Michael Mjaaseth arrived in Phoenix with a singular goal: to win golf tournaments.
One of two freshmen on the Sun Devil men's golf team, Mjaaseth entered a program that was nearly on top of the world last spring.
After finishing second at the 2022 NCAA Championships, the Sun Devils retooled over the summer with intentions of taking the next step. Although significant veteran presence has departed, Mjaaseth is built for the biggest stage.
He is one of seven on ASU's roster, a smaller bunch than most national contenders and one of two freshmen, alongside highly touted Californian Luke Potter.
The Norwegian boasted significant junior accolades including being the European Young Masters Champion, the Norwegian U15 National Champion and he represented Europe in the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship. He's also been a winner at the Norwegian national level.
For a guy who had spent his entire career winning, arriving at ASU meant a new platform to impress.
"He's earned the respect of his teammates," head coach Matt Thurmond said. " Michael is pretty reserved, he doesn't say much and he was pretty quiet the first few weeks. He earned their respect with how he is and who he is."
As a child in Norway, Mjaaseth was a competitive alpine skier. He discovered golf later than most of his competitors while at a summer camp when he was 10.
For a mellow and independent personality, golf was the perfect fit.
"I think my maturity is something that helps me in my golf because I feel like I can handle my bad shots," Mjaaseth said. "It's something that I have worked on over the past few years."
When he arrived in Phoenix over the summer, he was greeted at the airport by associate head coach Thomas Sutton. Sutton was prepared to take him to get any and all home necessities; bed sheets, pillows, etc.
Mjaaseth had everything he needed without any help.
After Sutton dropped him off at the dorm and helped him unpack, he told Mjaaseth to call him in the morning when he was ready to go to the grocery store.
"By the early afternoon, I hadn't heard anything so I gave him a call," Sutton said. "I was like 'hey Michael, you ready to go to the grocery store,'" and he said 'oh I did that already.'"
That is just how he is.
"He's like a 40-year-old in a 20-year-old body because he just seems that mature," said senior Ryggs Johnston. "I think internally, he has a lot of fire about him that allows them to work well with the team."
That calmness was apparent in ASU's first tournament, the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. Mjaaseth was Norway's first alternate for the World Amateur Championship in Paris. During ASU's structured qualifying, he got a call and they asked him if he was able to compete.
He made the trek to France and after a whirlwind, finished ninth in the world.
"We were halfway through the qualifier, meaning he was going to have to play as an individual in the first event," Coach Sutton said. "For him to go top-10 at the World Amateur Championship and come back and earn his way back in the lineup. We didn't have to give him an exemption or give him any special favors for him. That was a big moment for his career and a big moment for the team accepting him as a guy that came to play."
Mjaaseth ended up tying for first in the Maui Jim Individual bracket at 14-under par, less than a week after hauling back from Paris. He was proud of the results, but as is his personality, wanted more.
"My summer was really good and I was hoping to really bring that game into the fall season," Mjaaseth said. "I played great at Worlds, so that was good. I tied for first at Maui Jim Individual, so that was good."
His fall season continued in positive fashion. Mjaaseth qualified for the East Lake Cup in Atlanta, a meeting of the top four teams from the NCAA Championships last spring. He faced two upperclassmen and despite falling in both matches, pushed them both to the brink. It was a positive experience, but Mjaaseth's killer instinct pushes him to want more.
"In the match play, I played just not really good enough," Mjaaseth said. "I felt like I hung in there in the matches but wasn't good enough. That's how match play is, you either win or lose."
Cutthroat? A little. That's what makes him so good.
"I think Michael coming in, playing so well, being such a steady personality and being so mature and responsible has been an X-factor for us this fall," Thurmond said. "It has allowed everyone to feel confident. A lot of times, freshmen come in, they're not really ready and it takes them a while to hit their stride. To have them both [Mjaaseth & Potter] be strong right away is a big deal."
Despite not feeling like he had the scoring output he is capable of, Mjaaseth still found plenty of ways to grow during the fall. For a quiet kid, coming to Arizona State from Norway, Mjaaseth is locked in and ready for a loud spring campaign.
"He's in on the jokes and he's making the comments behind the scenes," Thurmond said with a chuckle. "He's still naturally a quieter person but I'm really proud of him. One time, I heard him crack a joke in the back of the van and my head whipped around like 'was that Michael?' He's reserved, he's quiet and he's to himself so for him to become deeply a part of the social culture of the team is really good."
Arizona State tees off its spring 2023 campaign with the Southwestern Invitational Jan. 30-Feb 1.
One of two freshmen on the Sun Devil men's golf team, Mjaaseth entered a program that was nearly on top of the world last spring.
After finishing second at the 2022 NCAA Championships, the Sun Devils retooled over the summer with intentions of taking the next step. Although significant veteran presence has departed, Mjaaseth is built for the biggest stage.
He is one of seven on ASU's roster, a smaller bunch than most national contenders and one of two freshmen, alongside highly touted Californian Luke Potter.
The Norwegian boasted significant junior accolades including being the European Young Masters Champion, the Norwegian U15 National Champion and he represented Europe in the Asia-Pacific Junior Championship. He's also been a winner at the Norwegian national level.
For a guy who had spent his entire career winning, arriving at ASU meant a new platform to impress.
"He's earned the respect of his teammates," head coach Matt Thurmond said. " Michael is pretty reserved, he doesn't say much and he was pretty quiet the first few weeks. He earned their respect with how he is and who he is."
As a child in Norway, Mjaaseth was a competitive alpine skier. He discovered golf later than most of his competitors while at a summer camp when he was 10.
For a mellow and independent personality, golf was the perfect fit.
"I think my maturity is something that helps me in my golf because I feel like I can handle my bad shots," Mjaaseth said. "It's something that I have worked on over the past few years."
When he arrived in Phoenix over the summer, he was greeted at the airport by associate head coach Thomas Sutton. Sutton was prepared to take him to get any and all home necessities; bed sheets, pillows, etc.
Mjaaseth had everything he needed without any help.
After Sutton dropped him off at the dorm and helped him unpack, he told Mjaaseth to call him in the morning when he was ready to go to the grocery store.
"By the early afternoon, I hadn't heard anything so I gave him a call," Sutton said. "I was like 'hey Michael, you ready to go to the grocery store,'" and he said 'oh I did that already.'"
That is just how he is.
"He's like a 40-year-old in a 20-year-old body because he just seems that mature," said senior Ryggs Johnston. "I think internally, he has a lot of fire about him that allows them to work well with the team."
That calmness was apparent in ASU's first tournament, the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. Mjaaseth was Norway's first alternate for the World Amateur Championship in Paris. During ASU's structured qualifying, he got a call and they asked him if he was able to compete.
He made the trek to France and after a whirlwind, finished ninth in the world.
"We were halfway through the qualifier, meaning he was going to have to play as an individual in the first event," Coach Sutton said. "For him to go top-10 at the World Amateur Championship and come back and earn his way back in the lineup. We didn't have to give him an exemption or give him any special favors for him. That was a big moment for his career and a big moment for the team accepting him as a guy that came to play."
Mjaaseth ended up tying for first in the Maui Jim Individual bracket at 14-under par, less than a week after hauling back from Paris. He was proud of the results, but as is his personality, wanted more.
"My summer was really good and I was hoping to really bring that game into the fall season," Mjaaseth said. "I played great at Worlds, so that was good. I tied for first at Maui Jim Individual, so that was good."
His fall season continued in positive fashion. Mjaaseth qualified for the East Lake Cup in Atlanta, a meeting of the top four teams from the NCAA Championships last spring. He faced two upperclassmen and despite falling in both matches, pushed them both to the brink. It was a positive experience, but Mjaaseth's killer instinct pushes him to want more.
"In the match play, I played just not really good enough," Mjaaseth said. "I felt like I hung in there in the matches but wasn't good enough. That's how match play is, you either win or lose."
Cutthroat? A little. That's what makes him so good.
"I think Michael coming in, playing so well, being such a steady personality and being so mature and responsible has been an X-factor for us this fall," Thurmond said. "It has allowed everyone to feel confident. A lot of times, freshmen come in, they're not really ready and it takes them a while to hit their stride. To have them both [Mjaaseth & Potter] be strong right away is a big deal."
Despite not feeling like he had the scoring output he is capable of, Mjaaseth still found plenty of ways to grow during the fall. For a quiet kid, coming to Arizona State from Norway, Mjaaseth is locked in and ready for a loud spring campaign.
"He's in on the jokes and he's making the comments behind the scenes," Thurmond said with a chuckle. "He's still naturally a quieter person but I'm really proud of him. One time, I heard him crack a joke in the back of the van and my head whipped around like 'was that Michael?' He's reserved, he's quiet and he's to himself so for him to become deeply a part of the social culture of the team is really good."
Arizona State tees off its spring 2023 campaign with the Southwestern Invitational Jan. 30-Feb 1.