@SunDevilMGolf sealed the victory on Tuesday in Tucson at the National Invitational Tournament, including an individual medal for junior Alex del Rey. The team continues to click on all cylinders this season after also winning the team and individual title at the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic last week. ASU got revenge for last year in which they placed second behind UNLV. The team has won the event twice before, but not since 2006-07 (2003-04, 2006-07).
Alex del Rey surged in to first place in the final round to beat out Justin Suh of USC by one stroke. The junior sat in third after round two and pushed his way into first by shooting a 66 in the final round. This gives him his second medal as a Sun Devil (Maui Jim Intercollegiate, 2017) and sixth top-ten finish of the season.
Coming in next for ASU was Won Jun Lee who also made a push on the final day to finish third, his best finish as a Sun Devil. Junior Chun An Yu came two spots later tied for fifth. Mason Andersen finished tied for 11th after coming off an individual medal last time out. Blake Wagoner finished tied for 23rd to round out the lineup.
"In our nine events we've been in the final pairing for the final round. Those rounds are very high pressure and intensity and we've done well, but it's hard to always be up and to bring your best every time," notes head coach Matt Thurmond. "Today we got off to a great start and just never looked back. This was the first time I've seen us keep the foot pressed fully down on the gas all the way to the end. It was our first comfortable final nine of the season.
"This event has had Alex's number. In his freshmen year he was near the lead before making a nine on the No. 15. That was devastating. Then last year he played okay, but was disqualified for a scorecard error and it may have cost him being an All-American. So I thought he had some good magic coming to him out there. He was steady and in position all tournament, but when he holed out from 127 yards on 13 to tie the leader, we felt this could go his way. Even on the last hole his drive found the water, but he hit another wedge really close from about 120 yds and saved par for the win. I'm so happy for him.
"Won Jun Lee has been settling in and getting comfortable with school and team and life here and we didn't every want to rush him into the lineup. He got an opportunity this week and took advantage of it. He played 54 holes with just one bogey and set a great tone for the team with his confidence and energy.
"Every day and every week it seems someone different is the hero. Our depth keeps the pressure off of any one person and we all know that every guys playing can win and is playing tough. Our ability to respond to so many varied challenges and circumstances, and thrive in all of them day after day, is what is most impressing me with these guys. We talk about how in golf you have to earn everything each and every day and we've adopted that humble and hungry mentality. We are owed nothing and if we don't bring it every day someone else who wants it more will take our spot. So far, I feel like I tee it up every tournament with the five guys and a staff that wants it the most.
"Cameron Sisk was out of the lineup for the first time this season and he did exactly what you would hope he would. He played great and won the separate 24-man Sonoran Showdown, which, interestingly, featured three past Masters participants."
The team is yet to place worse than fourth this season including three total tournament victories and five second place finishes. The victory gives head coach Matt Thurmond his eighth tournament victory and eighth individual victory since taking over the program in 2016. The three victories this season matches the total from last season. The last time ASU won more than three tournaments was 2014-15, a season featuring two of the best in program history in Max Rottluff and Jon Rahm.
AT THE OTHER COURSE: Freshman Cameron Sisk won the 21-player field at the Sonoran Showdown that included three former participants of the Masters in teammate Paul Chaplet, Arizona's Tianlang Guan and Oklahoma's Brad Dalke.
NEXT TIME: @SunDevilMGolf heads to College Station, Texas for their next tournament. The Aggie Invitational takes place April 6-7 hosted by Texas A&M.
THAT RECORD: ASU's head-to-head record on the season, with three victories, five second-place finishes and one fourth-place finish, is 117-8-1.
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Arizona State 280-263-271=814/-50
2. Southern California 279-270-286=835/-29
3. Oklahoma 280-276-280=836/-28
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
1. Alex del Rey, ASU 69-64-66=199/-17
2. Justin Suh, USC 66-64-70=200/-16
3. Won Jun Lee, ASU 70-66-65=201/-15
4. Jordan Sanders, North Texas 67-68-69=204/-12
T5. Trevor Werbylo, Arizona 70-62-73=205/-11
T5. Chun An Yu, ASU 69-65-71=205/-11
T11. Mason Andersen, ASU 72-68-69=209/-7
T23. Blake Wagoner, ASU 72-69-71=212/-4
SUN DEVIL TEAM WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (8)
National Invitational Tournament/Mar. 18-19, 2019
Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12, 2019
John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23, 2019
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15, 2018
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13, 2018
Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24, 2017
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/March 18-19, 2017
Alister MacKenzie Invitational/Oct. 10-11, 2016
INDIVIDUAL WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (8)
Alex del Rey (Jr.) National Invitational Tournament (Mar. 18-19, 2019)
Mason Andersen (So.) Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12, 2019)
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)
Alex del Rey surged in to first place in the final round to beat out Justin Suh of USC by one stroke. The junior sat in third after round two and pushed his way into first by shooting a 66 in the final round. This gives him his second medal as a Sun Devil (Maui Jim Intercollegiate, 2017) and sixth top-ten finish of the season.
Coming in next for ASU was Won Jun Lee who also made a push on the final day to finish third, his best finish as a Sun Devil. Junior Chun An Yu came two spots later tied for fifth. Mason Andersen finished tied for 11th after coming off an individual medal last time out. Blake Wagoner finished tied for 23rd to round out the lineup.
"In our nine events we've been in the final pairing for the final round. Those rounds are very high pressure and intensity and we've done well, but it's hard to always be up and to bring your best every time," notes head coach Matt Thurmond. "Today we got off to a great start and just never looked back. This was the first time I've seen us keep the foot pressed fully down on the gas all the way to the end. It was our first comfortable final nine of the season.
"This event has had Alex's number. In his freshmen year he was near the lead before making a nine on the No. 15. That was devastating. Then last year he played okay, but was disqualified for a scorecard error and it may have cost him being an All-American. So I thought he had some good magic coming to him out there. He was steady and in position all tournament, but when he holed out from 127 yards on 13 to tie the leader, we felt this could go his way. Even on the last hole his drive found the water, but he hit another wedge really close from about 120 yds and saved par for the win. I'm so happy for him.
"Won Jun Lee has been settling in and getting comfortable with school and team and life here and we didn't every want to rush him into the lineup. He got an opportunity this week and took advantage of it. He played 54 holes with just one bogey and set a great tone for the team with his confidence and energy.
"Every day and every week it seems someone different is the hero. Our depth keeps the pressure off of any one person and we all know that every guys playing can win and is playing tough. Our ability to respond to so many varied challenges and circumstances, and thrive in all of them day after day, is what is most impressing me with these guys. We talk about how in golf you have to earn everything each and every day and we've adopted that humble and hungry mentality. We are owed nothing and if we don't bring it every day someone else who wants it more will take our spot. So far, I feel like I tee it up every tournament with the five guys and a staff that wants it the most.
"Cameron Sisk was out of the lineup for the first time this season and he did exactly what you would hope he would. He played great and won the separate 24-man Sonoran Showdown, which, interestingly, featured three past Masters participants."
The team is yet to place worse than fourth this season including three total tournament victories and five second place finishes. The victory gives head coach Matt Thurmond his eighth tournament victory and eighth individual victory since taking over the program in 2016. The three victories this season matches the total from last season. The last time ASU won more than three tournaments was 2014-15, a season featuring two of the best in program history in Max Rottluff and Jon Rahm.
AT THE OTHER COURSE: Freshman Cameron Sisk won the 21-player field at the Sonoran Showdown that included three former participants of the Masters in teammate Paul Chaplet, Arizona's Tianlang Guan and Oklahoma's Brad Dalke.
NEXT TIME: @SunDevilMGolf heads to College Station, Texas for their next tournament. The Aggie Invitational takes place April 6-7 hosted by Texas A&M.
THAT RECORD: ASU's head-to-head record on the season, with three victories, five second-place finishes and one fourth-place finish, is 117-8-1.
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Arizona State 280-263-271=814/-50
2. Southern California 279-270-286=835/-29
3. Oklahoma 280-276-280=836/-28
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
1. Alex del Rey, ASU 69-64-66=199/-17
2. Justin Suh, USC 66-64-70=200/-16
3. Won Jun Lee, ASU 70-66-65=201/-15
4. Jordan Sanders, North Texas 67-68-69=204/-12
T5. Trevor Werbylo, Arizona 70-62-73=205/-11
T5. Chun An Yu, ASU 69-65-71=205/-11
T11. Mason Andersen, ASU 72-68-69=209/-7
T23. Blake Wagoner, ASU 72-69-71=212/-4
SUN DEVIL TEAM WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (8)
National Invitational Tournament/Mar. 18-19, 2019
Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12, 2019
John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23, 2019
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15, 2018
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13, 2018
Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24, 2017
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/March 18-19, 2017
Alister MacKenzie Invitational/Oct. 10-11, 2016
INDIVIDUAL WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (8)
Alex del Rey (Jr.) National Invitational Tournament (Mar. 18-19, 2019)
Mason Andersen (So.) Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12, 2019)
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)