TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 2 Sun Devil Women's Golf team got their Spring season started off right, defeating No. 20 UCLA and No. 50 Denver on Sunday afternoon at the Tri-Match in the Desert.
"We were excited to get the start the Spring season off with a win today, but we are ready to get back to work," Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked after capturing her 10th event title as a Head Coach since taking over in Tempe.
Four Sun Devils found themselves in the Top-10 by the end of the day, led by Olivia Mehaffey, who earned a tie for fifth (E/72). Alexandra Forsterling (+1/73) and Raquel Olmos (+2/74) joined Mehaffey in the Top-10, with the depth of the Sun Devil lineup on display. Freshman Amanda Linner made her collegiate debut, showing flashes of brilliance despite competing in just her first tournament.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
COACH'S THOUGHTS
"I am excited by how we started today," Coach Missy Farr-Kaye reflected. "This opportunity to play in a one-day tournament helped us shake the rust off a little bit and get ready for the tournament coming up at Palos Verdes in two weeks. Really excited about how well Alessandra (Fanali) played. A 68 was a really good round of golf today. Hole locations were tough, but conditions were really good. No wind, just a perfect sunny day in Arizona. We had some bright spots for sure. There are a couple things we know we need to work on in the next two weeks to get ready."
LOOKING AHEAD
Arizona State will spend the next week preparing for the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge, hosted at Palos Verdes Golf Club. Olivia Mehaffey and the Sun Devils return to the site of the 2019 Pac-12 Championships, in which Mehaffey made a furious charge to capture the Individual Pac-12 Championship. The three-day tournament runs February 9-11.
A reminder that Arizona State University and Grayhawk Golf Club will host the 2020 through 2022 NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Golf Championships on Golf Channel in Scottsdale, Ariz. It becomes the first time a university and golf course will host the championships for three consecutive seasons. The Women's portion of the tournament will run May 22-27. It will be the first time ASU has hosted an NCAA Golf Championship since the women hosted in 1992.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram platforms (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and our website (thesundevils.com).
"We were excited to get the start the Spring season off with a win today, but we are ready to get back to work," Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked after capturing her 10th event title as a Head Coach since taking over in Tempe.
Arizona State (-1/287) narrowly edged out fellow Pac-12 foe UCLA (E/288) and tournament-host Denver (E/288) for the program's 90th team championship since 1982. Alessandra Fanali was not only the highest-finishing Sun Devil, she paced the field with a 68 (-4), matching her season-low. The sophomore now has five rounds in the 60 in her career, taking home her first-ever collegiate Individual Championship.The moment it became official! ??
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) January 27, 2020
1??0??th tournament win for @SunDevilWGolf under @missymkaye pic.twitter.com/hNbWnAkiWO
This is the second consecutive year the Sun Devils have won the one-day and 18-hole event, beating Georgia and Denver last season. The 2019 edition saw ASU finish with the exact same score (-1/287) in addition to accounting for the individual winner, as Alexandra Forsterling shot a tournament-best 69 (-3).Alessandra Fanali put on a show today! ?? pic.twitter.com/8ZAEgDl1Bg
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) January 27, 2020
Four Sun Devils found themselves in the Top-10 by the end of the day, led by Olivia Mehaffey, who earned a tie for fifth (E/72). Alexandra Forsterling (+1/73) and Raquel Olmos (+2/74) joined Mehaffey in the Top-10, with the depth of the Sun Devil lineup on display. Freshman Amanda Linner made her collegiate debut, showing flashes of brilliance despite competing in just her first tournament.
TEAM STANDINGSAmanda Linner gets us underway as she makes her highly-anticipated collegiate debut! #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/FGGgr8I7YA
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) January 26, 2020
| Position | Team | Score vs. Par | Total |
| 1 | Arizona State | -1 | 287 |
| T2 | UCLA | E | 288 |
| T2 | Denver | E | 288 |
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
| Position | Player | Team | Score vs. Par | Total |
| 1 | Alessandra Fanali | Arizona State | -4 | 68 |
| T5 | Olivia Mehaffey | Arizona State | E | 72 |
| T8 | Alexandra Forsterling | Arizona State | +1 | 73 |
| T10 | Raquel Olmos | Arizona State | +2 | 74 |
| 15 | Linn Grant | Arizona State | +4 | 76 |
| 16 | Amanda Linner | Arizona State | +5 | 77 |
COACH'S THOUGHTS
"I am excited by how we started today," Coach Missy Farr-Kaye reflected. "This opportunity to play in a one-day tournament helped us shake the rust off a little bit and get ready for the tournament coming up at Palos Verdes in two weeks. Really excited about how well Alessandra (Fanali) played. A 68 was a really good round of golf today. Hole locations were tough, but conditions were really good. No wind, just a perfect sunny day in Arizona. We had some bright spots for sure. There are a couple things we know we need to work on in the next two weeks to get ready."
LOOKING AHEAD
Arizona State will spend the next week preparing for the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge, hosted at Palos Verdes Golf Club. Olivia Mehaffey and the Sun Devils return to the site of the 2019 Pac-12 Championships, in which Mehaffey made a furious charge to capture the Individual Pac-12 Championship. The three-day tournament runs February 9-11.
A reminder that Arizona State University and Grayhawk Golf Club will host the 2020 through 2022 NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Golf Championships on Golf Channel in Scottsdale, Ariz. It becomes the first time a university and golf course will host the championships for three consecutive seasons. The Women's portion of the tournament will run May 22-27. It will be the first time ASU has hosted an NCAA Golf Championship since the women hosted in 1992.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram platforms (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and our website (thesundevils.com).