Luke Potter is one of two freshmen on Arizona State's men's golf team and joined a decorated program that was one match away from being national champions.
The Sun Devils have one of the smallest rosters in the country which boasts only seven golfers, after losing veteran talent, Potter has stepped up already in the biggest of ways during the fall season alongside fellow freshman Michael Mjaaseth.
Coming from California, the freshman accumulated many honors when he competed in high school, including being the California State Individual Champion and becoming a three-time Rolex All-American. One of his biggest achievements in his young career was being named California Freshman Athlete of the Year, in which the last California freshman to accomplish that was a young Tiger Woods.
Being part of one of the country's most highly decorated golf teams comes with high expectations, but Potter answered the call early in his collegiate career.
"Everyone had really high expectations for Luke." head coach Matt Thurmond said. "We've been hearing about Luke Potter forever, so we expected him to come in and make an impact."
Confidence is one thing that Potter has always had. He searches for any competitive battle at practice and during competition to gain the extra edge. "Luke came in, he's this young freshman, he's got a swagger to him." Senior Ryggs Johnson said. He relishes his time on the practice range and strives to get better every day as a golfer.
"Golf is a game where it's impossible to master and I get here, show up to The Thunderbird every day trying to get better." Potter said. "It's something that I enjoy, just practicing, working hard and being outside."
The Maui Jim Intercollegiate was Potter's first taste of collegiate golf right in Scottsdale. The freshman started his career by shooting a 68 and leading the team in birdies with seven on day one. He would later finish five-under par 65 (68-67-70=205/-5) and notch a top-25 finish in his first career start at ASU.
"When you step on the first tee with the ASU colors on, it means something different." Potter said. "So there's definitely a lot of nerves on the first tee but it was more of like, excitement and ready to get going, I was happy to have a decent tournament."
After the Maui Jim, he would compete in two more tournaments for the Sun Devils in the fall season, he finished tied for 26th at the Fighting Illini Invite but broke out at the East Lake Cup where the Sun Devils competed against Texas, Vanderbilt, and Pepperdine which were the top-four teams from last Spring's NCAA Championships at Grayhawk and would compete in one day of stroke play, and two days of match play.
Potter would shoot a three-under 69 which tied for second in Atlanta, but he continued his confident play over the next two days by taking down two upperclassmen in the match play event of the East Lake Cup which featured knocking down a winning putt on the 18th hole in the championship match against Vanderbilt.
"The more pressure Luke is under the more he likes to succeed. It almost takes a little bit of pressure to get the best out of Luke." Sutton said. "It's becoming apparent that with every time he has a big putt, it seems to fall."
It proved to be a good test for both freshmen since they will be pivotal if ASU wants to compete for another national title.
It was a satisfying way to close out the fall season for Potter and the Sun Devils, with the East Lake Cup being the only match-play event on the schedule it proved they're capable of competing with any team in the country.
"Luke had not played to the level that he wanted to for a few weeks and missed a really tight qualifier for The Ben Hogan Collegiate. For him to come out of that, play really well in stroke play finishing second and then go 2-0 in matches on TV was big for his confidence and big for the team." Sutton said.
The freshman enjoyed the environment that surrounded the East Lake Cup and was at his best in high-pressure situations. The match-play experience will only help him grow as a competitor when the postseason creeks closer.
"East Lake was awesome, my goal was to try to play well, play my best, play up to my standards and in the stroke play round I did." Potter said. "Going into the Match Play, I normally like match play better than stroke play. More of that head-to-head competition. So I was able to play a couple of really good matches and I was happy to win both of them."
With the Spring season ahead and more opportunities for both freshmen to grow as golfers and individuals, the sky is the limit for the Sun Devils.
"Each day we kind of set it out to do the same thing and accomplish the same things. It's fun to push each other and our friendship has grown closer together as time has gone on. I'm looking forward to spending the next few years with him." Potter said.
Having a small roster can prove to be the strength of the team. Having two freshmen and the youth on the roster will have the Sun Devils peaking at the right time when the postseason rolls around.
"Sometimes you think depth is numbers but depth is really the strength of the ones you have," Thurmond said. "Both of them have played outstanding, ranked inside the top 60 in college golf. That's incredible, to have two freshmen come in and already be in the top 60. We knew it was possible, but for them to come in and do it is huge for everyone around them and their confidence."