Courtesy Jake Olen, SDA Media Relations Student Assistant

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Sun Devils men's golf team wrapped up hosting the 2018 ASU Thunderbird Invitational on Sunday 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 their 7-tournament winning streak. The individual medal was split between Shintaro Ban of UNLV and Yannick Paul of Colorado who both finished at 11-under.
 
The Sun Devils have won back-to-back titles at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational and four of the last five. This is the 19th overall victory for ASU since the tournament started in 1973. It also marks just the second time in the past 14 seasons it has won at least three titles as it also won the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in the fall and the Bandon Dunes Intercolegiate in March.
 
Leading the Sun Devils was sophomore Blake Wagoner, finishing fourth overall after a three-round total 205, 8-under. Fellow sophomore Chun An Yu also place in the top-10, tying for eighth. Rounding out the ASU lineup was Mason Andersen and Jino Sohn, both finishing tied for 15th. Koichiro Ishika finished tied for 34.
 

?? SUN DEVILS WIN ??

The Sun Devils record 11 birdies on the back nine for a one-stroke victory! Next up Pac-12s. #SunDevilPursuit pic.twitter.com/yISwYnWqEg

— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) April 15, 2018

 
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION/SUN DEVIL SCORES
T1. Shintaro Ban, UNLV 69-64-69=202/-11
T1. Yannik Paul, Colorado 67-66-69=202/-11
4. Blake Wagoner 69-68-68=205/-8
T8. Chun An Yu 66-73-69=208/-5
T15. Mason Andersen 69-71-71=211/-2
T15. Jino Sohn 70-69-71=211/-2
T34. Koichiro Ishika 72-68-76=140/+3
 
THUNDERBIRD INVITATIONAL
KARSTEN GOLF COURSE (PAR 71/7,032 YARDS)
TEMPE, ARIZ./APRIL 14-15, 2018
1. No. 25 Arizona State 274-276-280=830/-22
2. No. 27 UNLV 276-274-281=831/-21
3. No. 3 Oklahoma 282-271-280=833/-19
4. No. 1 Oklahoma State 276-281-270=835/-17
5. No. 32 Arizona 278-284-276=838/-14
 
Three Sun Devils also competed in the ASU Individual event at Papago Golf Course. Ryan Douglass finished tied for ninth at 2-over. Paul Chaplet finished tied for 11th and Tobias Eden finished in 20th. Oklahoma's Rylee Reinertson won the event by an impressive five strokes at 8-under.
 
ICYMI:
Sun Devil alumnus Jon Rahm won the 2018 Spanish Open over the weekend. Rahm faired pretty well in the Thunderbird during his time as a Sun Devil.
 
BEST TOTAL SCORE THUNDERBIRD HISTORY
Jon Rahm (Arizona State) 21-under 192 in 2014
Jon Rahm (Arizona State) 15-under 195 in 2015
Max Rottluff (Arizona State) 14-under 196 in 2015
Jon Rahm (Arizona State) 15-under 198 in 2016
 
ASU WINNERS: 
Nineteen ASU teams have now won the Thunderbird Invitational, with ASU winning the title in 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2017, 2018.