior, Alex del Rey. In the summer, Del Rey finished first of 215 at the World Amateur Championship and became World Amateur Champion. Del Rey is the second Sun Devil to win the World Amateur, Jon Rahm being the first in 2014.
Alex del Rey @a_delrey99 is now the World Amateur Champion. pic.twitter.com/pGcpUBw0vb
— Matt Thurmond (@MattThurmond) September 8, 2018
"We all know Alex can really go," Thurmond said. "When he has his full focus very few can beat him. He will always be helping our team and doing good things, and if he can become a bit more consistent in his intensity level, routines, and preparation he will be able to play cleaner rounds and win more often. He is really fun to watch play and I fully expect him to be an All-American level player this year."
James Leow, Won Jun Lee, Cameron Sisk and Davis Evans make up the group of talented freshman that are on this team.
Competing in Singapore for the summer, Leow got two wins at the Singapore National Amateur Championship and Perak Amateur Open. Leow placed at least top-5 in all six of his events over the summer.
"I'm really proud of James," Thurmond said. "He had a rough start last January and he just continues to work and fight and grow. He had a very nice summer and I know he can help our team. He's quiet and he steadily does the right things each day. That's what wins in this game. Time is on James's side and as he continues to steadily improve he will pass anyone who doesn't. Our confidence and trust in James grow daily because of his maturity and consistent effort and toughness."
For Lee, he competed in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October, finishing 9th. Lee has competed at the U.S. Amateur Championship for two straight years now, finishing 33rd in 2017.
"The big key for Junney was to get settled in this past semester and get comfortable here," Thurmond said. "We all know he can do amazing things on the course and we look forward to seeing that, but for his long-term success, we just need him to get his school right and to handle his business off the course. He's doing better with that each day and is also working pretty hard at his golf. There is a new energy about him lately and I'm anxious to see what happens when he works his way into the lineup at some point."
Cameron Sisk had a strong summer before his first taste of collegiate action, finishing third at the U.S Junior Amateur Championship and advanced to the Round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur Championship. Coach Thurmond praises the maturity that Sisk already has for only a freshman.
Cameron Sisk is the fourth and final #USJuniorAm semifinalist! He tops Thomas Ponder, 2 and 1. The semis begin at 12:18 p.m. EDT and airs live on @FS1 at 2 p.m. EDT. pic.twitter.com/uVgxaZi6tm
— USGA (@USGA) July 20, 2018
"Cam is Mr. Steady," said Thurmond. "This is what a mature young golfer with a great future looks like. He wants to get better so badly and works for it every day with a maturity rarely seen in a freshman in college. Cam hits the ball very straight but doesn't have huge power so he needs to play smart and steady, which he does very well. He's earned big respect from his teammates quickly and I honestly believe he is one of the top freshmen in the country. He will have a great spring."
Davis Evans is starting off his first year of college unranked. The Phoenix native did not just come out of nowhere though. Evans qualified for the US Junior Amateur at age 14 and was the youngest to win Boys AZ State championship at 15. He holds the lowest scoring average in AIA's history and has the most wins in Desert Vista, his high school, history. Evans also help lead Desert Vista to its first state championship and finished as a runner-up individually.
"Davis is working hard and I saw some really cool things from him when he played in the lineup at Erin Hills this fall," said Thurmond. "He has golf moxie when he competes. We need him to play creatively and focus on competing every day to be at his best. We know he will put the time into his game and as he learns how to maximize that time and develop a bit more discipline on a few things he will improve a lot and really help us."
Arizona native Mason Andersen had the highest jump in the rankings of any Sun Devil (717 to 589) after a successful fall season, finishing top-10 three straight times. Andersen had an appearance at the U.S. Open in the summer of 2017, finishing ahead of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jon Rahm.
67 for @cityofchandler and @Hamilton_High own Mason Andersen today in final round of the fall. pic.twitter.com/5RKrNX95rk
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) October 23, 2018
"Mason had a steadiness and comfort around him this fall and that resulted in three straight Top Ten finishes," Thurmond said. "His wedge game and mental game were really good too. For Mason, his success depends mostly on his ability to stay steady emotionally and mentally. He is doing a really good job of that so far this season and when he plays happily he looks like a PGA Tour player. When you want to win so badly it can be tough to manage the days when things aren't going perfect, but he's doing better with that and I think he will have a good spring."
Blake Wagoner is the third junior on this team. Wagoner was a big part of the squad last year that won the 2018 Thunderbird Invitational and ended top-ranked Oklahoma State's seven-tournament winning streak. Wagoner shot 8-under and finished fourth individually to give the Sun Devils their third win of the season.
"Blake is a model of slow and steady improvement," Thurmond said. "He seems to get a little better all the time. As a junior, he is understanding himself and the game so much more and that is saving some shots. He's seeing himself in a new way. I know he will work hard this off-season continue to improve. He is working specifically on his putting efficiency and wedges distance control."
Jino Sohn is entering his final season with the Sun Devils and bringing valuable experience to this team. Sohn won the 102nd Southwestern Amateur Championships during his sophomore year and finished second this year at the tournament after going into the second playoff hole for the title.
This is the look of a man about to defend his title with an awesome final round ... follow the @SouthwesternAm here and best of luck Jino Sohn! https://t.co/Eve3AvFx7p @azcsports @JOXSports pic.twitter.com/eQ0VDdFbUr
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) June 16, 2018
"Jino has greatness inside of him and he is someone I know we can count on," Thurmond said. "This is his final semester of college golf and I can sense his urgency to make his mark and help the team win. I hope he has a big spring and really believes he could. Regardless, he is working and living with a high level of discipline right now and whether it all comes together this spring or in the few years after graduation, I don't know. I do think Jino has some big things in his future and it would be cool if that came this spring."
Not many people can say that they played at Augusta and competed in the Masters at the age of 16, becoming the second-youngest golfer and the first Costa Rican to compete in the illustrious tournament. Paul Chaplet can. Chaplet competed at the 2016 Masters Tournament after winning the Latin American Amateur Championship. Now, Chaplet is in his second year at Arizona State with Thurmond looking for Chaplet to help the Sun Devils win big.
"Paul is hitting the ball better now than at any time since he arrived at ASU," Thurmond said. "His swing looks strong and reliable. That should bring some increased confidence to him. He has so much potential and if he can play and practice with a bit more hunger and attention to detail he can help us win big and have huge success for himself as well. Watching him swing right now has me very optimistic about his spring."
Koichiro Ishika had a strong spring season in 2018, finishing top-10 at the National Invitational Tournament and 6th at the Pac-12 Championship. He also competed at the NCAA Championship in May. Thurmond beleives that Ishika can get the same or even better success this upcoming spring.
"Last year Ko had a great off-season and came out in January as a new player," Thurmond said. "He helped us a lot all spring. This fall was a bit of a setback for him, but I know that if he works hard all off-season he can do it again like he did last year. He hits the ball very consistently and as he works on his short game the scores will be really good."
This group of Sun Devil golfers will get their first chance to make a strong impression in 2019 at the Arizona Intercollegiate on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 in Tucson, AZ.
Tweet #