SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Junior Olivia Mehaffey has earned Pac-12 Golfer of the Month honors for the month of April the conference announced Monday morning.
Mehaffey receives the honor after a month in which she captured the 2019 Pac-12 Individual Championship, making up four strokes on the final day to force a playoff with Stanford's Albane Valenzuela. In the deciding hole, Mehaffey was brilliant under pressure, making par while her opponent was unable to match.
She became the second Pac-12 individual winner in head coach Missy Farr-Kaye's four seasons, joining Linnea Strom in 2016. Mehaffey is the 13th Sun Devil to take home the title since the conference began holding the championship in 1986, by far the best mark in the league as UCLA sits in a distant second place with seven.
The 12th-ranked player in the latest Golfstat rankings has been playing great golf all season long, with five total Top-10 finishes to her name. She has found herself in the Top-10 after the final day of three of her last four tournaments, including a victory at the Bruin Wave Invitational (2/26). Mehaffey currently leads the team with a 72.53 stroke average, producing four rounds in the 60's this season.
Mehaffey continues to build an impressive resume during her time in Tempe that now includes the 2017 Team National Championship, a Pac-12 Individual Championship, two Pac-12 First Team All-Conference honors, and 18 Top-10 finishes.
She becomes the first Sun Devil since Linnea Strom (April 2016) to win the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month award. Mehaffey joins Alex del Ray, fellow Papago Golf Course occupant and member of the Sun Devil Men's Golf team, in winning a Golfer of the Month award.
The Sun Devils are currently competing in the Norman Regional May 6-8 as they begin their NCAA Postseason run. To follow along with live scoring, click here. For more information on the Norman Regional, visit the championship central page. Arizona State has appeared in 27 consecutive regionals and made the NCAA Championship round 34 times, capturing eighth national titles in the program's storied history.
2019, Olivia Mehaffey
2016, Linnea Strom
2010, Carlota Ciganda
2009, Carlota Ciganda
2005, Louise Stahle
2002, Jimin Kang
1999, Grace Park
1995, Wendy Ward
1993, Wendy Ward
1990, Brandie Burton
1989, Pearl Sinn
1988, Pam Wright
1987, Danielle Ammaccapane
PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONS BY SCHOOL (1986-PRESENT)
ASU, 13
UCLA, 7
USC, 5
ARIZONA, 4
STANFORD, 1
CAL, 1
WASHINGTON, 1
OREGON, 1
2018-19 SUN DEVIL PAC-12 CHAMPIONS (7 TITLES BY 6 SUN DEVILS AS OF APRIL 17, 2019)
Silja Kansakoski (women's 100 breast)
Olivia Mehaffey (women's golf)
Christian Pagdilao (wrestling/157 lbs)
Zach Poti (men's 100 back)
Youssef Selim (men's diving/1-M springboard and platform)
Josh Shields (wrestling/165 lbs)
Zahid Valencia (wrestling/174 lbs)
Mehaffey receives the honor after a month in which she captured the 2019 Pac-12 Individual Championship, making up four strokes on the final day to force a playoff with Stanford's Albane Valenzuela. In the deciding hole, Mehaffey was brilliant under pressure, making par while her opponent was unable to match.
In winning the title, Mehaffey beat out 22 other Top-100 ranked players according to Golfstat in a loaded field. She helped the Sun Devils to a third-place finish in the team standings, moving up two spots on the leaderboard during the final day.ICE IN HER VEINS! @OliviaMehaffey NAILS her putt for @TheSunDevils 13th Individual @pac12 Champion! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/6hoBxs0LLX
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) April 17, 2019
She became the second Pac-12 individual winner in head coach Missy Farr-Kaye's four seasons, joining Linnea Strom in 2016. Mehaffey is the 13th Sun Devil to take home the title since the conference began holding the championship in 1986, by far the best mark in the league as UCLA sits in a distant second place with seven.
Mehaffey was the only player in the 55-team field to shoot under par in all three rounds. She trailed by four strokes entering the final round, but birdied the first hole and then 16 to put the pressure on Valenzuela, who was still on the course. Her score of 4-under 209 (69-70-70) was good enough to force a playoff that would ultimately decide the top medalist.Leaders of the Pac-12 ??
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) April 24, 2019
Olivia Mehaffey recently captured @SunDevilWGolf's 13th Pac-10/12 Individual Title, by far the most by any program in the @pac12
Tune in tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. PT/MST to the Golf Channel to find out where the squad will be headed for NCAA Regionals! pic.twitter.com/zs3Y0kAn1e
The 12th-ranked player in the latest Golfstat rankings has been playing great golf all season long, with five total Top-10 finishes to her name. She has found herself in the Top-10 after the final day of three of her last four tournaments, including a victory at the Bruin Wave Invitational (2/26). Mehaffey currently leads the team with a 72.53 stroke average, producing four rounds in the 60's this season.
Mehaffey continues to build an impressive resume during her time in Tempe that now includes the 2017 Team National Championship, a Pac-12 Individual Championship, two Pac-12 First Team All-Conference honors, and 18 Top-10 finishes.
She becomes the first Sun Devil since Linnea Strom (April 2016) to win the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month award. Mehaffey joins Alex del Ray, fellow Papago Golf Course occupant and member of the Sun Devil Men's Golf team, in winning a Golfer of the Month award.
The Sun Devils are currently competing in the Norman Regional May 6-8 as they begin their NCAA Postseason run. To follow along with live scoring, click here. For more information on the Norman Regional, visit the championship central page. Arizona State has appeared in 27 consecutive regionals and made the NCAA Championship round 34 times, capturing eighth national titles in the program's storied history.
SUN DEVIL WOMEN'S GOLF INDIVIDUAL PAC-12 CHAMPIONS (13)DYK: @SunDevilWGolf is 1? of 9? programs nationally that has appeared in a regional all 2?7? seasons since the NCAA postseason format changed in 1993 pic.twitter.com/xWR31YuNGv
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) April 30, 2019
2019, Olivia Mehaffey
2016, Linnea Strom
2010, Carlota Ciganda
2009, Carlota Ciganda
2005, Louise Stahle
2002, Jimin Kang
1999, Grace Park
1995, Wendy Ward
1993, Wendy Ward
1990, Brandie Burton
1989, Pearl Sinn
1988, Pam Wright
1987, Danielle Ammaccapane
PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONS BY SCHOOL (1986-PRESENT)
ASU, 13
UCLA, 7
USC, 5
ARIZONA, 4
STANFORD, 1
CAL, 1
WASHINGTON, 1
OREGON, 1
2018-19 SUN DEVIL PAC-12 CHAMPIONS (7 TITLES BY 6 SUN DEVILS AS OF APRIL 17, 2019)
Silja Kansakoski (women's 100 breast)
Olivia Mehaffey (women's golf)
Christian Pagdilao (wrestling/157 lbs)
Zach Poti (men's 100 back)
Youssef Selim (men's diving/1-M springboard and platform)
Josh Shields (wrestling/165 lbs)
Zahid Valencia (wrestling/174 lbs)